Chimney services in Burien
- Chimney InspectionA close look at the flue, firebox, masonry and roof flashing, with photos you keep and a plain account of what’s urgent, what can wait and what can be left alone.
- Masonry Repair & TuckpointingRepointing worn mortar joints and replacing spalled brick on chimneys, using new mortar matched to the old so the repair does not harm the brick around it.
- Chimney Crown RepairSealing, resurfacing or recasting the slab on top of your chimney, with a real overhang, a drip edge and a flexible joint around the flue.
- Chimney Leak & Flashing RepairTracing where water really gets in around your chimney, then repairing the flashing, crown, cap or masonry responsible, with a written scope before any work.
- Chimney RebuildingTaking a failed chimney down to sound masonry and building it back up, above the roofline or further down, with the stopping point named in a written scope.
- Chimney Sweeping & CleaningCreosote, soot and debris cleared from the flue, smoke chamber and firebox, with before-and-after photos and a plain account of what the cleaning turned up.
Two in five homes predate 1960
Census estimates put the median Burien home at 1966. About 38 percent of homes were built before 1960, about two-thirds before 1980, and only about 13 percent in 2000 or later. Around 8 percent date from 1939 or earlier.
A brick chimney that old may have a clay liner with cracked or missing sections, a crown that is little more than a sloped layer of mortar, or flashing patched through several reroofs. You cannot tell which, if any, applies from the yard; an inspection with photos shows what is actually there, and crown repair or masonry repair deals with the parts of an old stack that take the most weather.
Switching from gas? Think about the chimney too
About 35 percent of Burien households heat mainly with utility gas. The city’s Electrify Burien program reimburses eligible residents for projects such as heat pumps and converting appliances from gas to electric.
If a gas furnace or water heater vents through your chimney, a conversion changes what the chimney is doing. Taking out one appliance can leave another venting alone through a flue sized for more, which can lead to condensation and poor draft. Taking out all of them leaves an open flue that still needs a cap and a sound crown. Either way, have the chimney looked at while you plan the switch.
Burien requires permits for fireplaces, stoves and inserts
In Burien, permits come from the city’s Community Development Department, and applications, inspection requests and payments all go through MyBuildingPermit. The city’s residential permit sheet says no building, electrical, mechanical or plumbing system may be built, altered or repaired without a permit unless the work is listed as exempt, and it names fireplaces, wood-burning stoves and inserts among the common examples that need one.
Chimney masonry repair is not on the exempt list, and even that list applies only where critical area review is not required. The city asks anyone unsure to call and speak with its permit staff before starting.
What you can tell us about
You do not need to know the cause. These are things homeowners describe when they get in touch — each one is something to assess on site, not a diagnosis.
Water where it should not be
Drips in the firebox, stains on a ceiling or wall beside the chimney, or a damp smell after rain.
Leak & flashing repairLoose mortar or damaged brick
Crumbling joints, brick faces flaking off, or bits of masonry on the roof or in the gutter.
Masonry repairA missing or damaged cap
No cap on the flue, a bent or rusted one, or signs that birds or animals have been getting in.
Cap installationSmoke or draft trouble
Smoke rolling into the room, a fire that is hard to keep going, or odors when the fireplace is not in use.
Chimney inspectionBuildup and a sweep that is overdue
You cannot remember the last cleaning, or you have bought a house and do not know the chimney's history.
Chimney sweepingA gas fireplace that will not light
A pilot that will not stay lit, ignition trouble, or soot on the glass. If you smell gas, leave the house and call 911 or your gas utility from outside.
Gas fireplace service
How a visit works
- 1Send the short form or call. Say what you have noticed; photos you took are welcome when we talk.
- 2We arrange a time with you, look at the chimney, and photograph what we find.
- 3You hear plainly what is urgent, what can wait, and what does not need doing.
- 4Repair work comes with a written scope and price. Nothing starts until you approve it.
- 5We photograph the finished work from the same angles, and the photos are yours to keep.
What affects the price
Prices come after the chimney has been seen, in writing. These are the things that move them:
- Condition
- What the inspection finds, and whether the cause of the damage is still active.
- Access
- Roof pitch, height, how many stories up the chimney sits, and whether staging is needed.
- Chimney size
- Height above the roof, width, and how many flues the stack carries.
- Materials
- Brick and mortar matched to what is there, crown and cap materials, liner type.
- Scope
- One targeted repair, several at once, or rebuilding part of the stack.
- Permits
- Whether the work needs a permit from the city or county that has jurisdiction at the address.
Burien chimney questions
Do I need a permit to put in a wood stove or insert in Burien?
Burien’s residential permit sheet lists fireplaces, wood-burning stoves and inserts as work that needs a permit. Applications go through MyBuildingPermit, and the city decides what yours needs to include.
Can I have a wood fire in Burien during a burn ban?
Not in a wood-burning fireplace. Burien is in King County, so Puget Sound Clean Air Agency bans apply, and both stages rule out fireplaces unless the agency has approved a no-other-heat exemption for your household beforehand.
Our house is from the 1940s. Can the original chimney still be used?
Possibly, but nobody can tell you without looking. Age alone does not decide it; the condition of the liner, crown, mortar and flashing does. After an inspection you get photos and a plain explanation of what is urgent, what can wait and what needs nothing.
Why does water matter so much for a Burien chimney?
Because it rarely stops. The Sea-Tac weather station, about 2.6 miles from Burien, records measurable precipitation on roughly 156 days a year, and masonry that stays damp through a long wet season is the masonry that loses mortar and spalls. Leak and flashing repair starts by finding the path the water takes.
Useful local links
- When Are Permits Required (Residential) — City of Burien (opens in a new tab)
- Permit Center — City of Burien (opens in a new tab)
- Electrify Burien — City of Burien (opens in a new tab)
- Air Quality Burn Ban Status — Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (opens in a new tab)
- Census profile: Burien, WA — U.S. Census Bureau data via Census Reporter (opens in a new tab)