Chimney services in Woodway
- 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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Large lots, and houses from every decade
The town dates itself to 1912, when deed restrictions required two-acre minimum parcels with large setbacks. Census estimates for a place this small carry wide margins, but they show a town that is almost entirely owner-occupied single-family houses, with a real spread of ages: roughly a quarter built before 1960 and close to a third in 2000 or later. Most heat mainly with gas (American Community Survey, 2020–2024).
That spread means a Woodway chimney could be a brick stack that has weathered many winters or a newer gas or factory-built system. The two need different things, so the first step is finding out which you have and what condition it is in. For older masonry, an inspection comes before any talk of repairs; for gas units, gas fireplace service covers the appliance and its vent.
A wooded town with its own tree code
Woodway’s tree preservation code (Woodway Municipal Code chapter 16.12) states that one of its purposes is to “preserve, maintain, and protect the visual appearance and natural wooded character of the Town.” It requires a town permit to remove or top a tree unless an exemption applies, and routine tree maintenance is treated separately.
For a chimney, that matters in two ways. Branches over the roof drop debris onto the crown and into an uncapped flue, so a cap with a mesh screen is often worth having here. And if clearing a tree near the chimney is part of the plan, check with the town before anyone cuts, rather than assuming the work is exempt.
Woodway runs its own building department
Permits at a Woodway address come from the Town of Woodway, not from Snohomish County or neighboring Edmonds. The town has its own building official and building inspector, and a permit technician handles applications. Mechanical, plumbing, tree removal and fire permits are applied for through MyBuildingPermit.com; building permits are submitted by email to the town’s permit technician. The town’s site says it contracts out engineering and planning services.
The town decides whether a chimney repair, relining or fireplace change needs a permit, and its inspector schedules the inspections. Ask the permit technician before work starts if you are unsure what applies.
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.
Woodway chimney questions
Woodway calls itself a town. Does that change who handles permits?
No. The Census classifies Woodway as a city, and its government calls itself the Town of Woodway; either way it runs its own building department. Permits come from the town, applied for through MyBuildingPermit.com for mechanical work and by email for building permits.
Do we need the town’s approval to take down a tree that hangs over the chimney?
Probably. Woodway’s tree code requires a permit to remove or top a tree unless it falls under an exemption, and the exemptions are specific. Trimming back overhanging branches may be enough to keep debris off the chimney. Ask the town before any tree comes down.
Can we use a wood stove during a burn ban?
In a Stage 1 ban called by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, a certified wood stove or insert may be used as long as it produces no visible smoke, but open wood-burning fireplaces and uncertified stoves may not. During Stage 2, none of them may be used, certified or not, unless the household has an approved exemption.
Our house has a large old brick chimney. What is the first step?
An inspection of the flue lining, crown, mortar joints, brick and flashing. On a chimney among trees, the top tends to be where water and debris do the most harm, so expect that part to get a close look.
Useful local links
- Building & Planning — Town of Woodway (opens in a new tab)
- Ordinance 2020-611, Exhibit D: Chapter 16.12 Tree Preservation and Management — Town of Woodway (opens in a new tab)
- About Air Quality Burn Bans — Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (opens in a new tab)
- Census profile: Woodway, WA — U.S. Census Bureau data via Census Reporter (opens in a new tab)