From Interlochen to South Arlington, we repair and replace rusted, ponding chase covers on prefab chimneys battered by DFW hail and wind — with a Free Online Quote before any work begins.
Walk through almost any Arlington neighborhood — the brick ranch homes of Interlochen, the newer construction near Viridian, the quieter streets bordering Dalworthington Gardens, or the mixed housing stock across East and South Arlington — and you'll spot the same flat metal panel sitting on top of countless factory-built chimneys. That panel is the chase cover, and in a city that gets hammered by some of the worst hail in the country plus relentless spring wind, it's usually the first part of the chimney system to fail. Lowes Chimney Sweep repairs, seals, and replaces chase covers throughout Arlington and the surrounding DFW area, seven days a week, with services starting at $99.
It's easy to confuse a chase cover with a chimney cap or a masonry crown, but they do different jobs. A cap sits directly over the flue opening; a crown is the poured masonry top on a traditional brick chimney. A chase cover is the sheet-metal covering over the entire top of a framed, factory-built chimney chase — the boxed-in structure common on Arlington homes built from the 1970s through the 2000s. When that metal rusts, warps, or separates at the seams, water gets into the framing below it, not just the flue. If your home has a prefab chimney and you're only thinking about chimney cap installation, you may be missing the bigger metal surface that's actually failing.
Arlington's housing stock is a big part of the problem. Whole pockets of Interlochen, South Arlington, and the streets feeding into Viridian went up during the boom decades of prefab chimney construction, and most of those original chase covers were galvanized steel — a material that holds up fine for a while, then rusts through once the protective coating wears down. Layer on Arlington's climate and the timeline speeds up considerably. Hail here doesn't just dent the metal, it dimples and stresses the seams until they open up. High wind works those same seams loose over years of flexing. And the clay soil under much of Arlington shifts with the wet-dry cycle, moving foundations and framing just enough to twist the chase and crack the caulking around the cover's edges. It's a combination that shows up again and again in this city's neighborhoods, and it's why chase cover failure is such a common call here compared to areas with older brick-only chimney stock.
Most of the original chase covers on older Arlington homes were galvanized steel, chosen because it was inexpensive at the time of construction. The trouble is that galvanized coatings thin out over 15-20 years, and once rust starts, it spreads fast — especially with hail dinging the surface and creating fresh weak points. We typically recommend replacing failing galvanized covers with stainless steel, which resists rust indefinitely and holds up far better against hail impact and Arlington's wind-driven storms. It costs more up front than galvanized, but for homes in hail-prone parts of DFW, it's usually the difference between a one-time fix and a repeat repair every several years.
We inspect chase covers across every Arlington neighborhood and give you options before any work starts.
(214) 225-8874A chase cover rarely fails in isolation. If yours has been leaking for a while, it's worth pairing the repair with a broader chimney inspection to check whether water has reached the flashing or the flue components below. We also frequently find that homes with chase cover issues have related concerns with flashing around the chase base or need a leak repair if water has already tracked into the attic space. Our recent post on how DFW hail damages chimney systems covers more on why Arlington and its neighboring cities see this pattern so often, and our guide to signs your chimney needs repair is a good next read if you're not sure what you're looking at from the ground.
We don't quote fixed prices online because chase covers vary a lot from house to house, and guessing would do you a disservice. What actually drives the cost includes the size of your chase (larger prefab units common in newer Viridian-area construction need more material), whether you choose galvanized or stainless steel, how the current cover is fastened and pitched, the extent of existing rust or water damage to the framing underneath, and how accessible your roofline is. Older homes in Interlochen and East Arlington sometimes have tighter roof access or steeper pitches that affect labor time compared to newer builds. Every job starts with an on-site look and a written option, not a phone-guess number — that's what our Free Online Quote is for, and it costs you nothing to find out where you stand.
"Very pleased with the professionalism and promptness of service. The chimney sweep was done quickly and efficiently at significantly less cost than the first quote I got from another company. Happy to recommend Lowes Chimney Sweep to anyone in Plano!"
"Outstanding chimney sweep service from start to finish. They were punctual, courteous, and left our chimney spotless with no mess in our home. I won't use anyone else for chimney services in Dallas TX!"
More reviews from homeowners across the metroplex are on our reviews section, or learn more about our team before you book.
If your chimney is a boxed-in, framed structure rather than solid brick from top to bottom — very common in Arlington neighborhoods built from the 1970s through the 2000s — it almost certainly has a metal chase cover on top. Traditional all-masonry chimneys use a crown instead. If you're unsure, we can identify it quickly during an inspection.
Chase covers sit fully exposed to sun, hail, and wind with no overhang protecting them, so they take the brunt of Arlington's weather. Hail impacts create tiny stress points where rust starts, and once galvanized coating breaks down, corrosion spreads quickly across the flat surface.
It depends on the extent of the damage. Minor seam separation or a few rust spots can sometimes be sealed and reinforced, but widespread rust-through or storm-warped panels usually call for full replacement. We'll tell you honestly which situation you're in rather than pushing a bigger job than needed.
For most Arlington properties, yes — given how much hail and wind this area sees compared to much of the country, galvanized covers tend to need replacement again within a decade or two, while stainless resists rust indefinitely. It's a reasonable upgrade if you're already replacing the cover.
Yes, we service chase covers throughout Arlington, from older homes in Interlochen and East Arlington to newer construction near Viridian and the Dalworthington Gardens area. We work seven days a week, and every visit starts with a clear look at the cover before any repair decisions are made.
Straight answers from our DFW chimney pros before you book.
