Brick chimney chewed by Virginia Creeper: rebuild from roof up our only option?

[boondoggle]

Hi, a newbie here, both to home ownership, and the skills of navigating with trades. We have a 1941 stucco house with lots of work to be done - we're starting with what's crumbling, and moisture issues before we get to have any fun.

I had a mason at the house today telling me that our chimney, which has had portions of bricks fall, and mortar impaired by means of the vine in my posting title, must be rebuilt above the roof line. Cost: $3000 Canadian. OUCH. The price seems high, as well, my husband recalls the same person saying the missing brick pieces could be replaced without a rebuild, only a few months ago.

I can post a picture tomorrow if it helps - just wanted to consult your expertise here before I call more trades.

Thanks!

Boondoggle

[Goedjn]

$3000 wouldn't be a bad price around here, and if your bricks are spalling, you're almost certainly better off rebuilding the part of the chimney that's exposed to weather.

You could just replace the damaged brick, but that's a lot like putting bondo on a rotted out car. It's a way to suck an extra year or two out of something that you've given up on actually fixing. If you're going to go that route, just do it yourself, and don't bother hiring a mason, there's no point in paying a skilled craftsman to do a shitty job.