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.
Before
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AfterChimney Company in Mead, WA
Alcott Chimney Sweep provides chimney cleaning, inspection, and gas fireplace repair throughout Mead, WA, with background-checked technicians and written pricing before any work begins. Mead’s mix of 1960s through 1990s ranch homes with masonry fireplaces, plus older farmstead properties on the fringes still using non-EPA wood stoves, means most chimneys here have decades of use behind them and real questions about what’s inside. We’re the local crew that shows up with a name you already know, a photo you’ve already seen, and a camera that shows you exactly what we find. Call (336) 863-3889 for a free estimate.
Why Mead Homes Are Different
Mead sits at roughly 2,000 feet in eastern Washington’s semi-arid continental climate, where winter nights routinely drop below 20°F and snowfall can stack past 40 inches in a season. That’s a long burn window, usually October through April, and it shows in the flues. Homeowners around here burn ponderosa pine and Douglas fir, the softwoods that dominate the Inland Northwest. They’re cheap and plentiful, but they build creosote faster than the hardwoods common west of the Cascades, and that creosote is stickier, glazier, and harder to remove once it cures onto the flue walls.
Then there’s the burn pattern that’s unique to Mead and the rest of the Spokane basin. Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency, or SRCAA, calls winter action days whenever a temperature inversion traps wood smoke near the ground. When those bans hit, fireplaces and wood stoves go cold, sometimes for several days in a row. The moment the ban lifts, Mead residents fire their stoves hard, often with a cold firebox and wood that hasn’t fully seasoned. That’s the textbook recipe for stage-2 and stage-3 glazed creosote, the tar-like, shiny form that resists ordinary brushing and fuels most chimney fires. So mid-season emergency cleanings are a normal part of the local service calendar here, not a rare surprise.
Our Main Mead Services
These are the three jobs Mead homeowners call us about most. Each has its own page with pricing, timelines, and what to expect, but here’s a quick look at what the work actually involves around here.
Chimney Sweep in Mead
A proper sweep in Mead is never just a brush up the flue. The long pine-fueled burn season means we’re often removing stage-2 creosote that a standard flat-wire brush struggles with, so our crews carry rotary loop systems and chemical treatments for the glazed stuff. We protect your floors, run a HEPA-filtered vacuum, and leave the firebox clean enough to see the firebrick again. For full pricing and what the 365-Day Done Right Promise covers on a Mead sweep, see Chimney Sweep in Mead.
Chimney Inspection in Mead
Inspection in Mead is where the housing stock matters most. Homes built between the 1960s and 1990s often have masonry fireplaces that have never been looked at with a camera, and farmstead-era properties on the rural edges can hide everything from unlined flues to improvised repairs from decades past. We run a video camera up the flue and show you the footage, plain and simple. You’ll see exactly what we see before anyone recommends a repair. Details are on the Chimney Inspection in Mead page.
Gas Fireplace Repair in Mead
Gas fireplaces in Mead run hard from October through April, and the most common calls are pilot assemblies that won’t stay lit, thermopiles that have simply worn out, and burners caked with the fine dust that filters through older Mead homes. We carry professional-grade parts on the truck for most major brands, and every repair comes with a written guarantee. If it fails inside the coverage period, the second visit is free. See Gas Fireplace Repair in Mead for what we fix and what it costs.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Brands We Service in Mead
We install and service the trade brands chimney professionals actually specify, not box-store substitutes. That includes HeatShield resurfacing systems, Gelco chimney caps and dampers, Olympia Chimney liners and components, and Famco termination caps. For the full list of what we carry, see our brands.
Pricing for Chimney Company in Mead, WA
| Service | Typical range in Mead |
|---|---|
| Level 1 Chimney Inspection | $149 – $249 |
| Level 2 Chimney Inspection (with video scan) | $299 – $499 |
| Standard Chimney Sweep (clean-burning fireplace) | $189 – $289 |
| Standard Chimney Sweep (wood stove) | $219 – $329 |
| Chimney Sweep with Heavy Creosote Removal | $299 – $449 |
| Chimney Cap Installation (standard stainless) | $249 – $449 |
| Chimney Cap Installation (custom copper) | $449 – $899 |
| Chimney Crown Repair | $299 – $599 |
| Chimney Flashing Repair | $249 – $499 |
| Gas Fireplace Repair (diagnostic fee) | $89 – $129 |
What pushes a Mead job toward the higher end is usually glazed creosote that needs chemical treatment rather than brushing, or an older masonry fireplace that hasn’t been swept in years and takes extra labor to get clean. Every job gets a written price before any work begins, so the number you approve is the number you pay.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Mead
We cover all of Mead, from the older subdivisions near Farwell Road to the acreage parcels pushing east toward Peone Prairie and the rural homes along Day-Mt. Spokane Road. Our crews are scheduled from our Seattle office and dispatched locally.
- Mead proper
- Peone Prairie
- Fairwood
- Shady Slope
- Day-Mt. Spokane Road corridor
Service Area – Cities Near Mead
Beyond Mead, we serve homeowners across the greater Spokane area and into the surrounding communities. That includes Spokane, WA, Deer Park, CA, Liberty Lake, WA, and Airway Heights, WA. Wherever you are, the same technician vetting and written pricing apply.
Serving Mead, WA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Mead 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 About Chimney Company in Mead
We schedule based on road conditions and how many jobs are already on the board for the Spokane basin, but most Mead appointments land within a week. Mid-season emergencies after an action-day burn ban lifts do fill up faster. Call us and a live person will give you a straight answer, not a voicemail.
No. Routine chimney sweeping, inspection, and gas fireplace repair do not require a permit in unincorporated Spokane County. Structural changes like a full masonry rebuild might, and we’ll flag that for you and point you toward the right county office if it comes up in an inspection.
Smoke in the living space usually means a downdraft or a flue obstruction, and the cold, heavy air that settles into the Mead basin during inversions makes both worse. Open a window a crack, don’t build another fire until it’s checked, and call us. We’ll get a camera up the flue and show you exactly what’s blocking the draft.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees - talk to a local chimney cleaning pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you - the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Mead Customers Say
"Gas fireplace pilot kept going out. Cleaned the burner, replaced the thermocouple, and explained what failed. Works first try now."
- Alicia R."Cap, screen, and a full inspection with photos sent to my phone. Easy to understand and a fair price."
- Tomas Y."Very respectful of my home. Took off his boots and wiped the hearth when finished."
- Carol D.