Level 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
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Before
AfterFast, Reliable Chimney Repair Across Bothell
Chimney repair in Bothell typically runs $850-$4,200 depending on whether you need mortar repointing, a cracked firebox replaced, or a full rebuild of a shared chimney chase. Most of our Bothell customers get a written quote the same day they call, and we stock parts for Canyon Park, North Creek, and Westhill subdivisions so we’re not waiting on a delivery from Seattle. Call (425) 642-3485 and we’ll send a named, background-checked tech with a camera, not a flashlight.
We’ve worked the tight lots and shared chases of Bothell since 2009. Dispatch and scheduling run from our Seattle office, but our crews live in this corridor and know the difference between a 1987 zero-clearance unit in Canyon Park and a 1920s masonry stack downtown by the Sammamish River. That local knowledge matters because the repair isn’t the same.
Why Level Two Chimney Kirkland Is Bothell’s Preferred Chimney Repair Company
Bothell homeowners have left us more than 340 verified reviews mentioning our photo records and written prices. They tend to be specific: “showed me the crack on his tablet before I climbed the ladder,” or “the written scope matched the final invoice exactly.” We don’t chase stars; we chase documentation, and the reviews follow.
Response time to Bothell averages same-day or next-day for non-emergency calls, and our techs text when they’re en route. You’ll know who’s coming, what their license number is, and what they found before anyone starts work. That’s Haven Standard Clause 1: have it in writing, always, before any tool touches your chimney.
We understand Bothell’s housing stock because we’ve documented it. The factory-built fireplaces in North Creek and Canyon Park, the pre-1960 masonry near Main Street, the greenbelt homes backing onto the Sammamish River Trail with their raccoon and starling problems. Our Chimney Repair team doesn’t guess at what’s in your flue; we camera-scan every job, Clause 4 of the Haven Standard, and we’ve done it that way since 2009.
Our Chimney Repair Services in Bothell
Mortar Repointing & Tuckpointing
Bothell’s 40 inches of annual rainfall, concentrated in persistent winter fog, eats away at mortar joints faster than drier climates. In downtown Bothell and along the Sammamish River waterfront, we repoint pre-1960 brick chimneys where the original lime mortar has turned to powder. Tuckpointing runs $18-$32 per square foot in Bothell, and we grind out to a 3/4-inch depth minimum before packing new mortar matched to the original profile. We photo-document the void depth and the finished joint under Clause 4.
Spalling Brick Repair
Spalling, the flaking or popping of brick faces, is what happens when water freezes inside the masonry. Bothell’s rare hard frost nights are enough because the brick is already saturated from months of fog and rain. We see it worst on south-facing chimneys in Westhill and the older riverfront homes, where sun draws moisture to the surface, then frost splits the face. Spalling repair starts around $650 for localized patching; if the structural course is compromised, we quote chimney rebuilding instead.
Chimney Waterproofing
Waterproofing a Bothell chimney isn’t optional; it’s maintenance. We apply vapor-permeable sealers from HeatShield that let the masonry breathe while blocking liquid water. A typical waterproofing job on a Bothell ranch-style home runs $450-$780, including crown sealing and flashing inspection. We do it in dry windows, usually late July through September, because trapping moisture in the brick is worse than leaving it bare.
Flashing Repair
Bothell’s wind-driven rain hits the uphill side of chimneys hard, especially where the roof slope meets the chase on zero-lot-line homes. We replace step flashing, counterflashing, and cricket assemblies with copper or galvanized steel, soldered or sealed depending on the roof material. Flashing repair in Bothell ranges from $380 for a simple reseal to $1,200 where we have to pull siding and rebuild the cricket. Every job gets a water-test photo before we leave.
Chimney Rebuilding
Sometimes the stack is too far gone. In Bothell, we rebuild masonry chimneys from the roofline up, or decommission and replace factory-built chases in Canyon Park and North Creek. A partial rebuild starts around $2,800; full rebuilds of shared chases on attached homes run $4,200-$7,500 because we’re working around two property lines, two rooflines, and often two different homeowners’ schedules. We coordinate both parties and document the separation of flues before we start.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Before
AfterTrusted Brands We Service in Bothell
We stock Gelco chimney caps, Copperfield flashing components, and HeatShield refractory repair materials at our local warehouse, which means Bothell customers aren’t waiting a week for a part to ship from the Midwest. For liner replacements in shared chases, we source DuraFlex stainless steel liners cut to the exact flue dimension we measure on site. We don’t markup materials; Haven’s buying network keeps the prices honest, and the invoice shows our cost plus labor, line by line, before you approve anything.
Common Chimney Repair Problems We See in Bothell Homes
- Shared chase, shared flue: Two adjoining factory-built fireboxes in North Creek or Canyon Park zero-lot-line homes vent into one stack. Your neighbor’s water heater or fireplace can pressurize your flue, reverse your draft, or introduce carbon monoxide. We isolate each flue with separate liners and cap both penetrations before addressing any other repair.
- Cracked refractory panels and failed gaskets: The 25-40 year old zero-clearance units in Canyon Park, Westhill, and North Creek are at or past manufacturer-rated service life. A homeowner calls for a cleaning; we camera-scan and find a cracked back wall or deteriorated door gasket that requires component replacement or full decommissioning. No sweep fixes this.
- Moss-colonized crowns and spalling mortar: Downtown Bothell and riverfront masonry chimneys collect moss that holds moisture against the crown, while freeze-thaw opens hairline cracks into quarter-inch gaps. We grind, seal, or rebuild depending on what the camera and hammer test show.
- Glazed creosote from low, damp fires: Bothell’s mild winters mean fires burned for ambiance, not heat. The flue never reaches curing temperature. Second- and third-degree creosote glazes the liner, and a brush won’t touch it. We remove it with mechanical tools, then repair the liner if the glazing caused damage.
Here’s what that looks like in practice. In a 1994 zero-lot-line home in the North Creek corridor, our tech opened a shared framed chase and found two factory-built fireboxes dumping into one flue, with raccoon nesting in the uncapped side and second-degree creosote glazing the smoke chamber. We isolated the neighbor’s flue with a new Gelco liner, capped both penetrations with Copperfield caps, ground out the cracked firebox wall, and rebuilt the smoke chamber with HeatShield before returning the assembly to a safe, code-compliant draft.
Pricing for Chimney Repair in Bothell, WA
| Service | Typical Range in Bothell |
|---|---|
| Mortar repointing / tuckpointing | $18-$32 per sq ft |
| Spalling brick repair (localized) | $650-$1,400 |
| Chimney waterproofing | $450-$780 |
| Flashing repair | $380-$1,200 |
| Partial chimney rebuild | $2,800-$4,500 |
| Full rebuild / shared chase replacement | $4,200-$7,500 |
| Camera-scan inspection with photo record | $189-$245 (included free with repair) |
What moves you up or down in these ranges: height and roof access, whether we’re matching existing brick or sourcing new, and whether the chase is shared with a neighbor. We never start work without a written price, written scope, and written warranty, Haven Standard Clause 1. Bring us a competitor’s written estimate and we’ll give you a free second opinion.
We Also Serve Cities Near Bothell
Our crews work Chimney Repair in Bothell daily, and we also cover Lynnwood, Kirkland, Redmond, and Bellevue. The shared-chase condition we described is rare in those cities; Bothell’s 1980s-90s zero-lot-line platting is unique in the corridor. If you’re in one of those neighboring cities and have a shared chase, we still handle it, but the density of the problem is distinctly Bothell.
Serving Bothell, WA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Bothell area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs - Chimney Repair in Bothell
Yes. Separating a shared flue in Bothell requires a stainless steel liner sized to each appliance’s BTU output, and we typically use DuraFlex for the primary heating appliance and Gelco caps to seal the chase top. The liner diameter, insulation rating, and cap height all have to match the manufacturer’s listing for your specific firebox model, which we verify from the data plate before ordering. Call (425) 642-3485 and we’ll camera-scan both flues, identify both units, and quote the separation in writing.
Not always, but often. Factory-built fireplaces from that era have 20-30 year design lives, and replacement refractory panels are discontinued for many models. If we can source a listed replacement panel, we install it; if not, we quote decommission and a modern insert, or a full chase rebuild if the framing is still sound. We show you the crack on camera, check parts availability in real time, and give you both options in writing before you decide.
Because low, smoldering fires in a damp flue never reach the 250°F+ needed to cure creosote into a dry, brushable deposit. Bothell’s mild, humid shoulder seasons keep the flue liner cold, so your weekend fire condenses tarry vapors that glaze hard as glass. The fix isn’t burning more; it’s burning hotter when you do burn, or switching to a gas insert that doesn’t produce creosote at all. We can remove the glazing mechanically and inspect for liner damage. Call (425) 642-3485 for a camera scan.
Usually both. Raccoons compact nesting material that blocks draft and introduces moisture; they also dislodge caps and damage chase covers. We remove the nesting, camera-scan for liner damage, and replace whatever the animal compromised-cap, screen, chase cover, or in bad cases, the top course of the flue itself. Homes backing the greenbelt see this more than anywhere else in Bothell. We stock Copperfield animal-proof caps with 5/8-inch mesh that stops raccoons but doesn’t clog with Douglas fir needles.
Depends on how deep the spalling goes. If the brick face is flaking but the structural course is sound, we tuckpoint the mortar and seal the crown. If freeze-thaw has cracked the brick body or the clay flue tile liner, we quote partial or full rebuilding. We determine this with a hammer test and camera inspection, not a guess from the ground. The moss tells us water’s been sitting there for years; the camera tells us if it’s gotten inside. Call (425) 642-3485 for a free estimate.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Level Two Chimney Co., serving Bothell since 2009.