I don’t spend much time building houses so I’m unsure if there is a trick to this.  I’m trying to help a friend figure out why she is getting a split in her chimney when she puts a fireplace in a house with a foundation.  She stated that it has never happened until she patched her game.

The problem (the split in the chimney near the foundation)

My solution (was to build a foundation under it)

Is there a method to have the chimney without the foundation and without the gap?  Any house creators care to comment if they have the same issue and would like to share their fix?  Please let me know!