Level 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.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCopperfield Chimney Cap Installation: The Hempstead Owner’s Guide
If you’ve got a Copperfield chimney cap that’s rusted through, blown off in a Nassau County nor’easter, or warped from years of salt air, we stock the parts and install them here in Hempstead. A Copperfield cap replacement in Hempstead typically runs $260 to $480 installed, depending on the flue size and whether the mounting brackets survived. Most Hempstead homeowners discover the failure the same way: they spot rust streaks running down the brick after a hard rain, or they hear the cap rattling on windy nights and realize a section has broken loose.
The good news is this is one of the more straightforward chimney repairs we do. The bad news is that putting it off invites water into the flue, and water is what turns a $300 cap job into a $3,000 liner job. More on that down the page.
Key takeaways:
- We install Copperfield-compatible caps, typically same-week in Hempstead
- Installed pricing runs $260-$480 for most homes here
- We verify flue dimensions before ordering so you don’t pay for a wrong-size cap
- The 90-Day Done Right Promise covers the install, in writing
Which Copperfield Models This Applies To
Most Copperfield caps we run into in Hempstead fall into two families: the standard single-flue caps sized from 8×8 up to 13×13, and the multi-flue caps made for chimneys with two or three clay tiles side by side. Copperfield builds their hoods from stainless steel with a mesh screen band, and the mounting system is a set of four corner bolts that tighten against the outside of the flue tile. That matters because the sizing has to be right to the half inch. A cap that’s sized too loose won’t seat properly and will rattle in the wind; one sized too tight won’t fit at all.
If you’re not sure what you’ve got, pull up a photo of the cap and check for the Copperfield stamp on the hood or the mesh band. If the stamp’s gone, measure the outside dimensions of the clay flue tile, not the inside opening. That outside measurement is what the cap grips. We’ve seen Hempstead homeowners order a cap based on the inside flue size and end up with a unit that’s a full size too small. We re-measure on site before any cap gets ordered, and we can usually match Copperfield’s sizing without having to go back to the catalog twice.
We’re an independent local shop, not a Copperfield dealer or affiliate. But we stock and install their caps, same as we keep parts on the truck for DuraFlex liners, HeatShield resurfacing material, and Gelco components. When a Copperfield cap can’t be matched we’ll tell you plainly and offer a quality aftermarket cap that fits the same tile dimensions, often for less money.
Signs Your Copperfield Chimney Cap Installation Is Failing
- Rust streaks running down the brick or stone. Stainless steel shouldn’t rust, but the mounting bolts and mesh band on some Copperfield caps are a lower-grade alloy than the hood itself. Those fasteners corrode first, and the rust they shed stains the masonry below. It’s cosmetic at first, but it tells you the bolts are thinning, and a cap held on by thin bolts doesn’t stay up forever.
- Rattling or scraping sounds on windy nights. That’s the cap shifting because the corner bolts have loosened or the flue tile has spalled around the mounting points. In Hempstead we get steady coastal wind off the Atlantic, and a cap that moves in the wind is slowly chewing up the top edge of the flue tile.
- Water in the firebox after a rain. A cap’s only job is to keep rain and animals out of the flue while letting smoke out. If you see a wet spot under the damper or smell damp masonry after a storm, the cap’s hood may be cracked, the mesh may be torn, or the entire cap may have shifted off the tile. That water is now working on your flue liner and smoke shelf.
- You’re finding bird or squirrel activity near the top of the chimney. The mesh band on a Copperfield cap is supposed to block entry, but here in Hempstead we regularly see mesh torn by raccoon claws or bent just enough for starlings to squeeze through. Once birds nest in a flue, the blockage becomes a carbon monoxide risk and a fire hazard.
- The cap looks crooked when you look up from the street or yard. A cap that’s tilting has either lost a bracket bolt or the flue tile underneath has cracked. Either way, it’s a matter of time before wind or ice takes the whole assembly off the chimney.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
For a single-flue Copperfield-compatible cap installed on a standard Hempstead home, expect to pay between $260 and $340 depending on the flue dimensions and how straightforward the roofline access is. Multi-flue caps run $380 to $480 installed because the unit itself costs more and the sizing has to span multiple tiles. If the old mounting bolts snapped or stripped the flue tile, we may need to drill fresh pilot holes at a new height, which adds a small labor charge we explain before any work happens. There’s no hidden line item. The price quoted before the job is the price on the invoice.
Every cap install includes a quick visual check of the flue top and our honest answer on whether the cap was the only problem. If we find cracked tiles or a liner in rough shape, we’ll show you photos and quote a fix, but we won’t push it, and we won’t bundle it into the cap job without your go-ahead. The 90-Day Done Right Promise covers the installation in writing. You also get $40 off any repair over $200 and 10% off if you’re a senior or veteran, which plenty of our Hempstead customers are.
DIY or Call Us?
If you can safely view the cap from the ground or an upstairs window, look for obvious tilt, missing mesh, or rust bleeding down the brick. That’s about as far as we’d suggest going on your own. This part is on the roof, often near the ridge, and in Hempstead the pitch on older colonials and capes is steep enough that a slip is a hospital trip. The actual mechanical task, tightening four corner bolts, is simple. Getting to it isn’t, and doing it right requires being braced on a surface that may be damp from morning dew or slick with moss you didn’t see from the yard.
If you can get up there safely and you’ve measured the flue tile outside dimensions correctly, there’s no shame in doing the swap yourself. But if the roof pitch is more than a 6/12, if the chimney is tall, or if you just don’t love the idea of working thirty feet up with a drill, call us at (516) 963-1068. Wendell and his crew do this on Hempstead rooftops every week. If it doesn’t need doing, we’ll tell you.
FAQs
A stainless steel Copperfield cap lasts 10 to 15 years here, but the mounting bolts and mesh band often need attention around year eight. Hempstead’s combination of salt air, freeze-thaw cycles in January and February, and steady wind cuts the lifespan shorter than inland Long Island. If the hood itself is intact, we can often replace just the hardware for under $150 and keep the cap in service for several more seasons. Call (516) 963-1068 for an exact quote, and remember estimates are free.
Yes, in many cases we can. If the hood is solid but the mesh is torn or the bolts are rusted, we replace those components separately rather than scrapping the whole cap. That typically runs $120 to $200 in Hempstead. If the stainless hood is rusted through or cracked, replacement is usually the smarter money. We’ll show you the damage before we recommend either route, and the camera footage and a plain-English verdict come with every inspection, no exceptions. Call (516) 963-1068 for a straight answer.
Most Copperfield cap replacements in Hempstead take 45 minutes to an hour once we’re set up on the roof. That includes removing the old cap, checking the flue tile top, installing the new unit, and tightening the corner bolts to spec. Total visit time is usually under 90 minutes. We schedule most cap work within a few days of the estimate. Call (516) 963-1068 and we’ll give you a real arrival window, not a four-hour guessing game.
We keep the most common Copperfield single-flue sizes on the truck, including 8×8 through 13×13, so many Hempstead jobs are done same-day. For multi-flue caps or unusual proportions, we order to match your exact flue measurements and install within a few business days. We also stock compatible caps from other brands we trust, so if Copperfield’s lead time is long, you have options. Call (516) 963-1068 and tell us your flue size for a same-visit installation whenever possible.
Call Wendell’s Crew in Hempstead
If your Copperfield cap is failing, don’t wait for the next nor’easter to finish the job. Water in the flue means a liner problem, and a liner problem means real money. Call Top Hat Chimney at (516) 963-1068 for a free estimate. A live person answers around the clock, and it may well be Wendell picking up. We serve Hempstead and the surrounding Nassau County communities, including plenty of older homes near Hofstra University where chimneys have seen a few decades of weather. Once a year, burn or no burn. Chimneys break in the off-season too.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner, Top Hat Chimney at Top Hat Chimney, serving Hempstead and nearby areas.