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Chimney Liner Replacement in Seattle, WA
When the camera shows a liner past repair, we retire the old one and fit a new stainless liner sized to your appliance. Free quote, free second opinion.
- Free 2nd-opinion quotes
- Price match + 10–25% discount
- Same-day service often available
Request a Free Chimney Liner Replacement Quote
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Chimney liner replacement is the job for a liner that has already failed: clay tiles cracked through or missing along much of the flue, a stainless liner rusted or split, or a liner that is the wrong diameter for the stove, insert or furnace now venting through it. At that point sealing joints will not hold, and the question is no longer whether to reline but how to deal with the old liner and what the new one should be. This page is about that decision and that work.
It sits between two other pages. If your liner is mostly sound with a few open joints, you want chimney liner repair. If your chimney never had a liner, or you are adding a liner for a new appliance, see chimney liner installation. Replacement is the remove-or-abandon-the-old-one-and-fit-new case, and what we do with the old liner is what makes it different.
We replace liners across Seattle, Tacoma, Everett and King, Pierce and Snohomish counties from our Renton office. The camera survey and quote are free, and if another company has already told you the liner has to go, our second-opinion quote is free too.
Symptoms
Signs you need chimney liner replacement
- A camera inspection report showing cracked, spalled or missing tile along most of the flue
- A chimney fire in the past, after which tiles show vertical cracks or shifted sections
- A stainless liner with rust holes, split seams or a crushed section
- A new wood stove, insert or high-efficiency furnace connected to a flue far too big for it
- Chunks of clay tile or flakes of rusted metal in the firebox or cleanout
- Smoke or flue odor in rooms above or beside the chimney while the fireplace runs
- An earlier liner repair that failed again within a season or two
Common causes
- A chimney fire that cracked clay tile end to end from sudden heat
- Decades of rain entering an uncapped flue, freezing in the tile joints and breaking the tiles apart
- Acidic flue condensate from a gas or oil appliance eating through tile mortar or a thin metal liner
- A previous liner installed in the wrong grade of stainless for the fuel, or without insulation
- An appliance swap that left an oversized flue cooling and condensing the exhaust
- House settling that shifted tile sections out of line so gases escape between them
How It Works
Our chimney liner replacement process
We run a camera the full length of the flue and record it. For a replacement quote we are looking for three things: how far the damage runs, so we can confirm repair is off the table; whether broken tile has to come out to make room for the new liner or can safely stay; and the flue's size, offsets and the appliance it serves, which set the new liner's diameter, grade and insulation. You get the footage and a written quote stating what happens to the old liner and exactly what goes in.
Camera survey and free quote
We scan the flue end to end, confirm replacement is the only sound option, and write a quote that spells out removal versus abandonment of the old liner and the new liner's spec.
Deal with the old liner
A corroded stainless liner is disconnected and pulled from the top. Broken clay tile is either left in place when the new liner fits past it, or broken out with a tile-removal head when it does not.
Prepare the flue
The flue is swept of creosote and tile debris and checked for obstructions so the new liner runs straight from top to bottom.
Install and insulate the new liner
A stainless liner sized and rated for the appliance is lowered from the top, insulated where the fuel calls for it, and connected at the appliance or smoke chamber.
Terminate, test and document
A new top plate and cap go on, draft is checked, and we photograph the top and bottom connections and hand you the before-and-after camera footage.
Options
Repair and service options
Most replacement decisions come down to what happens to the old liner and what grade the new one should be:
- Reline past the old tile: when the flue is large enough, a new insulated stainless liner runs inside the broken tile and the tile stays as a shell. Least disruptive and most common.
- Tile removal then reline: when the flue is too tight or the tile has collapsed inward, the old tile is broken out so a properly sized liner fits.
- Pull and replace a stainless liner: a rusted or split metal liner is removed and a new one fitted, usually in a heavier grade or with insulation the first one lacked.
- Resize for the appliance: a liner matched to the outlet of a stove, insert, gas fireplace or furnace, which fixes condensation and draft problems an oversized flue causes.
- Cast-in-place instead: when the masonry itself is weak, a poured liner that also reinforces the stack may be the better answer; see chimney liner rebuild.
- Top-end work: a new top plate with a matching cap, and crown repair if water got in through the crown.
The quote is free and itemized, and we price match any written quote plus 10-25% off.
Pricing
What affects the price
- Whether the old liner is left in place, pulled, or broken out and removed
- Flue height, diameter and offsets, which set liner length and flexible versus rigid
- Stainless grade and wall thickness required for the fuel: wood, gas or oil
- Insulation wrap or pour-in needed for the appliance and an exterior-wall chimney
- Condition of the smoke chamber and appliance connection at the bottom
- Crown, top plate and cap work at the top termination
- Distance from Renton for outlying Pierce and Snohomish addresses
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
A failed liner is the most serious defect a chimney can have, because it removes the barrier between hot flue gases and the brick and framing around the chimney. If a camera inspection has shown the liner is cracked through, missing, or rusted out, stop using the fireplace or appliance until the liner is replaced. A liner that failed in a chimney fire may look fine from the firebox and still be open along its length.
Please do not go on the roof to look down the flue or try to pull an old liner yourself; we do it with a camera and the right tools, and the survey is free. If the flue serves a gas appliance, do not touch the gas valve, pilot or line. If you ever smell gas, leave the house and call the gas utility or 911 from outside. NFPA 211 recommends a Level 2 camera inspection after any chimney fire and whenever the appliance venting into a flue changes.
Seattle & Puget Sound conditions
Liners in Puget Sound fail from the top down, and water does most of it. Sea-Tac's NOAA 1991-2020 normals show 40.34 inches of precipitation a year, with November the wettest month at 6.31 inches and November through January alone about 17.8 inches. Rain entering an uncapped or poorly capped flue soaks the tile joints, and with about 60 days a year at or below 32F but winter lows averaging around 37F, that water freezes and thaws repeatedly rather than staying frozen. The Brick Industry Association describes the result for saturated masonry as cracking, spalling and disintegration, and clay tile behaves the same way.
The older the flue, the more winters it has seen. Tacoma's median home was built in 1967, Shoreline's in 1969 and Seattle's in 1976, and much of that stock still carries its original clay tile.
Our Work
Chimney Liner Replacement in action
Liner past repair? Get a free camera survey and replacement quote.
Free quote, free second opinion, price match plus 10-25% off. Call 206-453-2045 for Seattle, Tacoma and Everett.
☎ 206-453-2045 Request a QuoteQuestions
Chimney Liner Replacement FAQ
How do I know my liner needs replacing rather than repairing?
The camera footage decides. A few open joints or one cracked tile can be sealed or swapped, which is liner repair. Cracks along most of the flue, tiles that have shifted or spalled, a stainless liner rusted through, or a flue the wrong size for the appliance cannot be patched reliably, and that is replacement. We show you the footage and explain where yours falls.
Does the old clay tile liner have to be removed?
Not always. If the flue is large enough for a properly sized insulated stainless liner to pass the damaged tile, the tile stays as an outer shell and the job is simpler and cheaper. If the flue is too tight, or tile has broken inward and blocks the run, we break the old tile out first. The camera survey and a flue measurement tell us which before we quote.
My chimney had a fire. Does the liner really need replacing?
Very often, yes. A chimney fire heats clay tile far faster than it was designed for, and the tiles crack vertically and sometimes shift. The damage is usually invisible from the firebox. NFPA 211 recommends a Level 2 camera inspection after any chimney fire; if it shows cracked tile along the flue, the liner is replaced before the fireplace is used again.
Can a stainless steel liner fail and need replacing?
Yes. Thin or wrong-grade stainless corrodes from acidic flue condensate, especially on gas and oil appliances, and an uninsulated liner in an exterior-wall chimney condenses more. Seams can split and sections can get crushed during a roof job. We pull the old liner from the top and fit a new one in the right grade, insulated where the fuel calls for it.
Another company says I need a full reline. Can you give a second opinion?
Yes, and the second-opinion quote is free. We run our own camera and show you the footage. If the liner really is past repair we will say so, match their written price, and take a further 10-25% off. If a repair would hold, we quote that instead and tell you why.
How long does chimney liner replacement take?
Pulling a stainless liner and fitting a new one, or relining past old tile, is usually a one-day job including the top plate and cap. Breaking out old tile first can add a day. The camera survey and quote can often be done same day; call 206-453-2045 and tell us what the inspector found. If you are not happy with the result, we re-do it at no charge.
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