Phinney Ridge, King County
Budget $320 to $795 to have a Phinney Ridge chimney treated against water. Square footage decides most of it: a short stack that barely clears the roof takes one pass and little product, while a tall exterior chimney exposed on three sides drinks far more. Brick that needs washing first, or a roof that calls for extra safety rigging, accounts for the remainder.
Typical investment
$320–$795
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Book your $99 inspection
$99 plus tax, deducted when you approve the repair
Not sure where to start
Pick what you're seeing at your Phinney Ridge home — we'll point you to the right fix.
What we do
The same crew, the same written quote — for Phinney Ridge 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.
The ridge's east slope was cleared late and built on fast. HistoryLink recounts that the streetcar loop around Green Lake was completed in 1902, opening that slope to builders, and that loggers took off its fir and cedar the following year for Parker's sawmill. By 1903 about 2,000 people were living on the eastern slope. Brick laid in the building wave that came next has been absorbing rain for well over a hundred winters. Old brick of that kind is porous by nature, and it has usually lost the hard outer skin it left the kiln with.
Every chimney waterproofing we do in Phinney Ridge includes:
Smoke coming back into the room, or a smell that won't go? Book the inspection first.
Book nowWaterproofing is the last step, never the first. Repellent sprayed onto open joints or a cracked crown seals nothing; water still gets in through the gap and then has a harder time getting out. So we look at the masonry before quoting, and if joints have to be redone the repellent waits until the new mortar has cured. Product choice matters as much: a film-forming sealer or paint traps moisture inside the brick, while a breathable siloxane-type repellent lets vapor escape and keeps liquid water from soaking in.
Seattle's dry window is short. According to WeatherSpark, the clearer part of the year lasts only about 3.8 months, starting in mid-June and ending around October 8; July is the driest month with 0.7 inch of rain, and January the cloudiest, when skies are mostly cloudy or fully overcast 71% of the time. A repellent needs dry brick going on and dry hours afterward, so nearly all of this work belongs in that window.
The rest of the year is the test. One Seattle chimney company states that a masonry water repellent holds for 5 to 10 years and recommends reapplying every 5 to 7. On the ridge we lean toward the short end of that range for the faces that meet the weather. The reason is exposure: high ground gets more wind, and wind is what turns ordinary rain into water forced against a wall.
A little water on the brick shows how quickly it soaks in and whether an earlier treatment still works.
Any joint or crown defect is quoted and fixed before treatment, or the treatment is postponed.
The stack is washed where needed and left to dry. The product must go on dry brick.
With the surroundings covered, a gentle spray feeds the brick until it stops absorbing.
Product and date go on file, which gives the next treatment a known starting point.
What this work is quoted at for Phinney Ridge homes — the exact figure comes from the $99 on-site inspection, credited toward the work.
| Service | Price in Phinney Ridge | 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 Phinney Ridge. 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.
Phinney Ridge is a ridge-top neighborhood between Aurora Avenue N and 8th Avenue NW, named for Guy Phinney, with houses that followed the Phinney Avenue streetcar north between 1906 and 1909.
Phinney RidgeKing County, WA · 47.679, -122.355
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. The surface to cover and the preparation the brick needs decide where your chimney falls.
One Seattle chimney company says on its website that 5 to 10 years is the life of a masonry repellent, and that on chimneys around Seattle a fresh application is due after 5 to 7. Exposure shortens that, so a windward face is worth testing sooner.
No. A penetrating repellent leaves no gloss or film. Rain beads on the surface where it used to soak in.
We need to see the masonry before treating it, and that visit is the inspection, billed at $99 plus tax. Once you say yes to the waterproofing quote, the fee is counted as part of the payment.
A $99 on-site inspection, a written quote before any work, and photos of every item we touch.
