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Level 2 Chimney Inspection in Seattle, Tacoma & Everett
A recorded camera scan of the entire flue plus accessible attic, crawlspace and roof areas, with a photo report. What NFPA 211 recommends when a home is sold.
- Free 2nd-opinion quotes
- Price match + 10–25% discount
- Same-day service often available
Request a Free Chimney Inspection Level 2 Quote
Tell us what's going on — we'll confirm a time by phone or text.
A Level 2 inspection is the one with the camera. Everything a Level 1 covers is included, and then we run a recorded video camera up the full length of the flue to see what no flashlight can: hairline cracks in clay tiles, missing mortar between them, tiles shifted out of line, gaps where the liner has separated, and the true stage of creosote above the damper. We also look into the accessible attic, crawlspace and roof areas the chimney passes through, and we document it all in a written report with photos and video stills.
NFPA 211 recommends a Level 2 inspection in a specific set of situations: when a property is sold or transferred, when the appliance or fuel type is changed, after a chimney fire, and after an event that could have damaged the chimney such as an earthquake or a severe storm. None of these make it a legal requirement; they are the moments when a hidden problem is most likely and most costly to miss. For the broader picture on all three levels, see our chimney inspection page.
We perform Level 2 inspections throughout Seattle, Tacoma, Everett and the Puget Sound from our Renton office, usually within the window of a real estate contingency.
Symptoms
Signs you need chimney inspection level 2
- You are buying or selling a home and need the flue scoped before closing
- You are switching from wood to gas, adding an insert, or installing a new stove
- There was a chimney fire, even one that seemed to burn itself out
- An earthquake, windstorm or fallen branch has shaken or struck the chimney
- Smoke or a burnt smell is reaching rooms above or beside the fireplace
- A Level 1 inspection found something that needs a closer look
- Your insurer or agent has asked for documentation of the flue's condition
- An older flue has never been scoped and you want to know before the first fire
Common causes
- Chimney fires that crack or shift clay tiles without any sign visible from the hearth
- Decades of freeze-thaw and water entry eroding mortar joints between flue tiles
- Earthquake or settling movement opening joints in the stack and liner
- An appliance connected to a flue that is the wrong size or unlined for it
- Past owners who never had the chimney inspected, common in pre-1980 homes
How It Works
Our chimney inspection level 2 process
The camera is the heart of a Level 2. We feed a lighted, recording camera head up the flue from the firebox, or down from the top when an insert or damper blocks the way, and watch every tile joint on a monitor as it passes. We stop at anything suspect and capture a still. Alongside the scan, we do the full Level 1 visual of firebox, damper, smoke chamber, crown, cap, flashing and masonry, and we look at the chimney wherever it is accessible in the attic, crawlspace and roof. The report tells you what we found, where in the flue it is, and what it would take to fix, with a free quote attached.
Confirm the trigger
Sale, new appliance, chimney fire, or storm or quake damage. We confirm Level 2 is the right level and book it inside your deadline.
Level 1 visual
Firebox, damper, smoke chamber, hearth, crown, cap, flashing and masonry, the same as the annual check.
Camera scan of the flue
A recorded video run of the entire flue, pausing at every joint, crack, offset or deposit. Stills are captured for the report.
Accessible concealed areas
Attic, crawlspace and roof areas the chimney passes through, checking clearances, staining, and any sign of heat or water where it should not be.
Written report with photos
Plain-language findings, photos and video stills, a list of what needs attention now versus later, and a free quote for any repair.
Second-opinion review if asked
If another company already gave you a repair list, we compare it to what the camera shows and tell you what is real.
Options
Repair and service options
Level 2 is the same scope in each case, but the reason you need it shapes how we deliver it:
- Real estate Level 2: scheduled inside the inspection contingency, with a report written for buyers, sellers and agents to negotiate from. See chimney real estate inspection.
- Post-fire Level 2: focused on tile cracking and liner separation, with photos that support an insurance claim.
- Appliance-change Level 2: confirms the flue size, liner type and condition suit the new stove, insert or gas unit before it is connected. See chimney liner installation if a new liner is needed.
- Post-storm or post-quake Level 2: looks for fresh offsets and opened joints in the stack and liner.
- Sweep first: a heavily sooted flue hides the tile surface, so we often recommend a sweep before the scan.
If the scan points to hidden damage that can only be reached by opening the structure, the next step is a Level 3 inspection. Free quote, free second opinion, and price match plus 10–25% off on any repair.
Pricing
What affects the price
- Number of flues to be scanned
- Flue height and whether the camera goes in from the firebox or from the top
- Whether an insert or stove must be pulled to get the camera in
- Whether a sweep is needed first so the camera can see the tile
- Attic, crawlspace and roof accessibility
- Report turnaround needed for a closing deadline
- Distance from our Renton office
Every chimney is different, so you get a written quote after we look at the system. Ask about our price match and free second-opinion quote.
Safety & Seattle Conditions
Safety considerations
The problems a Level 2 finds are the ones that hurt people: cracked tiles that let flue gases and heat reach wood framing, liner gaps that vent carbon monoxide into the house, and a flue that is too big or too small for the appliance on it. None of them show from the hearth. A chimney that looks fine from the living room can have a tile split end to end two stories up. That is why NFPA 211 recommends a Level 2, not a Level 1, whenever the chimney's history has a gap in it.
After a suspected chimney fire, do not light another fire until the flue has been scanned. If you ever smell gas near a gas fireplace, leave the house and call your gas utility or 911; we do not touch gas valves or lines.
Seattle & Puget Sound conditions
Much of the Puget Sound housing stock predates routine flue inspection. Seattle's median home was built in 1976, Tacoma's in 1967, Shoreline's in 1969 and Edmonds' in 1974, so a large share of chimneys on the market are masonry systems that have been through decades of rainy winters without a camera ever going up them. Sea-Tac averages 40.34 inches of precipitation a year with winter lows just above freezing, and the Brick Industry Association notes that saturated masonry cycling through freezing is what cracks and spalls it; the same cycle works on mortar joints between flue tiles.
For a buyer, that makes the Level 2 report the only reliable picture of what is inside the chimney. For a seller, it is the document that stops a closing from stalling over a flue nobody can see.
Our Work
Chimney Inspection Level 2 in action
Schedule a Level 2 camera inspection
Recorded flue scan with a photo report, timed to your closing. Free quote on any repair, free second opinion. Call 206-453-2045.
☎ 206-453-2045 Request a QuoteQuestions
Chimney Inspection Level 2 FAQ
Is a Level 2 chimney inspection required to sell a house in Washington?
No law calls for it. NFPA 211 recommends a Level 2 inspection whenever a property is sold or transferred because it is the point when a hidden flue problem is most likely to be missed and most costly to discover later. Most general home inspectors do not scope the flue, so buyers, sellers and agents order it separately, usually inside the inspection contingency.
What does the camera actually find?
Cracked and broken clay tiles, missing mortar between tiles, tiles shifted out of alignment, gaps where a liner has separated, rust and perforation in metal liners, creosote stage above the damper, nests and blockages, and the true size and path of the flue. Each finding is captured as a still with its location in the flue, so a repair quote can be specific.
How long does a Level 2 inspection take and how fast is the report?
Most single-flue Level 2 inspections take a couple of hours on site, longer if an insert has to be pulled or a sweep is needed first so the camera can see tile. We aim to deliver the written report with photos quickly enough to fit inside a real estate contingency; tell us your deadline when you call 206-453-2045 and we will work to it.
Do I need a Level 2 after a small chimney fire that went out by itself?
Yes. A chimney fire does not have to be dramatic to crack tiles; the heat alone is enough, and the damage is invisible from the hearth. NFPA 211 recommends a Level 2 after any chimney fire. Stop using the fireplace until the scan is done. The photo report also gives your insurer the documentation it will ask for.
I am switching my wood fireplace to a gas insert. Why a Level 2?
Because the flue has to match the new appliance. A gas insert usually needs its own properly sized liner, and the existing flue must be sound enough to carry it. The camera confirms the flue's size, condition and path before anyone connects a new unit. Gas line and valve work is done by a qualified technician, never the homeowner.
What if the Level 2 finds something you cannot explain?
Then the next step is a Level 3 inspection, where part of the structure is opened to reach a suspected hidden hazard. That is rare and we only recommend it when the camera evidence justifies it. In most cases the Level 2 report is enough to diagnose the problem and give you a free, specific repair quote.
Can you give a second opinion on another company's Level 2 findings?
Yes, and the second-opinion quote is free. Bring us their report and we will scan the flue ourselves, show you on camera what is and is not there, and tell you what needs doing now versus what can wait. If the work is needed, we match their written price and take a further 10–25% off.
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