Installing a Chimney Liner
No matter how old or new your chimney's lining is, there are various reasons why it might be necessary to install a new one. Maybe your chimney lining is getting old, or you are trying to install a wood burning stove that is incompatible with your existing chimney. Whatever the case, one of the main questions people ask is how much it costs to install a new chimney liner.
With many different types of chimney liners on the market such as stainless steel, concrete, or ceramic, it can be difficult finding the right liner for your chimney. With our guide, you can find out all of the costs associated with installing a chimney liner alongside the advantages and disadvantages of each type of material, cost factors and how long it takes to install a chimney liner.
How much does it cost to install a chimney liner?
There are many options of chimney liner to choose from and you can expect to pay between £400 to £1000 for a chimney liner installation. This cost will depend on the size of your chimney, type of chimney, how long the installation takes and the type of chimney liner you choose. Each type of chimney liner has their own cost which, on average, are:
|
TYPES OF CHIMNEY LINER |
AVERAGE COST |
|
Stainless steel flexible liner |
£400-£700 |
|
Concrete Liner |
£750-£1000 |
|
Clay Liner |
£750-£1100 |
|
Ceramic Liner |
£900-£1500 |
|
Pumice Liner |
£900-£1500+ |
Labour Costs and Timescales
The average labour costs for installing a chimney flue ranges between £150 to £300 per day depending on your location, the number of tradespeople (usually this job requires two people) and the type of chimney you have. Although some tradespeople may charge per day, others may charge a fixed rate for the job so be sure to check with the tradesperson you hire on how the labour costs are calculated.
If you are looking to save on labour costs, then there are no legal legislations that prohibit you from installing a chimney liner yourself. However, you will have to pay for Building Control to check and sign off on the project you have done which will cost in the region of £200 to £300.
Timescales can vary due to the type of chimney you have or liner you choose. The most common type of flue liner, a stainless-steel flexible liner, takes between 6 hours to a day to complete whereas a twin-walled stiff stainless-steel liner will take between 1 to 2 days as it takes longer to install. Concrete and clay liners take slightly longer, between 2 to 3 days, as they require more skill and labour to install. Pumice and ceramic liners also take between 2 to 3 days to install.
These timescales are an average timeframe for installing a chimney liner and can be affected due to a variety of factors. Issues including structural faults, dislodged bricks and stones, or bad weather such as heavy wind and rain can prolong or even temporality halt a chimney liner installation. Installing a chimney liner should only be done in calm and normal weather conditions to avoid any safety hazards especially when working with heights.
Cost Factors
Certain factors will affect the overall cost of installing a chimney liner. Some cost factors include:
Location
If you live in the South of England or in and around London, you will be expected to pay up to 20% more in labour costs than those who live in the North of England due to the increased cost of living.
Scaffolding
To access certain chimneys, you may need to hire scaffolding however this is usually included in the quoted price. If scaffolding is not included in the price and your chimney requires it, then you will have to factor in around £70 per day to hire scaffolding. Also, in many cases, chimney liner installers will opt for roof ladders and safety harnesses instead of scaffolding where possible.
Size of Chimney
The size or length of your chimney can impact the cost of installing a chimney liner. A 6-metre flexible stainless-steel flue liner will cost around £500 with this price also including a sweep and closure plate. The longer the flue liner and the number of liners required the more the job will cost.
Additional Costs
There are other jobs that can be completed alongside a chimney liner installation. These include:
New Chimney Installation
If you are looking to install a completely new chimney you will first need to build a fireplace, add a chimney breast, and then link the fireplace to the roof before a new chimney can be installed. Additional work including adding a chimney liner and cap will also be required. The cost of installing a new, full chimney can cost between £1900 to £3500. You will also need to account for labour costs which will range between £150 to £250 per day.
Roof Tile Repair
When installing a chimney liner, you may find you have some cracked tiles on your roof that need to be repaired as soon as possible. Cracked tiles can lead to leaks and can eventually damage your home. Roof tile repairs will cost between £170 to £500 to repair damaged tiles, between £150 to £400 to replace broken tiles, between £150 to £600 to recement ridge tiles and between £350 and £450 to repair valley tiles.
Chimney Breast Removal
If you no longer want to have a chimney in your home, then you will have to pay for it to be removed. To remove just the chimney stack, the cost ranges between £950 to £1700, for a downstairs chimney removal, it will cost between £1400 to £2000 and for a first-floor chimney breast removal, it will cost between £1500 to £2100. If you are just looking to remove the entire chimney breast but want to keep the stack then this will cost, on average, between £2200 to £2800, whist both removing the stack and chimney breast can cost up to £4000.
Types of Chimney Liners
There are many different types of chimney liner options available on the market. In order to get a better understanding of each type, lets look at the disadvantages and advantages of each alongside their installation costs.
Flexible Stainless-Steel Liner
A flexible stainless-steel liner is one of the most popular options as it is both quick and simple to install. One of the benefits of a stainless-steel liner is its flexibility as it can be moulded to the inside shape of a flue, so it is able to bend to fit any curves or kinks in the flue. Alongside this, a stainless-steel liner is one of the more affordable options, so it is a great choice if you are on a budget. However, this type of liner is not the most durable as they usually only last around 10 years. Also, they are quite susceptible to corrosion and deterioration if the chimney is not cleaned on a regular basis.
A stainless-steel liner typically costs between £400 to £700, or £15 to £20 per metre, depending on the size, and complexity of your fireplace.
Concrete Chimney Liner
Concrete chimney liners are made from organic rock are perfect for both solid fuel and gas fires. This type of chimney lasts longer than stainless-steel liners as they tend to last from 25 to 50 years. A concrete chimney liner is perfect for places that has minimal rain as they are better suited for dry areas, and they are also great natural insulators. The only downsides to this type are that they are a more expensive option, and they should only be installed by a professional.
The average cost of installing a concrete chimney liner, ranges between £750 to £1000.
Clay Chimney Liner
Clay chimney liners are very similar to concrete liners. This is because both are great insulators and are perfect to use in dry areas. They also have a 25-year guaranteed lifespan but can also last up to 50 years. In addition to wood fuel, these systems can also be used with multi-fuels, oil, and gas fuel. The main disadvantage to clay chimney liners is their cost as not only are they expensive to install usually costing between £750 to £1100 or £30 to £40 per metre, but you may also encounter extra costs if you have to open up the flue wall to install the liner.
Pumice Chimney Liner
Pumice chimney liners are a natural material that are perfect for warmer climates. These types of liners are lightweight, are great insulators and are the best option to choose if you have an open fire. Also, pumice chimney liners are easy to install and are very durable, lasting up to 60 years! The main disadvantages of a pumice chimney liner are that they are quite expensive to install as on average they cost between £900 to £1500 or £12 to £18 per metre, and they can only really be used on new build properties or homes where the old chimney has been rebuilt.
Ceramic Chimney Liner
A ceramic chimney liner is the most expensive chimney liner currently on the market. Ceramic thermocrete chimney linings reinforce the chimney and ensure waste gases escape through a stable channel. This solution has several advantages, including no need to open up the chimney wall, it is a durable liner solution, it is very heat resistant, can improve a chimney’s efficiency, and you have the ability to maintain large fireplace openings if necessary. The disadvantage to a ceramic liner is that it can only be installed by a professional and they can be very brittle. Also, most ceramic liners are bespoke so it is up to the individual job how much it will cost depending on the needs of your chimney. Ceramic chimney liners can cost anywhere from £900 to upwards of £1500.
