Chimney services in Federal Way
Because so much of Federal Way’s rain falls in the colder months, the parts of a chimney that shed water — cap, crown and flashing — come right after an inspection on this list.
- 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 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.
- 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 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.
- 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.
Houses mostly from the 1960s to the 1990s
The City of Federal Way’s 2021 Housing Action Plan notes that much of its housing was built between the 1960s and 1980s, before residents voted to incorporate in 1990. Census estimates for 2020–2024 agree: the median home dates from 1984, about 40 percent were built before 1980 and fewer than one in five in 2000 or later. Only about 5 percent predate 1960.
Brick chimneys of that age commonly need attention at the crown, the mortar joints or the flashing. Factory-built fireplaces from the same decades can have a rusted chase top, a tired cap or parts that are hard to match. Neither is a verdict on your house; they are what an inspection looks at first.
Only about half of Federal Way’s homes are detached houses, by the same estimates. In a townhouse or condominium, a shared chimney or vent may be partly the association’s responsibility, which is worth settling before work is planned.
Rain, more than frost
Two long-term NOAA stations bracket Federal Way: Tacoma No. 1, about six miles southwest near sea level, and Sea-Tac Airport, about nine miles north. Their 1991–2020 normals nearly match — 40.81 and 39.34 inches of precipitation a year, measurable amounts on roughly 155 days, and only 27 and 25 nights at or below freezing.
At the Tacoma station November is the wettest month, at 6.5 inches, and about three quarters of the year’s total falls from October through March. For a chimney that means months of steady wetting more than repeated hard freezes, so the parts that keep water out — the cap, a crown that sheds water past the brick, and sound flashing where the chimney meets the roof — matter most.
If a water repellent is part of the plan, it should be a breathable one made for masonry; the Brick Industry Association advises against film-forming coatings on brick that freezes and thaws.
Burn bans, and a Pierce County stove rule that stops at the county line
The whole city lies in King County, so the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s King County call is the one that counts here. Stage 1 stops fires in wood-burning fireplaces and in stoves or inserts without emissions certification; Stage 2 also takes in certified stoves and inserts, plus pellet stoves. Check the agency’s website or phone line (1-800-595-4341) before lighting up on a cold, still day.
Just south, the agency’s Tacoma–Pierce County Smoke Reduction Zone has banned buying or operating an uncertified wood stove since October 2015. The agency says the rule applies only inside that zone, and its map of the zone stops short of Federal Way. An uncertified stove here is still off-limits during either stage of a ban.
Permits: the City of Federal Way Permit Center
Building, mechanical and related permits for Federal Way addresses are issued by the city’s Community Development department through the Permit Center at City Hall. Applications that need plan review are submitted electronically through a document upload link the Permit Center sets up; residential mechanical permits can be applied for online at MyBuildingPermit.com.
The city publishes a short list of residential work exempt from permits under the International Residential Code. Chimney, fireplace and masonry work is not on it, and the city adds that no work in a critical area — wetlands, streams, landslide hazard areas or their buffers — is exempt. When in doubt, the city asks you to call the Permit Center at 253-835-2607; it makes the decision, not the contractor.
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.
Federal Way chimney questions
Is chimney repair on Federal Way’s list of permit-exempt work?
Chimney work does not appear on it. The city’s residential exemption list covers things like small sheds, low fences and finish work, and it does not mention chimneys, fireplaces or masonry. That does not settle every job either way — describe the work to the Permit Center and let the city decide.
How do I apply for a permit for a gas insert or stove in Federal Way?
Federal Way takes residential mechanical permits online through MyBuildingPermit.com, and the Permit Center handles anything that needs plan review. Ask the Permit Center whether your appliance and its venting fall under a mechanical permit, a building permit or both.
Does the Tacoma–Pierce County wood stove rule apply in Federal Way?
No. That rule covers the agency’s Smoke Reduction Zone in Pierce County; the agency says the rest of Pierce County is not affected, and Federal Way, in King County, lies outside it. Federal Way homes are still bound by King County burn bans, which can stop any wood-burning fireplace or stove from being used.
Our fireplace has not been used since we bought the house. Where do we start?
Hold off on the first fire until the chimney has been looked at. An inspection shows whether the flue is clear, whether creosote from earlier owners’ fires remains, and whether water is getting in; a sweep often goes with it.
Do you work on gas fireplaces in Federal Way?
Yes, including pilots that will not stay lit, ignition trouble and soot on the glass. If there is ever a smell of gas, get everyone out first, then call 911 or the gas utility once you are outside.
Useful local links
- Residential Permit Exemptions — City of Federal Way (opens in a new tab)
- Permit Center — City of Federal Way (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, Tacoma No. 1 (USC00458278) — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (opens in a new tab)
- Census profile: Federal Way, WA — U.S. Census Bureau data via Census Reporter (opens in a new tab)