Chimney and exterior stair cost: what owners paid
The typical U.S. owner paid $2,057 for chimney/stairs/other exterior additions work; across 5 big metros the typical job ran $500 to $4,286.
What owners paid
$2,057
The typical (median) U.S. job: half of owners paid less, half paid more.
Lowest big metro, $500: Miami. Highest, $4,286: New York City and Seattle.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, the latest release: work owners did in about 2021–2023. Checked .
What owners paid in each big metro
The typical (median) job in each of the survey's 15 metro areas, highest first. The margin of error is the Census Bureau's 90% range around each median.
No published figure: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Riverside, San Francisco.
What these figures cover: Chimneys, outdoor stairs and other exterior additions, counted together.
The figures as a table, with margins of error
Scroll the table sideways to see every column on a small screen.
| Metro area | Typical job (median) | Margin of error (90% confidence) |
|---|---|---|
| New York City | $4,286 | ±$1,551 |
| Seattle | $4,286 | ±$2,027 |
| Boston | $4,114 | ±$715 |
| Washington DC | $3,500 | ±$789 |
| Miami | $500 | Not published |
| Atlanta | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Chicago | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Dallas | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Detroit | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Houston | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Los Angeles | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Philadelphia | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Phoenix | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Riverside | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| San Francisco | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
Source: Census Bureau and HUD, 2023 American Housing Survey, Table 16, category “Chimney/stairs/other exterior additions” under “Exterior Additions and Replacements”. Updated 2026-09-19. The metro values and margins of error use the survey's metropolitan areas, not city limits. A metro with no published figure stays blank; we never fill it in from its neighbors.
Why do cost guides disagree?
They measure different things. An estimate prices one defined job at today's rates; these figures are what owners actually paid, across every size and kind of job in the category. A full job on a large house can sit well above the typical figure, and a small one well below it. Your own quotes, compared line by line, are the price that counts.
Measure your job with the calculator.
Before you compare quotes
If a quote is well above the typical $2,057, ask what is in it that the typical job is not. Which exterior component is actually in your quote, and what supporting work is included?
Record the measurements in the quantity calculator. Keep the quotes themselves in a budget worksheet.