Chimney services in SeaTac
- 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 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 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 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 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.
Most homes predate 1980
Census estimates put the median SeaTac home at 1972. About 63 percent of homes were built before 1980, about a quarter before 1960, and about 19 percent in 2000 or later.
A masonry chimney that age has usually outlived at least one roof. The junction between chimney and roof is a common place for water to get in, especially where old flashing was reused during a reroof or sealant was used in place of counter-flashing. Leak and flashing repair deals with that junction; masonry repair deals with joints and brick that have worn.
About 28 percent of households heat mainly with gas and most of the rest with electricity, so many fireplaces here see occasional fires rather than daily use. If yours has sat unused for a while, have it looked at before the first fire of the season.
Weather measured in town
NOAA’s Seattle-Tacoma International Airport station sits within SeaTac, so its 1991–2020 normals describe local conditions closely: 39.34 inches of precipitation a year, about 93 days with a tenth of an inch or more, about 23 days with half an inch or more, roughly 25 nights at or below freezing, and 6.3 inches of snow in an average year.
The heavier days find weak points. A cracked crown, a missing cap or open joints take on far more water when rain arrives by the half inch, and a cap over the flue with a sound crown beneath it keeps most of that water out of the chimney.
Who issues permits in SeaTac
Inside SeaTac, permits come from the city’s Permit Center in the Community and Economic Development department. It administers building, mechanical, plumbing and electrical permits, and applications go through the city’s online permitting portal.
The Building Services Division publishes a list of work that normally needs no building permit — small sheds, fences, low retaining walls, interior finish work and the like. Chimney and fireplace work is not on it. The city asks anyone unsure to call the Building Division, which is the right first step before a chimney repair or a new stove or insert.
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.
SeaTac chimney questions
Does a chimney repair in SeaTac need a permit?
That is the city’s decision. SeaTac’s list of work that normally needs no building permit does not include chimney or fireplace work, so describe the job to the Building Division before it starts.
Can I use my wood fireplace during a burn ban in SeaTac?
No. SeaTac is in King County, where the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s Stage 1 and Stage 2 bans both rule out wood-burning fireplaces, unless the agency has approved a no-other-heat exemption for your home in advance.
Our 1960s house has a fireplace nobody has used in years. Where do we start?
With an inspection before the first fire. A long-idle flue can hold debris or nesting material, and the crown, cap and flashing may have aged without anyone noticing. You get photos and a plain account of what needs doing and what does not.
Is the SeaTac weather really hard on chimneys?
It is wet more than it is extreme. The airport records about 156 days a year with measurable precipitation, so masonry that absorbs water rarely gets a long dry spell between wettings until summer.
Useful local links
- Permit Center Division — City of SeaTac (opens in a new tab)
- Building Services: Questions & Answers — City of SeaTac (opens in a new tab)
- Air Quality Burn Ban Status — Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (opens in a new tab)
- Climate Normals 1991–2020, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (opens in a new tab)
- Census profile: SeaTac, WA — U.S. Census Bureau data via Census Reporter (opens in a new tab)