Home › Services › Chimney Cleaning
Chimney Cleaning Seattle, WA
For blocked, smelly, debris-filled or long-neglected flues, and for wood stove and insert chimneys. Heavier than a routine sweep. Free quote, same-day often.
- Free 2nd-opinion quotes
- Price match + 10–25% discount
- Same-day service often available
Request a Free Chimney Cleaning Quote
Tell us what's going on — we'll confirm a time by phone or text.
Chimney cleaning is the heavy-duty service for a flue that a routine sweep cannot handle: a chimney that is blocked, smells, has debris piled on the smoke shelf, has not been serviced in years, or vents a wood stove or insert that has to be disconnected to reach. Where a chimney sweep is annual maintenance for a working fireplace, a cleaning is restoration of a flue that has stopped working the way it should.
Typical calls: a fireplace that smells like wet ash all summer, a flue that smokes no matter how the fire is built, a wood stove chimney that has not been cleaned since the stove went in, or a house you just bought where the previous owner never had it done. We also handle the cleanup after an animal or nest removal, when the flue is packed with twigs and droppings.
We clean masonry and factory-built chimneys in Seattle, Tacoma, Everett and across the Puget Sound from our Renton office, with HEPA containment and a free quote before we start. Have another quote? We match it and take 10–25% off.
Symptoms
Signs you need chimney cleaning
- A musty, sour or wet-ash smell from the fireplace, worst on humid days and in summer
- Smoke backs into the room even with the damper wide open
- A pile of mortar, tile pieces, twigs or leaves on the smoke shelf or in the firebox
- The flue has not been cleaned in five years or more
- A wood stove or insert that burns poorly or whose stovepipe is caked inside
- Thick, hard, shiny creosote that a brush barely scratches
Common causes
- Years without service, so creosote hardens into a glaze that needs specialized removal
- Rain entering an uncapped flue, soaking the soot and creating odor and sludge
- Nesting material, leaves and dead animals blocking the flue
- Stoves and inserts run low and slow, which coat the stovepipe and flue quickly
How It Works
Our chimney cleaning process
We start by finding out what is actually in the flue and why. We check the firebox, damper and smoke shelf, look up the flue with a light or camera, and identify whether the problem is a blockage, glazed creosote, debris, moisture or a combination. That sets the tools: rotary heads for glaze, vacuum extraction for debris, specific treatment for odor. If we see a structural cause such as a broken tile, we tell you before we clean, because cleaning a flue that is dropping pieces of itself does not solve the problem.
Diagnose the flue
A look from the firebox and, where needed, a camera pass to identify blockage, glaze, debris or moisture and choose the right method.
Contain the work area
Drop cloths, a sealed fireplace opening and a HEPA vacuum running throughout.
Clear blockages and debris
We remove nests, leaves, fallen mortar and tile fragments from the smoke shelf and flue, bagging everything for disposal.
Remove hardened creosote
For glazed or thick deposits we use rotary cleaning heads sized to the flue, working in passes until the walls are down to clean liner or masonry.
Clean stove, insert and stovepipe
We disconnect what needs disconnecting, clean the stovepipe and connector, and reassemble so the appliance drafts as designed.
Treat odor and report
We address the source of any smell, re-check draft, and give you a written summary plus a free quote for anything the cleaning uncovered.
Options
Repair and service options
Cleanings are scoped to the problem, so we quote after seeing the flue. The usual options:
- Blockage and debris removal for flues choked with nests, leaves or fallen masonry, restoring draft.
- Glazed creosote removal for flues that have gone years without service and where a standard brush no longer works.
- Wood stove and insert cleaning, including the stovepipe, connector and the flue above it.
- Odor treatment once the source (wet soot, debris, animal remains) is removed, combined with fixing the water entry that caused it.
- Cap follow-up so the flue stays dry and animal-free; see chimney cap replacement.
- Flue repair when the cleaning reveals broken tiles or open joints; a camera-documented chimney inspection report comes first.
Every cleaning comes with our guarantee: if you are not happy, we are not done, and we come back at no charge.
Pricing
What affects the price
- Type and severity of the problem: loose debris versus glazed creosote versus a full blockage
- Whether a stove or insert must be disconnected and reassembled
- Number of flues and chimney height
- Amount of debris to be removed and disposed of
- Roof access required for top-down work or a cap installation
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
Do not light a fire in a chimney you suspect is blocked or heavily coated. A blocked flue pushes smoke and carbon monoxide into the house, and glazed creosote is the hottest-burning form of chimney fire fuel. Leave the flue alone and call us; our certified and insured crew does all roof and chimney-top work, uses safe, green materials and HEPA filtration, and does not call a cleaning finished until the flue drafts properly.
Seattle & Puget Sound conditions
Wet soot is the Seattle-specific version of a dirty chimney. With 40.34 inches of annual precipitation at Sea-Tac and only about 3.0 inches falling from June through August, an uncapped flue soaks all winter and then bakes in summer, which is why fireplace odors peak in the dry months. Rain entering the flue also carries loose soot down to the smoke shelf as sludge.
Moss spreads here from October through April on shaded, slow-drying surfaces, and debris from moss and overhanging trees ends up in open flues. Older masonry chimneys in Tacoma (median year built 1967) and Seattle (1976) are the ones we most often find with years of fallen mortar on the smoke shelf.
Our Work
Chimney Cleaning in action
Get your Seattle chimney cleaned and draft restored
Blockages, odors, neglected flues, stoves and inserts. Free quote, price match plus 10–25% off. Call 206-453-2045.
☎ 206-453-2045 Request a QuoteQuestions
Chimney Cleaning FAQ
Is chimney cleaning the same as a chimney sweep?
No, and we keep them separate on purpose. A sweep is routine soot and creosote removal for a wood fireplace that gets serviced regularly; it starts at $299 with an inspection. A cleaning deals with blockages, debris, odors, hardened creosote, long-neglected flues and stove or insert systems, and takes different tools and more time.
Why does my fireplace smell in the summer?
Usually because the flue is dirty and wet. Creosote and soot absorb rain that comes down an uncapped flue, and warm, humid summer air pushes that smell back into the house through the damper. Cleaning removes the soot and debris; a tight cap and a sealing damper keep the smell from coming back. Sometimes an animal or nest is the source, which we also handle.
How do you clean glazed creosote?
Glazed creosote is a hard, shiny layer that standard brushes cannot remove. We use rotary cleaning heads and chains matched to the flue size, working in passes with HEPA vacuum containment until the liner is clean. It takes longer than a sweep and is quoted after we see the flue, which is why this is a cleaning rather than a $299 sweep.
Do you clean wood stove and insert chimneys?
Yes. Stoves and inserts coat their stovepipe and flue quickly because they are often run low and slow for overnight heat. We disconnect the stovepipe or pull the insert as needed, clean the pipe, connector and flue, then reassemble and check draft. Pulling an insert takes time and is reflected in the quote, which we give you up front.
Can you clean a chimney that is blocked by a nest?
Yes. If there is a live animal or active bird nest we handle it under our animal and nest removal service first, then clean out the material and droppings. If the nest is old and abandoned, it is a straightforward cleaning. Either way, we recommend a cap afterward so it does not happen again.
Do I need a cleaning before I can use a fireplace in a house I just bought?
If there is no record of service, we recommend a Level 2 inspection first, which NFPA 211 recommends on a sale. The camera scan tells us whether the flue needs a routine sweep, a full cleaning, or repairs before it is safe to use. Often we can do the inspection and the cleaning on the same visit.
Related services
Topic
Service areas
Helpful reading