University Place, Pierce County
Chimneys in University Place are shaped by two things: the age of the houses and the water next to them. The city is young, incorporated in 1995, but its homes are older than Pierce County's as a whole, and the city reaches down to Puget Sound. That puts a lot of forty-year-old brick and metal flues on roofs facing long, wet winters. Below, what is particular to this city, each point with its source.
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$99 plus tax, deducted when you approve the repair
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Pick what you're seeing at your University Place home — we'll point you to the right fix.
What we do
The same crew, the same written quote — for University Place homes.
Top-to-bottom brushing of flue and firebox under drop cloths, with a HEPA vacuum pulling the dust
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Level 1 or Level 2 as needed; Level 2 includes a camera run through the entire flue
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A full-length stainless-steel or cast liner, firebox to chimney top
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Loose or damaged brick, open joints and firebox panels repaired
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A stainless cap sized to your actual flue dimensions
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Crown patched, or recast entirely if it can't be saved
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A breathable repellent that lets masonry release moisture
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Resealing of flashing that's still sound; replacement where it isn't
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Burner, pilot assembly and valve cleaned and adjusted
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Staging of the buildup, from flaky Stage 2 to glazed Stage 3
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Cleaning of the full duct run, dryer to exterior hood
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Supply and return ductwork cleaned end to end
Learn moreRanges shown for orientation — the exact figure is written up on-site, after the inspection.
Service-area map — University Place, WA. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
University Place incorporated in 1995 from about 8 square miles of unincorporated Pierce County, and took its name from a university campus planned there in the early 1890s that never got built. The city has frontage on Puget Sound, including the Chambers Bay golf course, open since 2007. Census ACS 2020–2024 estimates put the median year built for its homes at 1981, with about 12.7% built before 1960 and about 48.4% before 1980.
Across Pierce County the median housing unit dates from 1986, and about 42% of the county's roughly 370,000 units were built before 1980. University Place runs older on both counts, with a 1981 median and close to half its homes from before 1980.
Many chimneys in town are original to houses of the 1960s, 70s and early 80s, and have been through several owners since.
Washington Emergency Management has modeled a shallow magnitude 7.1 quake on the Tacoma fault zone, which geologic evidence says last produced a large earthquake between 1,240 and 850 years ago. The scenario flags unreinforced masonry as prone to partial or full collapse, and University Place is among the areas it covers.
The last big test was the magnitude 6.8 Nisqually earthquake of 2001, centered deep beneath Anderson Island. Roughly a third of the 30,000 homes FEMA inspected afterward had chimney damage, and a quake is on the short list of events after which NFPA 211 and CSIA want a Level 2 check.
It comes first on every job, before anyone quotes a thing: an inspection at the house for $99 plus tax, which counts toward whatever work the written quote covers once you approve it.
Photos and a written list come with it, sorted by what matters now and what can wait.
University Place is one of the Pierce County cities with its own Puget Sound shoreline, best known for Chambers Bay, where golf has been played on the water since 2007. Homes along that side of the city see weather arriving across open water. WeatherSpark's data for the city show a breezier half of the year running from about mid-October to late April, with November the gustiest month at an average hourly wind of roughly 5.1 mph.
For a chimney, exposure is all about the top. State code puts a masonry stack well above the roof, and the State Fire Marshal wants each one capped. On the water side of town, the crown, cap and upper courses are what we check first.
Oregon State University Extension describes roof moss in the moist Pacific Northwest as a mat that traps soil and debris, holds water, and can lift shingles until water gets underneath. Its most effective long-term fix is more sun, by trimming the trees that shade the roof.
Around a chimney, debris piles on the uphill side, which is why Washington's residential code asks for a cricket behind chimneys wider than 30 inches that do not meet the ridge. Moss in that pocket is a common starting point for the leaks we trace.
University Place has no long-record weather station of its own; the nearest is Tacoma #1. Its 1982–2016 record puts the yearly total at 39.76 inches: November brings 6.82, January 6.08, July a mere 0.74. On the temperature side, it logs about 31.8 freezing lows a year, 9.3 of them in December and 7.8 in January. For the city itself, WeatherSpark puts the wetter season at about 6.7 months, October 10 to May 1, with November averaging close to 7.9 inches and skies overcast or mostly cloudy about 74% of the time in January.
That pattern explains most local chimney problems: brick and mortar that stay wet for months, a few freezes a month in the heart of winter, and fires burned on wood that never dried. Work that needs dry brick is best left for the dry summer.
Chimney work in University Place today falls under the 2021 editions of Washington's codes, in force across the state since March 15, 2024, with a residential volume built on the 2021 IRC. Their successors are already on the calendar: the Building Code Council plans the switch to the 2024 IRC, IMC and IFGC for May 3, 2027.
One rule is visible on every roof. A brick chimney has to finish 3 feet or more past where it comes through the roofing, and stand 2 feet taller than any wall, dormer or ridge within a 10-foot radius. Permit rules for stoves, inserts and liners are set locally, and University Place's were not found on the city site, so we confirm them with the city before that kind of work starts.
The grid we quote from for University Place homes — the $99 inspection comes first, the written quote before any work.
| Service | Price in University Place | 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 $1,900 | Full-length stainless liner, sized to the appliance |
| Chimney Repair | From $375 | Masonry repair — brick and mortar, scoped after diagnosis |
| Chimney Cap Installation | $265–$750 | Stainless cap fitted; multi-flue and custom at the top |
| Masonry Repair (Crown / Repointing) | From $425 | Crown work, repointing and tuckpointing by surface area |
| Chimney Waterproofing | $320–$795 | Breathable sealer — reapplied every 3–5 years in this climate |
| Chimney Flashing Repair | $330–$1,500 | Reseal at the low end, full flashing replacement at the high |
| Gas Fireplace Service | $189–$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–$260 | Full run cleaned; roof or upper-floor terminations at the top |
| Air Duct Cleaning | From $535 | Whole HVAC system — trunks, branches and every register |
Ranges are what these jobs are quoted at in University Place. 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.
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.
Yes, the whole city, from the Chambers Bay shoreline to the streets bordering Tacoma, Fircrest and Lakewood. Waterfront homes and inland streets get the same visit.
Each chimney is $99 plus tax, whichever level it needs. Approve the quote for the work and that sum is credited toward it.
It depends on the stage. At Stage 1, open wood fireplaces go dark, as do uncertified stoves and inserts; Stage 2 adds certified wood and pellet stoves. A household whose only adequate heat is wood can apply to the clean air agency for an exemption ahead of time.
Choose a genuine opening on the crew's calendar. We inspect, quote in writing, and hand over a photo record of every repair.
