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.
Famco Chimney Cap Installation: The Alpharetta Owner’s Guide
We install and replace Famco chimney caps across Alpharetta, with typical installed pricing running $385 to $690 depending on cap size, flue configuration, and roof access. Most jobs are completed in a single visit since our trucks carry the common Famco cap sizes and stainless steel hardware. The way most Alpharetta homeowners discover a problem is simple: they spot rust streaks on the chimney chase, hear a rattle during a storm, or a home inspector flags a missing or damaged cap before closing.
If you’ve got a Famco cap that’s loose, rusted through at the mesh, or gone entirely, the fix is straightforward when the right parts are on hand. We’re an independent Alpharetta chimney service company, not affiliated with Famco, but we work with their caps weekly and carry the standard sizes in galvanized and stainless.
Which Famco Models This Applies To
Famco makes three cap lines we see most often in Alpharetta: the standard single-flue caps with sliding hex bolts, the multi-flue caps that mount across two or more flues, and the top-mount caps that cover the entire chase or masonry crown. The single-flue models are the same caps sold under the Olympia and Copperfield names, so if your cap says Famco but the part number starts with FC or SC, you’re working with the same mounting system.
The compatibility gotcha most homeowners miss: Famco single-flue caps are sized by the outside dimension of your flue tile, not the inside opening. A cap marked 8×8 fits a flue tile that measures 8 inches by 8 inches on the exterior. Order the inside measurement and the cap won’t seat. The good news is these dimensions haven’t changed in years, so a Famco cap from ten years ago and a new one share the same mounting footprint as long as the flue tile itself hasn’t cracked or spalled.
On the OEM-versus-aftermarket question for Famco specifically: the galvanized steel caps and the 304 stainless caps both carry the Famco name, but they’re not equal. Galvanized is cheaper up front and starts showing rust in three to five years in Georgia humidity. Stainless costs more but holds up for fifteen or more. If you’re selling the house, the galvanized cap passes inspection. If you’re staying, we recommend stainless and say so plainly.
Key Takeaways:
- Famco caps are sized by the flue tile’s outer dimensions, not the inner opening.
- Part numbers starting with FC or SC use the same mounting system as Olympia and Copperfield caps.
- What we stock on the truck: single-flue galvanized caps in 7×7 and 8×8, stainless in 8×8 and 9×13, plus replacement hex bolts and screen mesh.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your Famco Chimney Cap Installation Is Failing
- Rust streaks down the chase or masonry. That’s the galvanized coating giving out after years of Georgia rain and humidity. Once the steel beneath starts oxidizing, the cap is past cleaning and needs replacement. Hank Delano’s rule is simple: if you can see rust through the paint, the metal is compromised.
- A cap that rattles or bangs in the wind. The hex bolts that hold the cap to the flue tile have loosened, or the flue tile itself has a small crack where the bolt bites. Left alone, the cap works itself loose and can slide off entirely.
- Missing or torn screen mesh. The mesh keeps animals and debris out while letting smoke pass through. Once it tears, squirrels and birds get in, and their nests inside the flue become a fire hazard the first time you light a fire.
- Cap sitting crooked or shifted after a storm. Straight-line winds in Alpharetta spring storms are enough to lever a partially-loose cap off its seat. If it’s not sitting square, it’s not sealing the flue opening.
- Water dripping into the firebox during rain. A missing or badly-fitted cap lets rain fall straight down the flue. You’ll hear it after heavy weather, and you’ll see rust on the damper and fire grate within a season.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
For a standard Famco single-flue cap installed in Alpharetta, budget $385 to $520. That’s the cap itself, new stainless hardware, the installation labor, and a written guarantee. Larger multi-flue and top-mount Famco caps run $520 to $690 because they require more material, more time on the roof, and often custom fitting to the chase dimensions.
What drives the range: the cap size, whether you’re using galvanized or stainless, how accessible your roof is, and whether the existing flue tile is in good enough shape to accept the new bolts. If the flue tile is cracked or crumbling, we’ll tell you before any work starts, because mounting a new cap to a failing tile means the cap will fail with it.
Every Famco cap installation from Flint Chimney Co Alpharetta includes the written price before work begins, the cap, all hardware, cleanup, and our 365-Day Done Right Promise. If the installation fails within one full year for any reason, we return and fix it at no charge. That’s the Garrison Standard, and it’s not a verbal promise. It’s on the invoice.
DIY or Call Us?
What an owner can safely check: whether the cap is visibly displaced, whether mesh is torn, and whether rust is present. You can also measure the outer flue tile dimensions with a tape measure from the roof edge if you’re comfortable getting on a ladder, though we never recommend it if the roof pitch is steep or the chimney is more than one story up.
Where DIY goes wrong on a Famco cap: the bolts need to be tightened evenly so the cap sits level, and over-tightening cracks the flue tile, which means you’re now paying for a cap and a tile repair. Working at height around a flue is a fall risk, and a dropped cap or bolt off a second-story roof is a serious hazard to anyone below. If the cap you’re replacing is rusted through, the edges will be sharp. A trained technician does this in under an hour with the right ladder, the right bolt pattern, and a level. We’re also the ones who’ll see if the flue tile is already damaged while we’re up there.
If the cap is sitting crooked, rattling, or gone, call (762) 600-1468 and we’ll get a written estimate to you before anything happens on the roof.
FAQs
A galvanized Famco cap in Alpharetta weather lasts roughly three to five years before rust sets in. A stainless Famco cap lasts fifteen years or more. The humidity and frequent rain in North Georgia shorten the galvanized lifespan compared to drier climates, so if you plan to stay in the house, stainless is the better money.
Call (762) 600-1468 for an exact quote on either material. Estimates are free.
The screen mesh can sometimes be re-secured if the frame is solid, but rusted-through metal, broken welds, or a bent frame means the cap has done its job and it’s time to replace it. Patching a failing cap usually costs close to a new galvanized cap and doesn’t buy you any real service life.
Call (762) 600-1468 and we’ll tell you straight whether your cap is worth saving.
A standard single-flue Famco cap swap takes under an hour once the technician is on the roof. Multi-flue and top-mount caps can take up to two hours if there’s fitting work involved. We schedule in a two-hour window for most cap jobs so there’s never a rush.
Call (762) 600-1468 to schedule a visit that fits your week.
Our trucks carry the common Famco single-flue sizes in both galvanized and stainless, plus replacement hardware. For less common sizes or top-mount caps, we order from our local supply and typically have the part within a few business days. We also stock parts for DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Gelco systems so you don’t have to run down compatibility questions alone.
Call (762) 600-1468 with your measurements or the part number off the old cap, and we’ll tell you what’s in stock right now.
Tell me what’s in the flue, and I’ll tell you what it takes to fix it. If the cap’s gone, the fix starts with the right part, the right measurements, and a written number before any work starts. That’s how we do every Famco cap install in Alpharetta, and it’s all covered by the 365-Day Done Right Promise. Call (762) 600-1468 for a free estimate. A live person answers, any hour.
Written by Hank Delano, Owner, Flint Chimney Co Alpharetta at Flint Chimney Co Alpharetta, serving Alpharetta and nearby areas.