Chimney services in Shoreline
On an older chimney the parts above the roofline take the weather first, which is where crown repair and tuckpointing come in.
- 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.
- 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 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.
- 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 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.
A city of 1950s to 1970s houses
Census estimates put about 35 percent of Shoreline’s homes before 1960 and about 65 percent before 1980. The median year built, 1969, is fourteen years older than King County’s, and fewer than one in five homes dates from 2000 or later.
A masonry chimney from those decades has had fifty-plus winters to wear its mortar and crown, and its original liner may not suit an appliance added since. About 44 percent of occupied homes rely mainly on utility gas for heat, so gas service is widespread; adding a gas insert to an old wood-burning fireplace is work the city treats as mechanical.
Less rain than Sea-Tac, spread over more days
Paine Field in Everett, about 11 miles north, is the closest station with NOAA 1991–2020 normals. Its annual total of 33.37 inches is below Sea-Tac’s (see our Seattle page), yet it comes on about 178 days rather than 156, with around 29 freezing nights.
Frequent light rain gives brick little time to dry. Water held in a cracked crown or open joint can widen it when it freezes, so the top of the chimney is worth checking even when nothing shows indoors.
Permits come from the City of Shoreline
Shoreline’s Planning & Community Development department issues building and mechanical permits and inspects the work. New applications are accepted only online, through the city’s eTRAKiT portal.
The city lists installing a new fireplace insert or gas fireplace as residential mechanical work that needs a permit. Chimney and masonry repair does not appear on the city’s permit-exemptions handout, and the city says work missing from that list likely needs one. To confirm for your address, email pcd@shorelinewa.gov with a description of the work.
Exemptions also do not apply to properties with critical areas such as steep slopes, beaches, streams, wetlands and lakes; the city’s Critical Areas Map shows whether yours has one. Where a permit is needed, it is part of the written scope.
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
If a gas insert now sits in what was built as a wood-burning fireplace, say so in your request. The liner and venting behind it are part of what gets checked.
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.
Shoreline chimney questions
Does King County or the City of Shoreline handle my permit?
The city. Shoreline runs its own permit department, so a chimney or insert permit at a Shoreline address comes from Planning & Community Development. The owner is responsible for making sure permits are obtained; a contractor can apply on your behalf.
Is a permit needed to put an insert in my Shoreline fireplace?
The city lists a new fireplace insert or gas fireplace among the residential mechanical permits, applied for online under “Mechanical or Plumbing Online.” The permit is issued before work begins, and the installation is inspected afterwards.
My lot slopes down toward the Sound. Does that change anything?
It can change the permit side. Shoreline’s permit exemptions do not apply on properties with critical areas, and the city names steep slopes and beaches among them. Check the Critical Areas Map, and if your lot is mapped, the city suggests booking time with a planner before work starts.
Can I light a fire in Shoreline during a burn ban?
Shoreline falls under the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s bans for King County. A Stage 1 ban means no fire in an open fireplace or older, uncertified stove; Stage 2 adds every other wood or pellet appliance. An exemption exists for homes with no other adequate heat, but it must be approved before a ban.
Useful local links
- Get a Permit — City of Shoreline, Planning & Community Development (opens in a new tab)
- Residential Mechanical and/or Plumbing permits — City of Shoreline (opens in a new tab)
- Frequently Asked Questions About Permits — City of Shoreline (opens in a new tab)
- Air Quality Burn Ban Status — Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (opens in a new tab)
- Census profile: Shoreline, WA — U.S. Census Bureau data via Census Reporter (opens in a new tab)