Accredited & certified
Independently audited and certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 standards for quality, environmental and occupational health & safety management.
Altitude Roofing carries out specialist chimney repairs across Edinburgh and the Lothians. Repointing, flashing, rebuilds, pot replacement and storm damage, all using materials matched to your property's age and construction. Own access equipment, no scaffold hire on most jobs. Get in touch through our contact form for a free, no-obligation quote.
Altitude Roofing has been carrying out chimney repairs across Edinburgh and the Lothians for over a decade. Most of Edinburgh's chimney stock is pre-1919 stone construction, where the wrong mortar mix causes more damage than the original fault. We match every material to the property's age: lime mortar on pre-1919 stonework, Code 4 or 5 lead for flashing exposed to wind-driven rain, stainless steel liners for relined flues in line with Scottish Building Standards.
Repairs we handle include traditional lime repointing, lead flashing replacement, chimney stack rebuilds and partial rebuilds where structural cracking or frost damage has compromised the masonry, storm damage repairs for collapsed pots and displaced coping stones, heritage and listed building repairs using conservation-grade lime mortars, and chimney pot replacement, cowl fitting and haunching renewal.
Independently audited and certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 standards for quality, environmental and occupational health & safety management.
Most chimney repairs in Edinburgh can be fixed without a full rebuild. A stainless steel flexible liner inserted into the existing flue restores safe operation without demolishing the stack. Lime repointing matched to original stonework prevents the water ingress that causes most internal damp. Code 4 or 5 lead flashing replacement seals the roof junction without disturbing the surrounding slate. We survey before quoting and recommend the lightest-touch repair the building genuinely needs, never the most expensive option that might be sold elsewhere.
Where a rebuild is the only safe answer, we'll tell you that too, and quote it honestly. Either way, you get an itemised written price up front.
Most Edinburgh chimney problems fall into one of these categories. The right repair depends on the property's age and the extent of the damage.
| Problem | Cause | Repair | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cracked or missing pointing | Weathering, wrong mortar mix | Lime repointing matched to original | Maintains breathability of pre-1919 stonework |
| Failed lead flashing | Age, fatigue cracking | Strip and replace in Code 4 or 5 lead | Often the cause of internal damp |
| Displaced or broken pots | Wind uplift, failed haunching | Matched replacement and new haunching | Common on tenement stacks |
| Cracked or spalled render | Failed harling, freeze-thaw | Patch or full re-render in lime-based coating | Suited to Edinburgh's climate |
| Cracked or failed flue liner | Age, thermal stress | Stainless steel liner inserted into existing flue | Restores safe operation without rebuilding |
| Structural cracking or lean | Frost damage, foundation movement | Partial or full stack rebuild | Last resort, only when relining or pointing won't fix it |
Every repair follows the same five-step process. The survey-before-quote stage is what stops scope creep, you only pay for what's actually needed, not what was guessed at from the ground.
We inspect the full chimney stack, pot, flashing, haunching and mortar joints, using our own access equipment where needed.
You receive a written, itemised price before any work is agreed. No pressure, no obligation.
We use our own cherry picker or tower equipment, avoiding costly scaffold erection in most cases.
Pointing, flashing, relining, pot replacement or rebuilding carried out to specification. Materials matched to your property's age and construction, and to any listed building or conservation area restrictions.
All work inspected against our ISO 9001 quality procedures before we leave site. Written workmanship guarantee issued on completion.
Chimney repair costs depend on the fault, stack size, materials needed and access complexity. Minor repointing sits at the lower end, full stack rebuilds at the higher end, with flashing repair and pot replacement somewhere in between. Because we own our access equipment, our quotes can be lower than those involving sub-contracted scaffolding.
We inspect the full chimney stack at height using our own access equipment, identify exactly what needs repair.
Every defect photographed before we quote. Yours to keep whether you proceed with us or not.
Pointing, flashing, materials, access, VAT. All visible, all fixed before work begins.
Minor repointing in a day. Larger rebuilds may take several days, we confirm timeline in writing.
We cover all Edinburgh postcodes as well as East Lothian, West Lothian and Midlothian. We regularly carry out chimney repairs in Portobello, Musselburgh, Leith, Morningside, Newington, Stockbridge, Corstorphine, Cramond, South Queensferry, Dalkeith, Livingston and surrounding neighbourhoods. Edinburgh's pre-1919 stone housing stock means lime mortar specification is the norm rather than the exception, and our local knowledge of stonework types means faster diagnosis and correct specification first time.
For storm damage or structural failure, we mobilise quickly across the region using our own access equipment, with most surveys booked within 24–48 hours.
A few of the questions we get most often from Edinburgh homeowners about chimney repairs.
Call 0131 203 3027 or fill in the form. We'll inspect the full chimney stack at height, identify exactly what needs repair, and issue a written itemised quote before any work begins.
Free survey, fixed-price quote, no pressure. We'll visit anywhere in Edinburgh or the Lothians within 24 hours.