Chimney chase construction: what it is and when you need it
Updated Sep 2026·National·Installation
What is chimney chase construction?
Chase construction builds the framed, sided box that encloses a factory-built chimney — new, or as a rebuild when rot has taken the old one. It carries the chase cover at the top, the flashing where it meets the roof, and the siding that matches the house.
When is it actually needed?
When building or replacing a factory-built system, or when water has rotted the framing of an existing chase.
What standard does it answer to?
NATIONAL · IRCNATIONAL · MANUFACTURER INSTRUCTIONS
- The manufacturer's installation and service instructions — for a listed appliance or component, they are the specification it was tested to.
- The International Residential Code (IRC) — the model building code for one- and two-family homes, adopted and often amended state by state and city by city.
What should the invoice or report show?
Ask what is going on top — a cross-broken stainless cover sheds water, a flat galvanized one collects it.
What does it cost?
Quote after inspection. We have no researched national range for chimney chase construction, so expect a written quote once someone has looked at the job — with the work named on its own line.
Does your state regulate this?
VARIES BY STATE
The IRC is a national model document, not state law: which edition applies to your home, if any, depends on the codes your state and city have adopted. Manufacturer instructions travel with the product: they set its requirements wherever it is installed, separately from the building code. Licensing, permits and what is allowed for chimney chase construction differ by state, and sometimes by city. Building a chase is framing and siding work, so where a credential applies it is usually a general or home-improvement contractor license or registration, often only above a dollar threshold. Our 50-state laws table and licensing by state set out what each state requires.
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Questions about chimney chase construction
When is chimney chase construction needed?
When building or replacing a factory-built system, or when water has rotted the framing of an existing chase. The work answers to the manufacturer's instructions and the IRC.
Is chimney chase construction regulated by state law?
The IRC is a national model document, not state law: which edition applies to your home, if any, depends on the codes your state and city have adopted. Manufacturer instructions travel with the product: they set its requirements wherever it is installed, separately from the building code. Licensing, permits and what is allowed for chimney chase construction differ by state, and sometimes by city. Building a chase is framing and siding work, so where a credential applies it is usually a general or home-improvement contractor license or registration, often only above a dollar threshold. Our 50-state laws table and licensing by state set out what each state requires.
What should I ask before agreeing to chimney chase construction?
Ask what is going on top — a cross-broken stainless cover sheds water, a flat galvanized one collects it.