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Chimney Liner Installation in Seattle, WA
New stainless steel or cast-in-place liners for unlined chimneys, failed clay tile, and wood stove or furnace changes. Free quote, price match plus 10-25% off.
- Free 2nd-opinion quotes
- Price match + 10–25% discount
- Same-day service often available
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Chimney liner installation means giving a flue a new, continuous, properly sized passage for smoke and combustion gases. We install liners in three situations: an older masonry chimney built with no liner at all, a clay tile liner that has cracked or separated badly enough that patching is not an option, and an appliance change, such as a new wood stove, insert, gas fireplace or high-efficiency furnace, that needs a flue of a different size than the chimney has. In all three cases the existing flue cannot be made safe by repair, so we put a new one inside it.
This is a different job from chimney liner repair, which reseals joints and replaces sections of a liner that is mostly sound. Liner installation is for chimneys with no liner, a liner past saving, or the wrong liner for the appliance. Tacoma's median home was built in 1967 and Seattle's in 1976, so unlined and original-tile chimneys are common calls for us.
Every liner job starts with a camera inspection and a free quote. If you already have a quote, we give a free second opinion, match the price, and take 10-25% off.
Symptoms
Signs you need chimney liner installation
- A home inspector or chimney sweep reported the flue is unlined or the tile is cracked
- Flakes or chunks of clay tile found in the firebox or on the smoke shelf
- Smoke smell or staining on walls in rooms the chimney passes through
- A new wood stove, insert, gas fireplace or furnace going into an existing chimney
- Poor draft: smoke rolling back into the room, fires that will not stay lit
- An existing metal liner that is the wrong size, crushed or corroded through
Common causes
- Masonry chimneys built before clay tile liners were standard practice
- Chimney fires, which crack clay tile from sudden heat
- Decades of freeze-thaw and flue gas acids eroding tile and mortar joints
- An oversized flue left behind when a furnace or fireplace was replaced with a more efficient model
- House settling that has shifted tile sections out of alignment
- A previous liner installed without insulation or the right diameter for the appliance
How It Works
Our chimney liner installation process
We run a camera the full length of the flue to see what is actually there: no liner, broken tile, offsets, old metal, or a flue that is fine and just needs repair. We measure the flue for liner diameter and route, note any offsets the liner has to negotiate, identify the appliance it will serve so the liner is sized and rated for that fuel, and check the smoke chamber, damper and crown where the liner will terminate. You get the camera findings and a free written quote stating the liner type, size, insulation and top termination.
Camera inspection and free quote
We scan the flue end to end, confirm the liner is needed rather than repairable, size it to the appliance, and write the quote.
Prepare the flue
The flue is swept clean and, where broken tile or debris would block the liner, cleared so the new liner runs straight and unobstructed.
Install the liner
A flexible or rigid stainless liner is lowered from the top and connected below, or a cast-in-place liner is formed inside the flue when the chimney also needs structural reinforcement.
Insulate where called for
Wood-burning and many gas installations get insulation around the liner so the flue stays warm, drafts well and keeps creosote from building up.
Connect, terminate and test
The liner is sealed to the appliance connector or smoke chamber, fitted with a top plate and matching cap, then checked for draft and photographed top and bottom.
Options
Repair and service options
The right liner depends on the fuel, the flue and the chimney's condition:
- Flexible stainless steel: the workhorse for wood stoves, inserts and most fireplace relines. Follows offsets in the flue, installs in a day, and is rated for solid fuel when insulated.
- Rigid stainless steel: smooth-walled sections for straight flues; cleans easier and drafts slightly better, but cannot negotiate bends.
- Aluminum: suitable only for certain gas appliances, never for wood.
- Cast-in-place: a masonry liner formed inside the existing flue that also strengthens a chimney with deteriorated tile or brick. The choice when the structure itself needs help.
- Insulation: wrap or pour-in insulation for wood burning and for exterior-wall chimneys, which run cold in our climate.
- Top termination: stainless top plate and a matching cap, often paired with crown repair if the crown is cracked.
If the camera shows a liner that is mostly sound with a few failed joints, we will say so and quote liner repair instead.
Pricing
What affects the price
- Liner type: flexible stainless, rigid stainless, aluminum, or cast-in-place
- Flue height and diameter, which set the liner length and size
- Offsets or bends in the flue that require a flexible liner or extra fittings
- Whether the flue has to be cleared of broken tile before the liner goes in
- Insulation requirements for the appliance and an exterior-wall chimney
- Appliance connection work at the bottom: stove, insert, fireplace or furnace
- Crown and cap work needed at the top termination
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
An unlined or broken flue can let heat and flue gases reach the framing around the chimney and the rooms it passes through. If an inspector has flagged the flue, or you smell smoke away from the fireplace, stop using the appliance until it has been relined or inspected. Please do not go on the roof to look down the flue; a camera from inside tells us far more, and the inspection is free with a quote.
NFPA 211 recommends that chimneys have a continuous liner sized to the appliance they serve, and recommends a Level 2 inspection when an appliance is changed or a home is sold. If the liner will serve a gas appliance, do not touch the gas valve or line yourself. If you ever smell gas, leave the house and call the gas utility or 911.
Seattle & Puget Sound conditions
Older Puget Sound housing is the reason liner installation is such a common call here. Tacoma's median home was built in 1967, Shoreline's in 1969, Edmonds' in 1974 and Seattle's in 1976, and Tacoma's stock in particular carries a large share of pre-1940 Craftsman and bungalow homes whose brick chimneys are either unlined or lined with original clay tile.
The climate works against those chimneys. Sea-Tac's normal annual rainfall is 40.34 inches, about 73% of it October through March, the months the fireplace is in use, and about 60 days a year touch freezing. An unlined flue lets flue gas moisture soak the brick from the inside as well; a sealed, insulated liner takes the gases out of contact with the masonry.
Our Work
Chimney Liner Installation in action
Need a chimney liner? Start with a free camera inspection.
Call 206-453-2045. Free quote, free second opinion, price match plus 10-25% off. Stainless and cast-in-place liners across Seattle, Tacoma and Everett.
☎ 206-453-2045 Request a QuoteQuestions
Chimney Liner Installation FAQ
How do I know if my chimney needs a new liner or a repair?
The camera decides. If the flue has no liner, if tile is cracked through in several places or sections have shifted, or if the flue is the wrong size for the appliance, a new liner is the fix. If the liner is mostly intact with a few open joints or one damaged section, liner repair is enough. We show you the footage either way.
Do I need a new liner when I install a wood stove or insert?
Usually, yes. A stove or insert needs a flue sized to its outlet, and the big open flue of an old fireplace is far too large for it to draft properly. The standard installation runs an insulated stainless liner from the appliance to the top of the chimney. Many new gas fireplaces and high-efficiency furnaces likewise need a smaller, corrosion-resistant flue than the one left behind.
Stainless steel or cast-in-place: which is better?
Stainless is faster, less expensive, and right for most relines where the masonry is sound. Cast-in-place is the choice when the chimney structure itself is deteriorated, because the new liner also reinforces the stack from the inside. The camera inspection and a look at the masonry tell us which one your chimney calls for, and we explain the reasoning in the quote.
How long does chimney liner installation take?
Most stainless liner installations are completed in a single day, including the top plate and cap. Clearing broken tile from a flue or a cast-in-place liner can add a day or more. The camera inspection and quote can often be scheduled same day; call 206-453-2045 and tell us what the inspector reported.
Will a new liner fix my draft problem?
If the draft problem comes from an oversized, cold, or leaking flue, yes, a correctly sized and insulated liner is the fix. If it comes from a blocked flue, a damper issue, or a house too tight for the fireplace to pull air, the liner alone will not solve it. The inspection sorts that out first, and we tell you honestly what is causing the smoke.
How much does a chimney liner cost in Seattle?
It depends on the liner type, the flue height and diameter, insulation, and how much prep the flue needs, so we quote after the camera inspection rather than by phone. The quote is free and itemized. If you have another company's written quote, we give a free second opinion, match it, and take 10-25% off.
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