Chimney services in Clearview
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Cap InstallationChimney caps measured to your flue, single or multi-flue, to help keep rain, animals, debris and embers out, with the crown checked before anything is fitted.
- 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 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.
A rural community on State Route 9
Snohomish County’s plans treat the Clearview area as rural, with small commercial nodes along State Route 9 serving the surrounding rural population. Census estimates for a community this size carry wide margins, but they show mostly owner-occupied homes, about three quarters of them detached houses, with a median year built of 1984 and more than a third built before 1980 (American Community Survey, 2020–2024).
About two thirds of homes heat mainly with electricity and about one in five with gas. Wood is the main heat for only a small share, roughly 2 percent, but in those homes the chimney is working equipment used day after day through the winter rather than an occasional feature. That changes how often it needs sweeping and how closely the flue should be watched.
Weather closer to Monroe’s than to the Sound’s
The nearest long-term NOAA station to Clearview is in Monroe, about seven miles east. Over 1991–2020 it averaged 50.77 inches of precipitation a year, about 34 days with half an inch or more, about 60 nights at or below freezing and around 3 inches of snow. Conditions at any one Clearview property may differ.
A chimney that is often soaked and then frozen takes its wear at the top first. A cracked crown lets water into the masonry below, and a flue without a cap collects rain as well as debris. On a wood-burning chimney, water mixing with deposits in the flue can also bring on a sour smell in damp weather.
Snohomish County issues permits in Clearview
Clearview is unincorporated, so the county’s Planning and Development Services department (PDS) issues permits for chimney, fireplace and stove work, through its online Permit Portal. PDS has a residential mechanical permit for single-family homes, and its Ask Permit Tech form is the way to find out whether a particular job needs one.
Do not go by the mailing address. The City of Snohomish itself warns that many “Snohomish” addresses belong to properties in unincorporated areas, and says to check the county Assessor’s records or your property tax bill instead.
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.
Clearview chimney questions
We heat with wood. Can we burn during a burn ban?
Only with an approved exemption. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency offers a “no other adequate source of heat” exemption for households whose wood-burning device is the only adequate way to heat the home, and you must apply and be approved before burning during a ban. Even then, the agency says the fire cannot produce visible smoke.
How often should a chimney that heats the house be swept?
At least once a year, which is what the EPA recommends for any wood-burning appliance and chimney. A chimney carrying a fire most days through the winter can build creosote faster than that, so the first inspection is a good time to ask how quickly deposits are forming in yours.
We have an old, uncertified wood stove. Do we have to replace it?
Not because of a sale: the Washington Department of Ecology says removing an uncertified stove is not required when a house is bought or sold, although selling one is illegal. During a Stage 1 burn ban, uncertified stoves may not be used unless the household has been granted an exemption.
Does a wood stove chimney need a different liner from a gas one?
Often, yes. The Chimney Safety Institute of America’s position is that liners serving solid-fuel appliances need to be insulated, while gas liners generally do not. If an inspection shows a flue needs relining, the appliance it serves decides what kind of liner fits.
Useful local links
- Permitting — Snohomish County Planning and Development Services (opens in a new tab)
- No Other Adequate Source of Heat — Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (opens in a new tab)
- Wood stove info — Washington State Department of Ecology (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Monroe (USC00455525) — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (opens in a new tab)
- Census profile: Clearview, WA — U.S. Census Bureau data via Census Reporter (opens in a new tab)