Every Enumclaw home is in King County, so King County burn bans are the ones that apply to households, and permits come from the City of Enumclaw.
Chimney services in Enumclaw
- 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 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.
- 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 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.
What the Mud Mountain Dam record shows
NOAA’s nearest long-term station is at Mud Mountain Dam, about five miles southeast of the city and at roughly 1,300 feet. Its 1991–2020 normals come to 60.13 inches of precipitation a year and 79.3 nights at or below freezing. Sea-Tac Airport averages 39.34 inches and about 25 freezing nights.
The station sits higher than the 750-foot elevation the city uses as its base in its own residential design values, so treat its numbers as a guide to the foothill climate rather than a reading for your street. The pattern is still plain: freezing nights from October into May, about 17 of them in December alone, and a heating demand close to 30 percent above Sea-Tac’s.
Masonry that stays wet and freezes again and again is a common way for crowns to crack and joints to open. A crown that sheds water clear of the brick, sound joints and tight flashing are the first line of defense, and Chimney4u chooses repair materials for this kind of wet, freezing exposure rather than a generic spec.
Older houses, and more homes heated with wood
Census estimates for 2020–2024 put Enumclaw’s median build year at 1986. About one home in eight dates from 1939 or earlier, about one in five from before 1960, and more than four in ten from before 1980. Only about one in six was built in 2000 or later.
About one household in forty heats mainly with wood by the same estimates, a small share, but larger than the estimates for Auburn, Kent, Covington, Maple Valley or Black Diamond. A stove that carries the heating load through a long season can build creosote faster than an occasional fire, so a regular sweep and a look at the liner and cap make sense.
Permits: City of Enumclaw Building Department
The City of Enumclaw’s Building Department, part of Community Development at 1309 Myrtle Avenue, provides plan review and inspections, and permits can be applied for and paid through its E-Permits portal. The city’s FAQ is direct: if an activity is not on its building permit exemption list, a permit is required. That list covers items like small sheds, low fences and finish work, and does not include chimney, fireplace or masonry work. Questions go to 360-825-3593, and the city decides what a job needs.
Enumclaw also takes part in King County’s landmarks program. Changes to a designated Enumclaw landmark go through design review; the county’s landmarks commission sits as the Enumclaw Landmarks Commission to decide certificates of appropriateness. If your house is listed, ask the city before any chimney work that changes the masonry.
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.
Enumclaw chimney questions
Is Enumclaw in King County or Pierce County?
Its homes are all in King County. The city’s comprehensive plan says part of its land lies in Pierce County, but that part has no population or employment. So check the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s King County burn ban status, and go to the City of Enumclaw for permits.
Does chimney or fireplace work need a permit in Enumclaw?
The city’s rule of thumb is that work not on its exemption list needs a permit, and chimney, fireplace and masonry work is not on that list. The Building Department makes the final call for a given job, so describe it to them before work starts.
How often should a wood stove chimney be swept in Enumclaw?
It depends on how hard the stove works. Manufacturers commonly tell owners to check the chimney monthly during the heating season and clean it once creosote builds to about an eighth of an inch. With freezing nights from October into May, a stove here can run for a longer season than one in the lowlands.
Our house is a designated landmark. What changes for chimney work?
Changes to a designated Enumclaw landmark go through design review, and the landmarks commission decides on a certificate of appropriateness. Talk to the city’s Community Development Department before planning a rebuild or a change of brick, mortar or crown.
Useful local links
- Building Permit Exemptions — City of Enumclaw (opens in a new tab)
- Building Department — City of Enumclaw (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Mud Mountain Dam (USC00455704) — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (opens in a new tab)
- Air Quality Burn Ban Status — Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (opens in a new tab)
- Census profile: Enumclaw, WA — U.S. Census Bureau data via Census Reporter (opens in a new tab)