Mercer Island, King County
Chimney work on Mercer Island has three local facts behind it. The island sits in fresh water, with Lake Washington on every side. The Seattle fault runs beneath it. And a western Washington winter keeps brick wet for months at a stretch. The on-site inspection is $99 plus tax, and it is credited toward the work when you approve the written quote. Findings come in writing, with photos.
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$99 plus tax, deducted when you approve the repair
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Pick what you're seeing at your Mercer Island home — we'll point you to the right fix.
What we do
The same crew, the same written quote — for Mercer Island homes.
Complete sweep of the flue and firebox, protected by drop cloths and HEPA filtration
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Level 1 or Level 2 inspection, with a camera scan where warranted
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A stainless-steel or ceramic liner run the full height of the flue
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Restoration of brick, mortar joints and firebox
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A stainless cap fitted to your flue's exact dimensions
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Crown recast — or rebuilt outright where the damage demands it
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A breathable sealant that lets masonry release trapped moisture
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Resealing, or full replacement where the metal has failed
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Cleaning of the burner, pilot and valve assembly
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Assessment of Stage 2–3 creosote buildup
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The complete vent run cleaned end to end
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Cleaning of both the supply and return runs
Learn moreRanges shown for orientation — the exact figure is written up on-site, after the inspection.
Service-area map — Mercer Island, WA. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Mercer Island is a city of about 25,700 people (2020 census) in the middle of Lake Washington. It incorporated on July 5, 1960, at the end of two decades in which its population climbed from roughly 1,200 to almost 13,000 after the first floating bridge opened and, from 1949, stopped charging tolls. Its housing is overwhelmingly detached: 7,431 of about 10,570 homes counted in 2020 were single-unit, which means most chimneys on the island belong to a single household and are that household's to look after.
HistoryLink and the Mercer Island Historical Society both tell the same story: a sparsely settled island until the 1940 floating bridge, then rapid growth once the crossing became free in 1949, and a vote to incorporate as a city in July 1960.
For chimney owners, the point is age. A fireplace built in that boom has now been through more than sixty wet seasons, often with its original flue tile and crown. That is why we look at the whole system on a first visit rather than just the part you called about.
Burn bans on Mercer Island are called by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, the regional regulator for King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties. At Stage 1, open wood fireplaces and any stove or insert without certification must stay unlit; the only way around it is an approved exemption for a device that is the house's sole adequate source of heat. Stage 2 extends that to certified wood stoves, inserts and pellet stoves.
The agency posts the current status online and on its phone line, 800-595-4341. Even on ordinary days its rules apply: only seasoned wood or manufactured logs may be burned, and smoke from the chimney must stay under a 20 percent opacity limit, which it may not exceed for six straight minutes in an hour.
Mercer Island's city limits take in about 12.90 square miles, and roughly 6.52 of them are water. Lake Washington surrounds the island completely; by King County's count it is the biggest of the county's three major lakes and the state's second-biggest natural lake.
This is a freshwater lake, so what a chimney faces here is moisture and exposure. Climate records kept by WRCC show the region's heaviest winds blowing mostly out of the south and southwest as autumn turns to winter, and on the island no land stands between that weather and a south-facing stack.
Washington State University's extension program warns that uncontrolled moss shortens roof life and that it grows through the three damp seasons on any surface that stays wet. Oregon State's extension service ties it to shade and recommends trimming overhanging trees as the durable fix, not pressure washing, which can damage shingles.
A chimney crown under a tree canopy is one of the wettest, shadiest spots on a roof. Moss there usually means the crown has been holding water, so we treat it as a reason to check the masonry underneath.
The City of Mercer Island's earthquake page says the island falls within the Seattle fault zone and that at least two strands of the fault cross it. Washington DNR dates the fault's last rupture to around 900 AD, at roughly magnitude 7.0 to 7.5.
Chimneys have already shown how that zone behaves. After the magnitude 6.8 Nisqually earthquake in 2001, researchers from the University of Washington and USGS surveyed about 60,000 chimneys from Bremerton to Mercer Island, found 1,556 damaged, and saw the worst of it along Seattle fault strands. FEMA describes unreinforced masonry chimneys in wood-frame homes as extremely vulnerable, which is why a post-quake look matters here.
Per the Western Regional Climate Center, the wet part of the western Washington year opens in October and is at its heaviest in winter; December and January each bring measurable rain on 20 to 25 days or more. In January, humidity sits near 87 percent at dawn and eases to about 78 percent by afternoon.
In CSIA's view, water hurts masonry chimneys more than fire does. Its four inexpensive defenses: a cap, a crown extending roughly two inches past the brick on each side, flashing in good order, and a water repellent. On the island, those four items are where most of our recommendations start.
The grid we quote from for Mercer Island homes — the $99 inspection comes first, the written quote before any work.
| Service | Price in Mercer Island | What that covers |
|---|---|---|
| Chimney Sweep | $189–$449 | 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 $1,895 | Full-length stainless liner, sized to the appliance |
| Chimney Repair | From $425 | Masonry repair — brick and mortar, scoped after diagnosis |
| Chimney Cap Installation | $235–$845 | Stainless cap fitted; multi-flue and custom at the top |
| Masonry Repair (Crown / Repointing) | From $475 | Crown work, repointing and tuckpointing by surface area |
| Chimney Waterproofing | $285–$795 | Breathable sealer — reapplied every 3–5 years in this climate |
| Chimney Flashing Repair | $329–$1,495 | Reseal at the low end, full flashing replacement at the high |
| Gas Fireplace Service | $169–$475 | Annual service and tune-up; repairs quoted after diagnosis |
| Creosote Removal | From $245 | Priced by creosote stage — glazed stage 3 is the heavy end |
| Dryer Vent Cleaning | $105–$295 | Full run cleaned; roof or upper-floor terminations at the top |
| Air Duct Cleaning | From $525 | Whole HVAC system — trunks, branches and every register |
Ranges are what these jobs are quoted at in Mercer Island. 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.
The code itself is set at the state level. WAC 51-51-003 brings the 2021 International Residential Code into Washington law along with the state's amendments, and King County has used the 2021 state building code for every application complete as of March 15, 2024 or later. One of those amendments covers new masonry fireplaces: they need tight-fitting doors (or an equivalent), a ferrous metal damper and a supply of outside combustion air.
Mercer Island processes single-family residential mechanical permits online through MyBuildingPermit.com. Its pages do not list every chimney job that needs one, so we check with the city when work involves a new appliance, a liner tied to one, or a rebuild; FEMA notes that the chimney reconstruction in its guidance always requires a building permit.
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.
The on-site inspection is $99 plus tax, and it is credited toward the work when you approve the written quote. That price is per chimney. The quote itself costs nothing.
If you felt it, yes. CSIA recommends a Level 2 inspection after a seismic event, and the island sits on the Seattle fault zone. Cracks inside a flue are often invisible from the hearth.
Lake Washington is fresh water, so the concern is moisture: wind-driven rain and damp air through a long wet season. Crowns, mortar joints and flashing take most of it.
NFPA 211 sets the standard at once a year for chimneys, fireplaces and vents, and that is what we recommend for any fireplace or stove in regular use.
Choose a genuine opening on the crew's calendar. We inspect, quote in writing, and hand over a photo record of every repair.
