Chimney services in Edmonds
An inspection sorts out which of these a given chimney needs: a sweep, a water repair, masonry work, or relining a flue that has cracked.
- 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 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 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 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.
- 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.
- Gas Fireplace Service & RepairService and repair for gas fireplaces and gas inserts: pilot and ignition trouble, sooty glass, odd flames, odors, and the vent or chimney the unit uses.
Much of Edmonds was built before 1980
Census estimates put the median year built for Edmonds housing at 1974. About 6 in 10 homes went up before 1980, and nearly 1 in 5 before 1960 (American Community Survey, 2020–2024).
A chimney that age was built to the materials and codes of its day. Flue tiles can crack, mortar joints wear back, and a crown poured when the house was new may no longer shed water. None of that can be judged from the driveway, which is why an older chimney is best started with an inspection rather than a guess at the repair.
Wood is the main heat in very few Edmonds homes (well under 1 percent, by the same estimates); about half heat mainly with gas and most of the rest with electricity. A fireplace used only now and then still collects creosote, and an idle flue can gather leaves or nests.
What the Paine Field records say about rain
The nearest long-term NOAA station is at Paine Field in Everett, about seven miles north. Its 1991–2020 normals show 33.37 inches of precipitation a year, with measurable precipitation on about 178 days. November is the wettest month and July the driest.
Freezing nights are less frequent this close to the Sound: the station averages about 29 nights a year at or below 32°F, against 60 at NOAA’s station in Monroe. For an Edmonds chimney the thing to watch is often water that gets in and stays, past a cracked crown, a missing cap or worn flashing. Leak and flashing repair starts by tracing where it enters.
Houses on the Edmonds Register of Historic Places
Edmonds keeps its own register of historic places. Listing is voluntary: the owner applies, the Historic Preservation Commission reviews the application, and the City Council approves it before the owner signs a final consent form. The city says owners who take the special tax valuation that comes with listing agree that further changes to the property must be approved by the commission.
That can bear on exterior masonry, such as rebuilding a chimney top or changing the brick or mortar. The city’s website currently lists the commission as suspended, so if your house is on the register, ask the Planning and Development Department how changes are being reviewed, and mention the listing when you get in touch.
Who issues permits for chimney work in Edmonds
Inside city limits, the City of Edmonds does. Its Building Division reviews plans, issues permits and inspects work under the building, mechanical, plumbing, fire and energy codes adopted by the state and amended by the Edmonds City Council. Applications are made online through MyBuildingPermit.com.
Esperance, the unincorporated area surrounded by Edmonds, is different: the city describes it as governed by Snohomish County, so county Planning and Development Services handles permits there until an annexation takes effect. In either place, the permitting office decides whether a particular repair, liner or fireplace change needs a permit, so ask it before work starts if you are unsure.
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.
Edmonds chimney questions
My mailing address says Edmonds. Does the city issue my permit?
Usually, but not always. Addresses inside Edmonds city limits are permitted by the City of Edmonds through MyBuildingPermit.com. Esperance, which the city surrounds, is still governed by Snohomish County, and the city is only planning its annexation. If you are in Esperance, check with county Planning and Development Services.
Can I use my fireplace during a burn ban?
It depends on the stage. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency issues air quality burn bans for Snohomish County. In a Stage 1 ban, wood-burning fireplaces, uncertified wood stoves and uncertified inserts may not be used; in Stage 2, no wood-burning fireplace, wood stove, insert or pellet stove may be used, certified or not. The only exception is a household with an approved exemption for having no other adequate heat. Check the agency’s burn ban status page before lighting a fire.
My chimney dates from the 1960s. What does an inspection look at?
The parts that age: the flue lining, the crown, the mortar joints, the brick faces and the flashing where the chimney meets the roof. You see photographs of what was found, and if the flue lining has failed, relining may come up as an option.
Should I seal or waterproof old brick?
Not with a coating that forms a film. The National Park Service warns that waterproofing or non-permeable paint over spalling brick traps moisture behind it and speeds the decay, and the Brick Industry Association recommends against coatings that form a film on brick exposed to freezing and thawing. Breathable water repellents are a different product, and whether one suits your chimney is something to decide after the source of the water is found.
Useful local links
- Building Division — City of Edmonds (opens in a new tab)
- Register of Historic Places — City of Edmonds (opens in a new tab)
- Air Quality Burn Ban Status — Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Everett Snohomish Co. Airport (USW00024222) — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (opens in a new tab)
- Census profile: Edmonds, WA — U.S. Census Bureau data via Census Reporter (opens in a new tab)