Chimney services in Silver Firs
- 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.
- 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 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 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.
Owner-occupied houses, mostly built after 1980
Census estimates describe Silver Firs as a community of mostly detached single-family houses, about 9 in 10 of them owner-occupied. The median year built is 1997; only about 1 in 7 homes predates 1980, and roughly 40 percent date from 2000 or later (American Community Survey, 2020–2024).
Gas is the main heat in roughly 70 percent of homes, electricity in about a quarter, and wood in under 1 percent. With a detached house, the chimney or chase, the roof around it and the fireplace inside are usually all the owner’s to look after.
Gas fireplaces and inserts: where the attention goes
A gas fireplace in a house of this age typically vents in one of two ways: a direct vent through an outside wall or the roof, or a flexible liner fed down the old chimney when a gas insert sits in a masonry fireplace. Either way, the termination on the outside matters: if birds build in it, the cap gets crushed, or rain finds its way into the vent, combustion gases may not clear the way they should.
A pilot that will not hold, a black film on the glass, or flames that have turned tall and yellow are reasons to book gas fireplace service rather than keep relighting. For any home with a gas appliance, keep a working carbon monoxide alarm near the sleeping areas.
Homes that have a wood-burning fireplace need the yearly sweep and inspection the EPA recommends, and a chimney cap stops rain and wildlife from getting into the flue.
Permits come from Snohomish County PDS
Silver Firs has no city government, so building and mechanical permits are issued by Snohomish County Planning and Development Services (PDS). From March 15, 2024, the county has enforced the 2021 International Residential Code and International Mechanical Code, including the International Fuel Gas Code, as amended and adopted by Washington State.
Gas appliances and gas piping fall under those mechanical and fuel gas codes, and PDS has a residential mechanical and plumbing permit for single-family homes and duplexes. PDS decides what a particular job needs; ask through its Ask Permit Tech form or permit line before work is scheduled. Permit handouts from nearby cities, such as Mill Creek’s, do not apply to a Silver Firs address.
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.
Silver Firs chimney questions
Which office do I contact about a permit, the county or a city?
The county. Silver Firs is unincorporated, so Snohomish County PDS handles building and mechanical permits, through its online Permit Portal. Its Ask Permit Tech form or the permit line at 425-388-3311 can tell you whether a job needs one. Electrical permits are separate and come from the state Department of Labor & Industries.
Our gas insert’s pilot keeps going out. Is that a chimney problem?
Pilot outages usually trace back to the appliance itself, such as the pilot assembly, the sensor that proves the flame, or the gas supply. The vent or liner is still worth checking at the same visit, since a blocked or damaged vent can cause trouble of its own.
Do burn bans apply to gas fireplaces?
Washington’s burn ban rule is written for solid-fuel burning devices: wood-burning fireplaces, wood stoves, inserts and pellet stoves. It does not mention gas appliances. If you are unsure how a ban applies to your appliance, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency can tell you.
Does a gas fireplace need regular service?
Many manufacturers call for periodic service by a qualified technician, so start with your owner’s manual. A unit that has not been looked at in several years, or one that has started to behave differently, is due for a check.
Useful local links
- Permitting — Snohomish County Planning and Development Services (opens in a new tab)
- Building Construction Codes — Snohomish County Planning and Development Services (opens in a new tab)
- WAC 173-433-150: Curtailment — Washington State Legislature (opens in a new tab)
- Census profile: Silver Firs, WA — U.S. Census Bureau data via Census Reporter (opens in a new tab)