Chimney services in Parkland
- 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.
- 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 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 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 RebuildingTaking a failed chimney down to sound masonry and building it back up, above the roofline or further down, with the stopping point named in a written scope.
- 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.
Half the homes predate 1980
The median Parkland home was built in 1979, a decade before Spanaway’s, according to Census estimates from the 2020–2024 American Community Survey. About half of homes were built before 1980 and about 1 in 5 before 1960.
A masonry chimney of that age has weathered many winters of rain on its crown and mortar joints, and its flue may have a clay tile liner that has cracked or shifted, or in older cases no liner at all. None of that can be judged from the ground. An inspection looks at the flue and the masonry before anyone talks about repointing, a new crown or relining.
Old wood inserts and the Tacoma–Pierce stove rule
The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) bans buying or operating an uncertified wood stove in the Tacoma–Pierce County Smoke Reduction Zone, and it treats a wood-burning fireplace insert as a stove. The zone on the agency’s map runs from Tacoma south past Spanaway, so check your address against it.
PSCAA also notes that it is illegal to sell, give away or reinstall an uncertified wood-burning device. Inside the zone, an uncertified insert has to be taken out of use, either recycled or made inoperable by breaking off its doors or punching holes in its firebox.
Once an old insert comes out, the fireplace and flue behind it are a separate question. They may not have been looked at in years, so treat them as unknown until they have been inspected.
Permits: Pierce County Planning and Public Works
Parkland has no city government, so permits for chimney, fireplace and stove work come from Pierce County Planning and Public Works. The county’s code rewrites the residential code’s list of work exempt from permits into 15 categories, from small sheds and low fences to re-roofing and re-siding within limits. Chimney, fireplace and masonry repair are not among them.
The same section adds that being exempt from a permit never authorizes work that violates the code. Ask the county what your particular job needs before work starts; its Development Center is the central office for building permits.
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.
Parkland chimney questions
Who handles permits for chimney work in Parkland?
Pierce County Planning and Public Works. Parkland is unincorporated, so there is no city permit office; the county’s Development Center takes building permit applications for addresses here.
Our house has an old wood insert. What are our options?
Start with the label. PSCAA says a certified insert usually has an EPA or Oregon DEQ label on the back or side. An uncertified one cannot be used in the Smoke Reduction Zone and has to be recycled or made inoperable. A certified replacement is allowed, and installing one is work to confirm with Pierce County Planning and Public Works, which issues residential mechanical permits online.
Is repointing a chimney exempt from permits in unincorporated Pierce County?
Do not assume so. Masonry and chimney repair do not appear on the county’s list of exempt work, and the county decides what a specific job needs. A written scope makes it easier to ask.
We rarely light a fire. Is an inspection still worth it?
The EPA and fire officials recommend a yearly inspection and cleaning for wood-burning appliances, chimneys and vents. A chimney that is seldom used still takes in rain, and the National Park Service’s guidance on moisture calls for a ventilated cap on an unused chimney that collects rainwater.
Useful local links
- Tacoma-Pierce County Wood Stove Rule — Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (opens in a new tab)
- PCC 17C.30.040 Work Exempt from Permit — Pierce County Code (opens in a new tab)
- Development Center — Pierce County Planning & Public Works (opens in a new tab)
- Census profile: Parkland, WA — U.S. Census Bureau data via Census Reporter (opens in a new tab)