Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Masonry repair
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Olympia Chimney Chimney Cap Installation: The Austin Owner’s Guide
We install and replace Olympia Chimney chimney caps across Austin, and a typical installed cap runs between $275 and $550 depending on the model, the flue size, and whether the existing mounting hardware needs replacement. We keep common Olympia Chimney cap sizes on the truck, so most Austin homeowners are back to a fully protected flue the same day we come out. Most people find us after a storm snapped a cap off, or after they spotted rust streaks on the chimney crown and realized water’s been getting in where it shouldn’t.
If your Olympia cap is cracked, rusted through, or simply missing after one of our spring hailstorms, this page covers what you need to know before you spend a dime. Nathan Corliss and our Austin crew have been matching Olympia Chimney components to Central Texas homes for over a decade, and we’ll tell you plainly if your existing cap can be reset or if it’s time to replace it.
Which Olympia Chimney Models This Applies To
Olympia Chimney makes caps for a range of flue types, and the big gotcha in Austin is matching the right cap to the right flue. Most homes with an Olympia system in Austin have either a masonry chimney with a clay tile liner or a prefabricated metal chimney with a round flue, and each takes a different cap style entirely. Masonry flues use Olympia’s multi-flue or single-flue cap bases that bolt to the crown; metal chimneys use twist-lock or slip-in round caps sized by inside diameter, usually 6, 7, or 8 inches.
Here’s the compatibility detail most people miss: Olympia’s stainless steel caps use a different base plate configuration depending on whether you have a round, square, or oval flue. We measure both the outside dimensions of the flue and the inside opening before ordering, because a cap that’s off by half an inch will either bind during install or leave a gap for rain and sparks. Olympia OEM caps are our first recommendation when they’re available for your flue size. For older Olympia flues where the original series has been discontinued, we carry aftermarket equivalents in 304 stainless from brands like Gelco and Famco that fit the same base pattern, and we’ll show you the difference in material gauge before we install anything.
Styles & brands we work with





Signs Your Olympia Chimney Chimney Cap Is Failing
- Rust streaks on the cap or crown. Even stainless caps will eventually show rust where the mesh screen meets the cap frame, especially after years of creosote-laden exhaust and Austin’s humid summers. Once the mesh starts failing, small animals and debris have a direct path in.
- Water in the firebox after rain. If you hear dripping inside your fireplace during a storm, the cap is either missing its rain shield or the cap itself has separated from the base plate. This is the number one job we get called for in the Mueller and Tarrytown neighborhoods after spring storms.
- Loose or banging cap in high wind. Austin gets strong gusts off the Balcones Escarpment, and a cap that clatters in the wind has usually worked loose from its mechanical fasteners. A loose cap can damage the flue tile it’s attached to and fall entirely.
- Debris inside the firebox. Leaves, twigs, or nesting material means the mesh screen has a hole or the cap has shifted. Austin has a healthy squirrel and grackle population, and they don’t need much of an opening.
- Sparks or embers escaping at night. If you can see embers rising past the cap while running a fire, the spark arrestor mesh has burned through or corroded. That’s a fire hazard you shouldn’t ignore.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
In Austin, an Olympia Chimney cap replacement with installation runs $275 to $550 for most standard flue sizes.
- Single-flue stainless cap (round, 6-8 inch): $275 – $380 installed
- Single-flue stainless cap (square or rectangular, larger sizes): $325 – $450 installed
- Multi-flue cap with custom base plate: $425 – $550 installed
Every quote includes removal and haul-away of your old cap, an inspection of the flue crown and top courses of brick or stone, new mechanical fasteners, and a written price before any work starts. You’ll also get our written guarantee on the installation itself. If a cap we installed fails due to our workmanship inside the one-year guarantee period, we come back and correct it at no charge, that’s the 365-Day Done Right Promise at work, and it applies to every cap job we do.
DIY or Call Us?
You can absolutely inspect your own chimney cap from the ground with binoculars, and you can note whether the cap is visibly cracked, rusted, tilted, or completely missing. What you shouldn’t do is climb onto an Austin roof to swap it yourself. Roof work on a chimney requires working at height, often on sloped surfaces, and dealing with a hot flue connection if the fireplace has been used recently. Falls from roofs are the most common serious injury we see in this trade.
There’s also a fitment issue: if the cap doesn’t seat properly on the flue, you’ve just spent money on a part that leaks and sparks from day one. We’ll measure, match, install, and warranty the whole thing. If you want to talk through what you’re seeing before anyone climbs onto your roof, call us at (254) 274-4486 and we’ll help you figure out what you actually need.
FAQs
In Austin’s climate, a quality stainless Olympia cap or equivalent typically lasts 10 to 18 years. The main killers here are hail, UV exposure, and creosote acidity from wood-burning fireplaces. Most caps fail at the mesh screen long before the solid stainless body gives out. Call (254) 274-4486 for a free estimate if yours is showing rust or holes.
Sometimes yes, if the only failure is a rotted mesh screen and the cap’s frame and base are still solid. But if the cap has separated from its base or the stainless has rusted through anywhere in the structure, replacement is cheaper than trying to patch it. We’ll show you the cap close-up during the inspection so you can see what we’re seeing, no mystery recommendations, ever.
Most single-flue cap installations take between 45 and 90 minutes once we’re on the roof. Multi-flue caps with a custom base plate run longer, typically 2 to 3 hours including measuring and fitting. We schedule Austin appointments in real arrival windows, so you’re not waiting around all day.
We carry common Olympia Chimney round flue sizes, 6, 7, and 8 inch, plus standard square and rectangular single-flue cap bases, on our service vehicles. For odd-sized or oval flues, we source the cap from our local supplier and schedule the install within a few days. We also stock compatible caps from DuraFlex, HeatShield, Gelco, Famco, and Copperfield when an Olympia OEM part isn’t the right fit for the job.
Say the price first. Explain the work. Put the promise in writing. That’s how Nathan Corliss and the Ashby Chimney Austin crew operate on every cap job, from a simple round flue off South First Street to a big multi-flue install in Westlake. Call (254) 274-4486, we’ll walk you through what you’re looking at and schedule a visit with a real arrival window.
Written by Nathan Corliss, Owner, Ashby Chimney Austin at Ashby Chimney Austin, serving Austin and nearby areas.