Chimney services in Sammamish
- 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.
Gas-heated houses from the 1980s and 1990s
Census estimates (American Community Survey, 2024 five-year) put the median Sammamish home’s construction year at 1994. Roughly half of homes date from 1980 through 1999, about a third from 2000 or later, and only about 13 percent from before 1980. About 81 percent are single-family detached houses and about 83 percent are owner-occupied.
The same estimates show about 72 percent of occupied homes heating mainly with utility gas, far more than in Issaquah or Bellevue, where the figure is closer to 46 percent. With gas already at most houses, converting a wood-burning fireplace to gas logs or an insert is often a practical question to ask about, and existing gas units need their burner, controls and venting kept in order. If you ever notice a gas smell, go outside first, then call 911 or your gas utility.
A house older than the city
The City of Sammamish was incorporated on August 31, 1999, and Klahanie and several adjoining neighborhoods joined the city on January 1, 2016. Before those dates, these areas were unincorporated King County, and King County issued building permits there.
Because roughly two-thirds of Sammamish homes were built before 2000, any permit for the original fireplace and chimney in many of them would have come from King County, not the City. If you are trying to confirm when an insert or stove went in, or whether it was permitted, ask King County Permitting about older records as well as the City.
Who issues permits for fireplace work in Sammamish
Inside city limits, permits come from the City of Sammamish Permit Center in the Community Development department, and every application is submitted online at MyBuildingPermit.com. The City’s general rule is that new construction and alterations or repairs to existing structures or systems require a permit.
The City’s development fee schedule lists a wood stove or fireplace insert, gas logs and gas piping among its residential mechanical permit items. For work it does not name, such as masonry repair or reflashing, the City offers a Project Guidance request to find out whether a project needs a permit; the decision is the City’s.
Land east of the city limits is unincorporated King County, part of the county’s Bear Creek/Sammamish community service area, and permits there come from King County Permitting.
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.
Sammamish chimney questions
Can we switch our wood-burning fireplace to gas?
Often, yes, but the details decide it. The existing firebox and flue have to suit the gas appliance and its venting, and in Sammamish an insert, gas logs and new gas piping each appear on the City’s mechanical permit list. An inspection of the fireplace and flue is the place to start, and gas fireplace service covers the appliance once it is in.
We live in Klahanie. Who handles our permits now?
The City of Sammamish, since the annexation took effect on January 1, 2016. Work done before then was under King County, so older permit records for a Klahanie house may be with the county rather than the City.
How do we know when a burn ban is on?
The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency issues bans for King County, usually in the colder fall and winter months, and posts current status on its website, by phone at 800-595-4341, and through alerts you can sign up for. A ban limits wood burning in fireplaces and stoves; the agency lists natural gas and propane stoves and inserts as allowed in both stages.
We hardly use our wood fireplace. Does it still need sweeping?
EPA and fire officials recommend having a wood-burning appliance, chimney and vent inspected and cleaned every year. Light use means less creosote, but an idle flue can still collect debris or nesting material, and a sweep with an inspection before the heating season deals with both.
Useful local links
- Getting Started and FAQs — City of Sammamish Permit Center (opens in a new tab)
- 2026 Development Fee Schedule — City of Sammamish (opens in a new tab)
- Air Quality Burn Ban Status — Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (opens in a new tab)
- Census profile: Sammamish, WA — U.S. Census Bureau data via Census Reporter (opens in a new tab)