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Chimney Sweep Seattle, WA
Creosote and soot removal for wood-burning fireplaces, with HEPA containment and a visual inspection. Sweep and inspection starting at $299. Free quote.
- Free 2nd-opinion quotes
- Price match + 10–25% discount
- Same-day service often available
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A chimney sweep is routine maintenance for a wood-burning fireplace: we remove the creosote and soot that build up on the flue walls, smoke shelf and smoke chamber every time you burn, then look the system over before we pack up. It keeps a fireplace you use regularly from becoming a chimney fire risk, and it is what NFPA 211 recommends having done annually along with an inspection.
This page is for homeowners who burn wood and want the flue kept clean on a schedule. If your chimney is blocked, smells, has fallen debris, or has not been touched in years, see chimney cleaning instead; that is a different job with different tools. If you only want to know the condition of the chimney, start with a chimney inspection.
We sweep masonry and factory-built chimneys across Seattle, Tacoma, Everett and the surrounding Puget Sound from our Renton office. Our sweep and inspection special starts at $299, the quote is free, and we price match any written quote and take another 10–25% off.
Symptoms
Signs you need chimney sweep
- Black, flaky or shiny tar-like buildup visible inside the firebox or on the damper
- Smoke rolling back into the room when the fire is going
- A smoky campfire smell in the house when the fireplace is not in use
- The fire is hard to start or burns sluggishly even with dry wood
- Soot falling onto the smoke shelf or hearth after a fire
- A full burning season has passed since the last sweep
Common causes
- Normal combustion: every wood fire deposits soot and creosote on the flue walls
- Burning wet or unseasoned wood, which makes cooler, smokier fires that coat the flue faster
- Smoldering, low-oxygen fires with the damper or air controls choked down
- Skipping the annual sweep so one season's buildup bakes onto the next
How It Works
Our chimney sweep process
Before any brush goes up the flue we do a visual inspection from the firebox: the stage of the creosote, whether the damper opens and seals, the state of the smoke chamber and firebox brick, and whether anything is blocking the flue. If the buildup is heavy or glazed, or the flue has not been swept in years, we tell you up front that the job is a chimney cleaning rather than a routine sweep, and we quote it before we start.
Protect the room
Drop cloths from the door to the hearth, a sealed fireplace opening, and a HEPA vacuum running the whole time so dust stays out of your living room.
Inspect first
A visual check of the firebox, damper, smoke chamber and flue confirms a routine sweep is the right service.
Sweep the flue
We run brushes sized to your chimney, from the firebox up or from the top down depending on the system, to knock creosote and soot off the flue walls.
Clean the smoke chamber, shelf and damper
The smoke shelf collects most of the loose fall; we brush and vacuum it and the smoke chamber, then brush the damper so it seats properly.
Final check and walkthrough
We look up the flue again, vacuum the firebox, and show you what came out. Anything we noted, such as cracks or a missing cap, gets a free written quote.
Options
Repair and service options
A sweep is one service, but what we find sets up what comes next:
- Routine sweep and inspection (starting at $299) for a wood fireplace that is swept every year or two and has light, flaky buildup.
- Sweep plus firebox or damper work when the inspection turns up cracked firebrick or a damper that will not seal; see fireplace crack repair.
- Upgrade to a full cleaning when we find heavy or glazed creosote, a nest or years of neglect, quoted separately as chimney cleaning.
- Add a cap if the flue is open to the sky. Rain and animals do more damage to a swept flue than another season of fires; see chimney cap replacement.
We use HEPA filtration and safe, green materials on every sweep, and if you are not happy with how we left the room or the flue, we come back and make it right at no charge.
Pricing
What affects the price
- How much creosote is in the flue and whether it is loose, flaky or glazed
- Masonry chimney versus factory-built metal chimney
- Height of the chimney and how many flues it carries
- Whether the sweep is done from inside or needs top-of-chimney access
- How long since the last sweep
- Whether a wood-stove insert must be pulled to reach the flue
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
Creosote is the fuel for a chimney fire. Each wood fire leaves a little more of it on the flue walls, and once it builds up it can ignite from a normal fire and burn hotter than the flue was built to hold. A routine sweep removes that fuel before it becomes a problem. Please do not try to clean the flue from the roof yourself; our certified and insured crew handles all roof and chimney-top work.
Seattle & Puget Sound conditions
Seattle's burning season lines up with its rain. The NOAA 1991–2020 normals for Sea-Tac put October through March at about 29.65 inches of precipitation, roughly 73% of the 40.34-inch annual total, and November is the wettest month at 6.31 inches. That is exactly when wood fireplaces run hardest, so buildup accumulates fastest through the wet months.
Many local homes are older, too: Seattle's median year built is 1976 and Tacoma's is 1967, so flues that have seen decades of fires are common. A sweep each year, booked before the November rains, keeps them safe.
Our Work
Chimney Sweep in action
Book a Seattle chimney sweep starting at $299
Free quote, price match plus 10–25% off, same-day often available. Call 206-453-2045 or request a quote online.
☎ 206-453-2045 Request a QuoteQuestions
Chimney Sweep FAQ
How often should a chimney be swept in Seattle?
NFPA 211 recommends an annual inspection, and we recommend a sweep at least once a year for any wood fireplace that gets regular use. If you burn most evenings through the wet season, or burn wood that is not fully seasoned, a mid-season sweep is worth it. The inspection we do with every sweep tells you whether you can stretch the interval.
What does the $299 sweep and inspection include?
The starting price covers a routine sweep of a single wood-burning flue: room protection, HEPA containment, brushing the flue, smoke chamber, smoke shelf and damper, and a visual inspection with a written summary. Heavy or glazed creosote, multiple flues, inserts that must be pulled, or a flue that has gone years without service may cost more; we tell you before we start.
What is the difference between a chimney sweep and a chimney cleaning?
A sweep is routine creosote and soot removal from a wood fireplace that is maintained regularly. A cleaning handles what a sweep cannot: blockages, nests, fallen debris, odors, neglected flues with years of buildup, and wood stoves or inserts. If you are not sure which you need, call and describe what you are seeing, or read our chimney cleaning page.
Will sweeping make a mess in my house?
No. We cover the floor from the door to the hearth, seal the fireplace opening, and run a HEPA vacuum the entire time we are brushing so dust is pulled into the vacuum rather than the room. When we leave, the hearth is vacuumed and the drop cloths come with us. If anything is not to your liking, we fix it at no charge.
Do you sweep factory-built and prefab chimneys?
Yes. Factory-built metal chimneys need the same routine creosote removal as masonry flues, just with brushes sized for the pipe, and they are common in newer Seattle-area homes and townhomes. We also check the chase cover and cap while we are there, since rust and leaks are the most common problems on prefab systems.
Will you price match another chimney sweep quote?
Yes. Bring us a written quote from another company for the same sweep and we will match it and take a further 10–25% off. We also give free second-opinion quotes if another sweep told you the chimney needs repairs and you want a second set of eyes before you spend. Same-day service is often available; call 206-453-2045.
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