Ballard, King County
Waterproofing a chimney in Ballard runs $320 to $795. The height and girth of the stack set how much repellent it takes and how long we are on the roof, so a tall chimney above a steep pitch is at the upper end. The product is a clear, breathable repellent for masonry, and it goes on only once joints and crown are sound. Defects are found at the $99 plus tax inspection, whose fee we deduct once the treatment quote is accepted.
Typical investment
$320–$795
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$99 plus tax, deducted when you approve the repair
Not sure where to start
Pick what you're seeing at your Ballard home — we'll point you to the right fix.
What we do
The same crew, the same written quote — for Ballard homes.
A Level 1 review of everything reachable, raised to a Level 2 camera scan when a question stays open
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The whole flue brushed, using heads picked for the liner's size and shape
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A photo assessment that distinguishes surface wear from structural damage
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Camera survey and measurements taken before any liner is chosen
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Measurement of each flue, or of the crown when a single cap will span several
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Glass removed, cleaned and checked for a sound gasket
Learn moreRanges shown for orientation — the exact figure is written up on-site, after the inspection.
Ballard's western edge is Shilshole Bay itself, and the bluff at Loyal Heights looks straight out over Puget Sound. We have no weather record specific to this side of North Seattle and will not invent one. The citywide picture is plain enough. In January, the cloudiest month on WeatherSpark's charts, Seattle's sky is fully overcast or nearly so roughly 71% of the time, and even July, the driest month, brings 0.7 inch of rain. Brick that gets soaked in October has few chances to dry before spring.
Seattle heats with electricity and gas. For every thousand occupied homes in the city, the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 survey finds about 611 heated mainly by electricity, 328 by utility gas, 29 by fuel oil and two by wood. Ballard's two ZIP areas follow suit, with gas ahead in 98117 and electricity far ahead in 98107.
A chimney over a seldom-lit fireplace gets the same rain as every other chimney, across a wet season that WeatherSpark runs from October 10 to the end of April, and none of the drying a regular fire provides. That is the argument for repellent in a neighborhood that barely burns wood: the treatment protects the structure, whatever happens in the firebox. Where a gas or oil appliance vents through the stack we also check the flue, because moisture inside it comes from exhaust, and no exterior treatment reaches that.
Every chimney waterproofing we do in Ballard includes:
Smoke coming back into the room, or a smell that won't go? Book the inspection first.
Book nowBrick and mortar are porous. They take up rain, hold it and give it back slowly, and water that stays in the wall is what pops brick faces after a frost and leaves white salts on the surface. A repellent changes the first step: rain beads and runs off, while vapor can still escape. It is no cure for cracks. Sprayed over open joints or a broken crown it only hides them, which is why repairs come first.
Joints, crown and flashing are examined, because repellent belongs on sound masonry only.
Growth and dirt are brushed and rinsed off, then the brick is left to dry.
Shingles, gutters and windows below are covered against overspray.
Working upward from the roofline, we spray until the masonry will take no more.
After curing, we wet the faces and photograph how the water beads.
What this work is quoted at for Ballard homes — the exact figure comes from the $99 on-site inspection, credited toward the work.
| Service | Price in Ballard | What that covers |
|---|---|---|
| Chimney Waterproofing | $320–$795 | Breathable sealer — reapplied every 3–5 years in this climate |
| Chimney Sweep | $209–$459 | Full flue swept, Level 1 inspection included |
| Chimney Inspection | $99 plus tax | Level 1 visual; Level 2 adds a full camera scan |
| Chimney Relining | From $1,900 | Full-length stainless liner, sized to the appliance |
| Chimney Repair | From $425 | Masonry repair — brick and mortar, scoped after diagnosis |
Ranges are what these jobs are quoted at in Ballard. The exact figure is set on site after a $99 inspection (credited toward the job if you go ahead), and you approve it before any work starts.
SDCI's guide lists painting and cleaning among work that needs no building permit on a house, and a water-repellent treatment alters neither structure nor envelope. We know of no permit step for it on an ordinary Ballard street.
The Ballard Avenue Landmark District is another matter. Exterior painting is one of the changes the city names as needing a Certificate of Approval there. Whether the district board treats a colorless repellent like paint is not stated on the page we read, and the district guidelines could not be opened. So we do not guess. For a building on that street, the owner asks the board first, and we provide the product's data sheet for the application.
Ballard is a former mill town that joined Seattle in 1907 and runs from the Ship Canal north to NW 85th Street, on Shilshole Bay and Salmon Bay, with houses from before 1950 north and west of the old town and many newer buildings near the canal. We work every part of it — Loyal Heights, Whittier Heights, West Woodland, Adams included.
BallardKing County, WA · 47.668, -122.384
Before and after
Illustrations of what each repair changes on a typical chimney — not photos of a specific job.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
After
Four steps, each one on paper — so you always know what happens next.
Choose a genuine opening on the crew's calendar. Confirmation is immediate.
Liner, crown, cap, flashing and masonry examined in order — each finding photographed.
One document, plain numbers, covering only the work your chimney genuinely needs.
The repair is completed, then handed over with before-and-after photos of every item.
$320 to $795. Stack size and roof access decide most of the difference.
No. Paint and film-forming sealers trap moisture in the brick. A penetrating repellent leaves the surface looking as it did and lets vapor out.
One Seattle chimney company gives 5 to 10 years on its website and suggests renewing every 5 to 7. Exposure varies from one roof to the next, so at later visits we wet the brick and tell you when the bead has faded.
The brick has to be dry when treated and stay dry while the product cures. We book this work for the clear part of the year, mid-June into early October.
A $99 on-site inspection, a written quote before any work, and photos of every item we touch.
