Which Chimney Inspection Does Your Seattle Home Actually Need?

The problem family: you cannot see inside a chimney

A chimney fails quietly. Cracked flue tiles, a rusted damper, a crumbling smoke chamber, a sagging liner or water soaking the masonry are all invisible from the living room. The inspection exists to find those problems before they become a chimney fire, carbon monoxide in the house or a five-figure rebuild. The question is how deep a look you need.

The three levels in plain language

Level 1: the annual checkup

Everything reachable without tools: the firebox, damper, smoke shelf, the visible flue, the exterior masonry, cap and crown. This is the right choice when nothing has changed, you use the fireplace the same way every year and you just want the annual look NFPA 211 recommends. We bundle it with routine service on our chimney sweep page, starting at $299 for the sweep and inspection together.

Level 2: the camera inspection

Everything in Level 1 plus a video scan of the full flue and access to attics, crawlspaces and the roof. NFPA 211 recommends a Level 2 when:

• The home is being sold or bought.
• You have changed fuel type, added an insert or stove, or relined the flue.
• There has been a chimney fire, a lightning strike, an earthquake or storm damage.
• Smoke, odor or water is showing up and the cause is not obvious.

This is the inspection that answers "is my chimney safe to use" with evidence you can see on a screen. Details are on our chimney inspection page.

Level 3: opening things up

Rare. When a Level 2 finds a serious hidden hazard that cannot be confirmed without removing a chimney component or a section of wall, a Level 3 is the next step. We will always tell you why before we recommend it.

How to tell which one you need

• Buying or selling a house: Level 2. A general home inspector usually does not scope the flue, and a buyer's surprise after closing is your problem.
• Same fireplace, same fuel, used last winter with no issues: Level 1 with the annual sweep.
• Something changed, smelled, leaked or smoked: Level 2.
• A fire already happened in the flue: Level 2 before any further use.

What we look for

Cracks and gaps in flue tiles, missing mortar between tiles, creosote glaze, damper operation, smoke chamber condition, firebox cracks, crown and cap condition, flashing, evidence of water, animal activity and clearances to nearby wood. When the camera finds something, you get the footage and a written quote for the fix. If the fix is masonry, flashing or a top component, the options are laid out on our chimney repair page. If the flue is blocked or badly neglected, that routes to chimney cleaning.

What to do first

Call 206-453-2045 and tell us whether this is a routine year, a real-estate deadline or a symptom. We will recommend a level, give you a free quote and often fit you in same day. If another company already inspected and handed you a long repair list, send it over: our free second-opinion quote tells you which items are safety issues and which can wait, and we price match plus 10 to 25 percent on the work you do choose.