A Free Chimney Inspection, Roof to Firebox

Most chimney companies in the Seattle area charge for an inspection on its own. Ours is free. It is a visual inspection from top to bottom: the cap, crown, brick and flashing on the roof, then the damper, firebox, smoke chamber and as much of the flue as we can see from below. Every finding gets a photo, and anything that needs work gets a written price.

The inspection does not come with pressure. If the chimney is fine, we tell you that. If we suspect a problem we cannot see without a camera, such as a cracked flue tile behind a bend, we explain why and price the camera scan at the inspection so you decide whether it is worth doing. Buyers, sellers and owners who simply have not looked in years all get the same visit and the same written findings.

Signs you need this

• You are buying or selling a house with a fireplace, stove or insert
• It has been more than a year since anyone looked at the chimney
• There was a chimney fire, a strong earthquake or a big windstorm
• You see water stains, loose brick or moss on the chimney
• You plan to add an insert, a stove or gas logs

How we do it

1. Roof and exteriorWe check the cap, crown, brick, mortar and flashing, and look for moss, cracks and a leaning or loose top.
2. Inside the fireplaceWe check the damper, firebox, smoke chamber and the visible flue, and look for creosote, gaps and signs of water.
3. Photos of each findingEach issue gets a photo, so you see the same thing we saw rather than taking our word for it.
4. Written pricesYou get a written price for each repair or cleaning, plus a note on what can safely wait. Nothing is done without your yes.

What should a buyer or seller know about chimneys in Washington?

The Washington seller disclosure form, Form 17 under RCW 64.06.020, asks whether the home has a woodstove, insert, pellet stove or fireplace, and whether the woodstoves or inserts are EPA-certified. It also asks about defects in chimneys, woodstoves and fireplaces. Sellers who are unsure of those answers often ask us to look first.

Removing an uncertified wood stove is not required to sell a house in Washington, according to the Department of Ecology. Inside the Tacoma-Pierce County Smoke Reduction Zone, using one has been illegal since October 1, 2015, so check the zone map on the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency site if the house is in Pierce County.

Do you check carbon monoxide alarms too?

We note them when we are in the house. Washington's RCW 19.27.530 says a seller must equip a home with carbon monoxide alarms before a buyer may legally move in, for homes sold on or after July 26, 2009. Form 17 asks about them as well.

A gas fireplace, a gas water heater venting into an old brick chimney or a wood stove all produce combustion gases, so a working alarm near sleeping areas is a simple safeguard against a blocked flue.

When is a camera scan worth it?

Most chimneys can be judged from the roof and the firebox. A camera earns its cost when something points to a hidden problem: a crack line on the outside brick, water at the firebox with no obvious entry point, a recent chimney fire, or an earthquake that may have shifted the flue tiles.

We explain what we suspect and why, and give you the price of the scan at the inspection. You decide whether to do it.