From Las Colinas high-rises to mid-century central Irving homes, we rebuild fireboxes that have gone past the point of patching.
Irving fireplaces work hard against a lot of things — hailstorms rolling through Valley Ranch, wind-driven rain hitting the tall exposed chases that stand up over Las Colinas rooflines, and the constant expansion and contraction of clay soil beneath older slabs in central and historic Irving. Over years, that stress shows up inside the firebox itself: cracked firebrick, crumbling mortar joints, and steel lintels that have shifted. When patching individual bricks won't hold anymore, a full firebox rebuild is the only way to restore a firebox that's safe to actually use.
Firebox damage falls on a spectrum. A few hairline cracks in the mortar joints or one loose brick is often a repair job — that's a different scope than what we're talking about here. A rebuild becomes necessary when the damage is structural: firebrick that's spalling and falling away in chunks, a back wall that's separated from the frame, or a floor that's heaved from ground movement. At that point, patch-and-repair work won't hold, and a full relay of new firebrick is the only fix that lasts.
The firebox damage we see in Irving tracks pretty closely with the housing stock. In Las Colinas and Valley Ranch, newer builds often pair a masonry firebox with a stucco or EIFS chase running two or three stories up — and those tall chases catch hail and wind-driven rain hard, letting moisture work its way down into the firebox over time even when the exterior looks fine from the ground. In historic downtown Irving and the older neighborhoods around it, mid-century fireboxes have simply been through decades of heat cycling and the slow shift of Irving's clay soil, which can crack mortar joints and pull a firebox out of square. Either way, the result is the same: a firebox that looks usable until you look closely, or until a chimney sweep flags it during a full inspection.
A proper rebuild means removing the damaged firebrick and mortar down to sound masonry, then relaying new firebrick rated for direct flame contact, with fresh refractory mortar throughout. We check the smoke chamber transition, the damper area, and the connection to the flue while everything's open, since a firebox rarely fails in isolation from the rest of the system. If the flue liner is compromised too, that gets addressed in the same visit rather than left for a second trip.
We'll tell you straight, whether you're in Las Colinas, Valley Ranch, or historic downtown Irving.
(214) 225-8874If any of these sound familiar, it's worth pairing an inspection with a look at the chimney crown and flashing, since water intrusion at the top of the chimney is often what's driving firebox deterioration lower down. Our guide to spotting firebox damage early covers this in more detail if you want to check things yourself first.
Firebox rebuild pricing depends on a handful of real factors: how much of the existing firebrick and mortar has to come out, whether the smoke chamber or damper area needs work at the same time, access (a two-story Las Colinas chase is a different job than a single-story central Irving ranch), and whether hidden damage turns up once demolition starts. Because of that variation, we don't quote firebox rebuilds off a phone description alone. Every job in Irving, all 98 cities we serve across DFW, and every day of the week including Sundays, starts with an on-site look and a Free Online Quote before any work begins — certified, insured, and starting at $99 for standard service calls. Our piece on how hail affects DFW chimneys is worth a read if a recent storm is what prompted the inspection in the first place.
"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 the firebrick is cracked through, spalling apart, or missing in chunks — or if the floor or back wall has visibly shifted — that's usually past patching. In older central Irving homes we often see this tied to decades of clay-soil movement, while in newer Las Colinas builds it's more often hidden water damage behind a stucco chase. An inspection will tell you which situation applies.
Yes. Hail and wind-driven rain hit the tall exposed chimney chases common in Las Colinas and Valley Ranch hard, and that moisture can work its way down toward the firebox over time. Combined with Irving's clay soil shifting older slabs, it's a common one-two punch behind firebox deterioration in this area.
We don't recommend it. A damaged firebox can let heat reach nearby combustible framing faster than an intact one, especially in older historic downtown Irving homes with tighter clearances. It's better to hold off until the firebox has been evaluated and, if needed, rebuilt.
It depends on the extent of the damage and what's found once the old firebrick comes out, so we can't give a fixed timeline over the phone. We'll walk you through the scope on-site and provide a Free Online Quote before starting any work, whether your home is in Valley Ranch or anywhere else in the Irving area.
Yes, we see both regularly — mid-century masonry fireboxes in central and historic Irving, and newer construction in Las Colinas and Valley Ranch, including homes with stucco or EIFS chimney chases. The rebuild approach is tailored to what condition the existing masonry is actually in.
Straight answers from our DFW chimney pros before you book.
