Chimney Cap Installation
North Myrtle Beach SC

Ask the city first. After Hurricane Ian, the city announced in its City of North Myrtle Beach news: Hurricane Ian storm-damage permits notice that building permits were required for storm damage repairs related to the storm, while waiving the permit fees. That notice was for that storm, but it shows the city treats storm repairs as permitted work. A cap swap may be handled differently from a chase rebuild, so describe the job when you call.

The city's City of North Myrtle Beach: Build Responsibly page says the Building Division of the Planning and Development Department issues all city permits. The city also announced that, starting September 1, 2025, building permit applications must include a current property survey. If your repair does need a permit, that requirement may affect timing, so it is worth raising early.

Near the ocean, galvanized steel rusts quickly. Stainless steel lasts far longer; ask the maker how its product is rated for coastal exposure. Copper does not rust and weathers to a dark patina. A chase cover is a large flat surface that takes the brunt of salt spray, so its material matters as much as the cap's.

Often the chase cover, where thin covers rust around the flue collar and sag, then water pools and leaks into the chase framing. The round termination on top is part of the manufacturer's listed system and is replaced only with the listed model. A storm collar seals the gap where the pipe passes through.

Not every chimney here is a chase. A brick chimney with a clay flue tile takes a screened cap fastened to the tile or crown, and a chimney with two tiles can take a multi-flue hood if both flues serve fireplaces. A gas appliance vent keeps its own listed cap. On the coast, the lid should overhang the screen enough to turn back wind-driven rain, and the screen should stay within the spark-arrestor range of three-eighths to one-half inch so it does not clog with soot or salt film.

A crown that has cracked lets salt water into the brick, where it can break down mortar over time. If the crown is cracked, we seal or rebuild it before the cap goes on, because the cap has to anchor to something sound.