The fix list, and why each item is on it

A cap sits on top of the flue and keeps rain and animals out. It gets replaced when it is missing or damaged. A leak repair follows water that has gotten in. A cricket is a small roof piece behind the chimney that sheds water, and flashing seals the joint where the chimney meets the roof.

The crown covers the top of the brick. The liner lines the flue. The chase cover tops a framed chimney. The damper is the door inside the flue. Mortar and masonry are the joints and bricks. The smoke chamber is the sloped space above the firebox. A gas insert is a gas heater that fits inside an old firebox.

No government office gives a pass or fail. The word means the report lists things that NFPA 211 or the local building code would object to, and they need repair before safe use.

If the house is being sold, the buyer might ask for repairs, a credit or a re-inspection, and the people on the deal settle that.

A cap runs $175 to $710. A cricket runs $470 to $1,065, and $710 to $1,750 with a full flashing replacement. A leak repair runs $590 to $3,550. A gas insert runs $2,950 to $5,900.

The firebox, the smoke chamber, mortar and masonry, the damper, the liner, the crown, the chase cover and flashing alone each get a written quote after the inspection. We have to see it first. Then we explain it in everyday words.