Chimney services in Martha Lake
- 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.
- 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 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.
Newer homes, and many that share walls
By Census estimates, the median Martha Lake home was built in 1998. Nearly half of all homes were built in 2000 or later and only about a quarter before 1980. Just over half are detached single-family houses; most of the rest is attached and multi-unit housing, from townhomes to apartment buildings (American Community Survey, 2020–2024).
In a townhome or condominium, the chimney chase, its cover and the roof around it are often common elements that the owners’ association maintains, while the fireplace inside is often the owner’s own. The split varies from one association to the next, so check your governing documents or ask the manager before arranging exterior work.
More than half of Martha Lake homes heat mainly with electricity and about 4 in 10 with gas, and the estimates show none relying mainly on wood. In housing of this age, the fireplace is commonly a sealed gas unit or a factory-built fireplace, which is where gas fireplace service comes in.
Five miles from Paine Field: how the rain arrives
Paine Field in Everett, about five miles off, has the closest long-term NOAA record. Its 1991–2020 normals average about 16 days a year with at least half an inch of precipitation, and about three quarters of the station’s roughly 29 freezing nights fall between December and February.
Heavy, wind-driven rain is what tests the seams of a chimney, whether it is brick or a framed chase: the flashing where it meets the roof, and the cover or crown on top. The Brick Industry Association notes that heavy wind-driven rain gets through a single layer of brickwork however well it is built, so the details that shed water matter as much as the walls. Leak and flashing repair starts by finding where water actually gets in.
Snohomish County handles permits in Martha Lake
Because Martha Lake is unincorporated, permits come from Snohomish County Planning and Development Services (PDS), not from Lynnwood or Mill Creek. PDS is paperless: applications go through its online Permit Portal, and its Ask Permit Tech form can tell you which permits a job needs.
One county detail matters here. The PDS residential mechanical and plumbing permit covers single-family houses and duplexes, and the county’s permit list says it does not include townhomes or multifamily buildings. If you live in attached housing, ask PDS which permit type applies before fireplace or venting work is scheduled. Electrical work is permitted and inspected by the state Department of Labor & Industries, not by PDS.
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.
Martha Lake chimney questions
Is Martha Lake part of Lynnwood or Mill Creek?
No. It is an unincorporated community in Snohomish County, so the county, not a city, issues permits. A nearby city’s name in your mailing address does not change that; the county Assessor’s property search or your tax statement shows which jurisdiction a parcel is in. For homes inside Mill Creek itself, see the Mill Creek page.
Our association handles the roof. How does that affect chimney work?
Exterior work such as the chase cover, cap, flashing or crown may need the association’s approval, or the association may arrange it. Share its requirements when you get in touch, so the written scope reflects who is responsible for what.
Where do we check for burn bans without a city website?
Go straight to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, which calls air quality burn bans for Snohomish County. Its status page, email alerts and social media accounts carry current bans.
Our house was built in the 2000s. Does the chimney need attention already?
It can. A wood-burning fireplace of any age builds creosote, and the EPA recommends a yearly inspection and cleaning for wood-burning appliances and their chimneys. On newer homes, chase covers, vent caps and roof flashing are the usual places to look for wear.
Useful local links
- Permitting — Snohomish County Planning and Development Services (opens in a new tab)
- Permit and Application Types — Snohomish County Planning and Development Services (opens in a new tab)
- Air Quality Burn Ban Status — Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (opens in a new tab)
- Census profile: Martha Lake, WA — U.S. Census Bureau data via Census Reporter (opens in a new tab)