Hail Damage Chimney Repair in Denver: Caps, Chase Covers and Crowns

Denver sits in hail alley. By the count of NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory, the corner shared by Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming gets seven to nine hail days in a typical year, and because the ground here is so high, hail has less distance to fall and less time to melt. On May 8, 2017, one storm over Denver and Lakewood caused about 2.3 billion dollars in damage and roughly 167,000 auto and 100,600 homeowners' claims, according to National Insurance Crime Bureau figures reported by FOX Weather.

After a storm, roofers and adjusters look at shingles, gutters and siding. The top of the chimney is easy to miss, especially a chase cover nobody can see from the yard. A dented chase cover turns into a dish that holds water, then rusts, streaks the siding and leaks into the chase, often a season later. We check the chimney top on its own and photograph every part.

Signs you need this

• Round dents or dimples in the chase cover or cap hood
• Mesh on the cap torn, flattened or pushed in
• Fresh chips or cracks in the concrete crown
• Rust streaks below the chase a season after a storm
• Water in the firebox or chase after the next rain

How we do it

1. Free hail inspectionWe go on the roof and check the cap, chase cover or crown, flashing, flue tiles and the siding on the chase.
2. Photos for the adjusterDated photos of each damaged part, close-ups and wide shots, and a written list of repairs with prices.
3. Be there if neededIf your adjuster wants to see the chimney, we can book a window and walk the roof with them.
4. Repair or replaceCaps $250 to $850, chase covers $300 to $700, crown repair $600 to $2,200, priced in writing first.

What does hail do to each part of a chimney?

Caps take the first hit. The hood dents, the mesh tears or folds inward, and a crushed cap can choke the flue or open a gap for birds and squirrels. Chase covers on prefab chimneys dent across the whole top, and every dent that holds water becomes a rust spot on galvanized steel. A punctured cover leaks straight into the framed chase.

On brick chimneys, hail chips and cracks the crown and can crack the exposed top of the clay flue tile. Those cracks are small at first. Then about 135 freeze-thaw days a year widen them, which is why hail damage on a crown often turns into a leak the following winter rather than the same week.

Will my insurance pay for the chimney?

We cannot tell you that, and nobody honest can before the claim is decided. It depends on your policy, your deductible and what the adjuster finds. Colorado's hail losses are large, and in 2024 the state ranked fourth in State Farm's hail losses, with 521 million dollars in reported claims at that one insurer, so adjusters here see a lot of storm damage.

What we can do is give you clear evidence: dated photos, a description of each damaged part and a written repair price. Your policy sets how long you have to report damage, so check it soon after a storm. The claim itself is between you and your insurer.

Stainless or galvanized: what should go back on?

After hail, we recommend replacing a damaged chase cover with stainless steel rather than galvanized. Stainless does not rust where hail chips it, and a heavier sheet resists denting. We form it with a slope or cross-break so water runs off, a drip edge that keeps water off the siding, and a storm collar sealed around the flue.

For caps, a sturdy stainless cap with full mesh holds up better than a light one. It costs more at the start, but in a city that sees hail most years it is the version that does not need replacing after the next storm.