Menlo Park Chimney & MasonryCampbell Ave · 24/7 (650) 617-5505
24/7 dispatch · Menlo Park

Oak Country Chimneys & Backyard FireChimney and masonry work for Menlo Park, Atherton, Palo Alto, Portola Valley and Ladera

Menlo Park and Atherton grew up under huge valley and live oaks, and many of the ranch houses and older cottages among them have brick chimneys from the 1930s through the 1960s. Now owners are remodeling, adding outdoor living spaces and deciding whether an old chimney stays. Menlo Park Chimney & Masonry repairs chimneys around protected trees, builds outdoor fireplaces and fire features, and removes chimneys cleanly when a remodel calls for it. Our office is on Campbell Avenue, with a dispatcher on call 24/7.

Heritagetree care
Outdoorfire features
24/7dispatch
Sweep with a brush and rods at a brick chimney on a terracotta tile roof on a sunny day
Midday sweep · Menlo Park

From Menlo Park inboxes

Technician fitting a stainless chimney cap with fall trees around the house
Open flue, leaves & acorns inClogged
Screened cap, branches clearFlowing
Heritage trees

Chimneys living with big oaks

Leaves, acorns & nests

Oak litter fills open flues and smoke shelves, and squirrels nest in them. Screened caps stop both.

Branches over the roof

Limbs close to the chimney catch sparks and rub flashing loose. We flag them for your arborist.

Protected root zones

Menlo Park and Atherton protect heritage trees. We stage ladders, scaffold and mixers outside the root zone.

Moss & damp brick

Deep shade keeps brick wet. A crown, cap and breathable sealer help it dry out.

Oak over your chimney?(650) 617-5505
Core services

Chimney care from Willows to West Menlo

For ranch homes, Spanish cottages and new builds across southern San Mateo County.

Mason kneeling on a roof examining a weathered chimney crownRepair

Crowns & Chimney Repair

Cracked crowns, eroded mortar and loose tops fixed or rebuilt with reinforcement.

  • New crowns
  • Repointing
  • Steel-tied rebuilds
Get it checked (650) 617-5505
Copper flashing sealed where a brick chimney meets the shinglesFlashing

Flashing & Leaks

New step and counterflashing so winter storms stay outside.

  • Copper option
  • Shingle, tile, shake
  • Water-tested
End the drip (650) 617-5505
Harnessed technician feeding a stainless liner into a brick chimney on a tile roofLiners

Liners & Inserts

Stainless liners for gas inserts and EPA wood units, plus relining of cracked flues.

  • Gas & wood
  • Insulated
  • Permit-ready
Plan a liner (650) 617-5505
Gloved hand placing a stainless mesh cap on a clay chimney potCaps

Caps & Leaf Guards

Stainless caps with mesh sized to stop sparks, squirrels and oak litter.

  • Spark mesh
  • Pot covers
  • Multi-flue tops
Fit a cap (650) 617-5505
Inspection camera lowered into a clay chimney pot on a roofVideo

Camera Inspections

Flue video for buyers, sellers, insurers and before any remodel decision.

  • Before you remodel
  • Sale reports
  • Footage saved
Book a scope (650) 617-5505
Wire brush scrubbing soot inside a brick fireboxSweeps

Sweeps & Firebox Work

Thorough sweeps, firebrick replacement and damper repair.

  • Tidy work
  • Firebrick
  • Dampers
Book a sweep (650) 617-5505
Side by side

See the rebuild happen

Each frame pairs a chimney as we found it with the same chimney when we drove away. Move the gold bar with your finger or mouse, or select it and press the arrow keys.

After: ranch-house chimney rebuilt in new red brick with a crown and light cap
Before: ranch-house chimney with blown-out bricks and failing joints
BeforeAfter

Mid-century ranch stack, saved

The owners almost had it torn out. Instead we rebuilt the failing upper section with steel, a poured crown and a cap, and kept the fireplace they loved.

  • Kept, not removed
  • Steel-tied
  • Crown & cap
After: bright new brick chimney with stainless cap and fresh step flashing
Before: chimney streaked with moss and grime under heavy tree cover
BeforeAfter

Under the canopy, made new

Decades under an old oak left this stack soaked and green. During a reroof it was rebuilt in new brick, topped with stainless and re-flashed.

  • New brick
  • Stainless cap
  • Fresh flashing
Is your chimney a left-side story? (650) 617-5505
Backyard living

Outdoor fireplaces & fire features

Mild Peninsula evenings make the patio a second living room. A masonry outdoor fireplace or gas fire feature, built and vented properly, makes it usable most of the year.

Masonry outdoor fireplaces

Brick or stone fireplaces with a real chimney, built on a proper footing and sized to the patio.

Gas fire pits & tables

Gas means no smoke for the neighbors and no conflict with winter no-burn days.

Clearances & setbacks

Placed away from eaves, fences and overhanging branches, to code and your city's rules.

Repairs to existing units

Cracked outdoor fireboxes, loose caps and smoky draws fixed.

Planning a patio fireplace?(650) 617-5505
Logs burning brightly inside a masonry firebox
Bare patio after sunsetToo chilly
Fire feature built inYear-round use
Southern Peninsula

From the bayfront to the foothills

The Campbell Avenue office is close to 101 and the Dumbarton approach. Tap a community to see how long the drive usually takes.

Driving toAtherton
About8 min
BAY DUMBARTON 101 82 280 84 CAMPBELL AVE

Tap a community

Dispatcher picks up
Van leaves Campbell Ave
Text on approach
Chimney & yard look

Starts at 4000 Campbell Ave. Willow Road and El Camino at rush hour stretch these, so dispatch gives the real ETA.

Remodels & additions

Keeping, converting or removing a chimney

Remodels here often reach a point where the old chimney is in the way. Sometimes it's worth saving; sometimes it comes out. Either way it should be planned with your architect and done cleanly.

DECIDE

Keep or remove?

A camera inspection and honest pricing for repair, conversion or removal, so you can compare.

PLAN

Coordinate the trades

We work with your architect and general contractor on sequencing, framing and roof patches.

REMOVE

Take it down by hand

Brick removed course by course from the top, protecting the roof, the yard and nearby trees.

CLOSE

Seal and patch

Openings capped and framed for the roofer, or the stack shortened and capped below the roofline.

Brushing a chimney top at dusk
Sweep · Redwood City
Flashlight inspection of a living room fireplace
Inspection · Los Altos
Harnessed roofer installing chimney flashing on tile
Flashing · Atherton
Block chimney with stone crown and black cap
Cap · Ladera
Sweep · Redwood City
Inspection · Los Altos
Flashing · Atherton
Cap · Ladera
Hand brush cleaning a sooty firebox
Firebox · Menlo Oaks
Scaffolding around a tall brick chimney
Scaffold · Palo Alto
Corbelled brick chimney top against a blue sky
Corbels · Felton Gables
Two-tone brick chimney with flashing among trees
Brick · Portola Valley
Firebox · Menlo Oaks
Scaffold · Palo Alto
Corbels · Felton Gables
Brick · Portola Valley
Good questions

Menlo Park chimney FAQ

Dispatch answers (650) 617-5505 at any time of day.

Can I reach someone in the middle of the night?

Yes. A dispatcher is always on, so an oak limb that hit the chimney in a storm, bricks shifting after a tremor or rain coming through at the chimney gets help lined up. Flames, indoor smoke, a whiff of gas or a beeping CO detector mean leaving the house and phoning 911 before anyone else.

Should we keep or remove our chimney during the remodel?

It depends on its condition, your design and your budget. We inspect it and price repair, conversion to gas and removal so you can decide with your architect.

Can you work near a heritage oak?

Yes. We keep equipment and materials out of the root zone and follow any tree-protection conditions on your permit.

Do you build outdoor fireplaces?

Yes, in brick or stone, plus gas fire pits and tables. We site them safely away from eaves, fences and trees.

Why do leaves keep ending up in my fireplace?

The flue is open at the top. A screened cap keeps leaves, acorns and animals out.

Do you handle permits?

Yes, for rebuilds, removals and new outdoor fireplaces, with Menlo Park, Atherton, Palo Alto or your county.

Which communities do you cover?

Menlo Park, Atherton, Palo Alto, Stanford, East Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Ladera, Woodside, North Fair Oaks, Redwood City, Menlo Oaks and Los Altos.

Our area

Menlo Park & neighbors

The towns between the bay and Skyline we visit most.

  • Menlo Park
  • Atherton
  • Palo Alto
  • Stanford
  • East Palo Alto
  • Portola Valley
  • Ladera
  • Woodside
  • North Fair Oaks
  • Redwood City
  • Menlo Oaks
  • Los Altos

Oak trouble, patio plans or a remodel? Call us.

Menlo Park Chimney & Masonry has a real person on dispatch around the clock.

(650) 617-5505 Call Menlo Park Chimney
Menlo Park Chimney & Masonry 4000 Campbell Ave unit 102
Menlo Park, CA 94025
(650) 617-5505
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SundayDispatcher available, 24h
MondayDispatcher available, 24h
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SaturdayDispatcher available, 24h
24/7 dispatch(650) 617-5505