Chimney services in Kirkland
For a chimney in its fourth or fifth decade, an inspection is the practical first step: it separates what needs attention now from what can wait.
- 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 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.
- 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 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.
A housing stock built largely in the 1970s and 1980s
The City of Kirkland’s 2024 housing inventory, drawing on Census estimates, found that 42 percent of Kirkland’s housing was built between 1970 and 1989, against 34 percent in other East King County cities, and that 22 percent was built before 1970. Newer Census estimates (American Community Survey, 2024 five-year) put the median home’s construction year at 1984, with only about 6 percent of homes built before 1960.
A chimney from those two decades is now roughly 35 to 55 years old. Some of these houses have brick chimneys; others have factory-built fireplaces with metal flues inside a framed chase. On brick, a thin mortar crown that has cracked is one common starting point for trouble: water gets into the masonry below, and the damage may first show as loose brick or a stain indoors. Crown repair deals with that source. On a framed chase, the metal cover and the flashing where the chase meets the roof are the usual places to check for water.
Designated historic residences
Kirkland runs its own historic preservation program. The City invites owners of properties at least 40 years old to ask about eligibility, and designated properties can use flexibility provisions in the zoning code.
Designation also adds a step for changes. Proposed alterations to a designated historic residence go through the City’s Historic Residence Alteration application, which asks for photographs, a written description and material details for each affected feature. The City notes that the significant features most often include the entire building exterior, and a chimney is part of that. If your house is designated, raise it before any rebuilding or visible masonry work is planned, because materials and appearance will be part of the conversation.
Who handles chimney and fireplace permits in Kirkland
Inside city limits, permits come from the City of Kirkland through its Development Services Center, a joint function of the Planning and Building, Public Works and Fire departments. Applications are made online through MyBuildingPermit.com.
The City’s permit guidance lists fireplaces, wood-burning stoves and gas inserts among the projects that require a permit, along with re-roofing that involves structural elements such as sheathing. A mechanical permit is required to install, alter, relocate or replace mechanical systems or fuel gas piping.
Masonry repair is not spelled out in that guidance. Kirkland’s own advice is to contact Development Services before starting work if there is any doubt about whether a permit is needed, and the City’s answer is the one that counts.
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.
Kirkland chimney questions
Our house is in Finn Hill. Did annexation change who handles chimney permits?
Yes. Finn Hill, North Juanita and Kingsgate became part of Kirkland on June 1, 2011; before that they were under King County. Permits for work there now come from the City of Kirkland. For a stove or insert installed before mid-2011, any permit would have come from King County, so if you are tracing an older installation, ask King County Permitting as well as the City.
Can I have a fire in my fireplace during a burn ban in Kirkland?
Not a wood fire in an open fireplace. Kirkland is covered by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, which calls bans for King County as a unit. Stage 1 bars wood-burning fireplaces and any wood stove or insert without EPA or Washington emission approval; Stage 2 bars all wood-burning stoves, inserts and fireplaces, and pellet stoves as well. Gas and propane units are allowed in both stages. A household that relies on wood as its only adequate heat can use an exemption only if the agency has approved it beforehand.
Is our 1970s brick chimney worth repairing, or does it need rebuilding?
That depends on how much of the masonry is still sound, which only an inspection can show. Damage is frequently worst above the roofline, where the chimney is most exposed, and sometimes repair or a partial rebuild of that section is enough; other times the stack needs more. Chimney rebuilding explains what a rebuild involves.
How do I find out whether my house is a designated historic residence?
Ask the City’s Planning and Building Department. Designation is not automatic: it follows a City process, and the alteration application expects a copy of the approved designation, which the City keeps on file. If there is no designation, the historic residence step does not apply, though the usual permit questions still do.
Useful local links
- Do you need a permit? — City of Kirkland Development Services (opens in a new tab)
- Historic Preservation — City of Kirkland Planning and Building (opens in a new tab)
- Air Quality Burn Ban Status — Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (opens in a new tab)
- Census profile: Kirkland, WA — U.S. Census Bureau data via Census Reporter (opens in a new tab)