Chimney and Fireplace Service in Federal Way, Washington
Federal Way only became a city in 1990, but much of its housing went up in the 1960s and '70s. We inspect chimneys and fireplaces across the city for free.
Federal Way began as a logging settlement in the southwest corner of King County. Its name came from a school district formed in 1929 and named for U.S. Route 99, the federal highway through the area. Weyerhaeuser built its headquarters east of Interstate 5 in 1971 and stayed until 2016. Voters approved incorporation on the fourth try, and the city was formed on February 28, 1990. The 2020 census counted 101,030 people. Dash Point State Park is the city's only developed waterfront park, and Steel Lake and Lake Killarney sit inland.
Census figures (ACS 2024) put Federal Way's median year built at 1984, and about 35 percent of its homes date from the 1960s and '70s. Fewer than 2 percent are from before 1940. Gas heats about 39 percent of homes and electricity 58 percent. That puts a lot of fireplaces here at 45 to 60 years old, which is when flue tiles, crowns and smoke chambers start to show their age. The free inspection checks each of those, with photos and a written price before any work.
A 1970s chimney after fifty winters
Sea-Tac, just north of the city, averages about 39 inches of rain on roughly 156 days a year and about 25 nights below freezing (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Fifty years of that wears on a crown and on the clay flue tiles inside. Cracked or gapped tiles let heat and gases reach the framing around the chimney, so we look for them. If we suspect a hidden problem, a camera scan of the flue is priced at the inspection.
Typical ranges: a stainless liner runs $1,500 to $5,000, a cast-in-place liner $2,000 to $7,000, firebox or smoke chamber repair $300 to $2,500, and a new crown $600 to $2,200.
On the Tacoma line: which rules apply
Twin Lakes and Dash Point run right up to the Pierce County line, but Federal Way is in King County. Burn bans here are called on King County's trigger, a forecast above 35 µg/m³ within 48 hours. The Tacoma-Pierce County Smoke Reduction Zone, where uncertified stoves are banned outright, stops on the Pierce side; on the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency's map, Federal Way is outside it.
So an old uncertified stove can still be used here outside of bans. It can't be sold, given away or reinstalled, and it must stay cold in Stage 1 and Stage 2 bans. The agency pays homeowners $500 to recycle an eligible stove or insert, and we can remove it for you.
Where we work in Federal Way
Twin Lakes · Dash Point · Adelaide · Lakota · Mirror Lake · Steel Lake
FAQ
Federal Way chimney questions
Does the Tacoma stove ban apply in Federal Way?
No. The Smoke Reduction Zone is in Pierce County, and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency's map shows Federal Way outside it. Burn bans still apply, and uncertified stoves can't be used in either stage.
Do I need a new liner in my 1970s chimney?
Not always. Clay tiles from that era are often still sound. We look at the flue at the free inspection, and if we suspect cracked or gapped tiles we tell you and price a camera scan before anything else.
How much does a chimney cleaning cost in Federal Way?
We price the cleaning at the free inspection, once we have seen the fireplace, the flue and the buildup. The price is in writing before any work starts.
When can you come out?
We book Sunday through Friday in three-hour windows: 8 to 11, 11 to 2 and 2 to 5. We call to confirm before the visit. We're closed Saturday.
Book online
Book in Federal Way. The inspection is free.
Free inspection in a 3-hour window: 8 to 11, 11 to 2, or 2 to 5. We call to confirm before we arrive.