Installation of rigid chimney liners is one way of installing a chimney liner in an unlined chimney or one whose liner is defective. The rigid chimney liner is best used in cases of a chimney whose flue is not offset, that is it runs straight with no corners. One advantage of these kinds of chimney liners, particularly the stainless steel ones, is the fact that they are relatively cheap to install, and can be installed on older chimneys without the need for restructuring the whole chimney. They are also available in a variety of shapes (cross-section wise) meaning that all sorts of chimneys are catered for.

Rigid chimney liners are less expensive than their flexible counterparts, but one has to take into consideration the labor cost involved. This is especially true if one intends to fix a rigid chimney liner in a chimney which has flue that is not straight. In this case, a lot of specialized labor and equipment would be needed, which would offset the initial savings. For lining straight and short chimneys, however, this would be the best and cheapest option as it would cost the least. Rigid liners also have smooth surfaces, making it harder for creosote (a flammable compound resulting from incomplete combustion) to cling to their surfaces.