Is it required?
No state or county rule forces a chimney inspection before a sale here. What actually happens is the buyer’s home inspector notes something they can see from the firebox or the roof, writes it up as needing further evaluation, and now it’s on the table.
At that point the buyer either asks for a specialist inspection, asks for a credit, or gets nervous. All three cost you time, and two of them cost you money.
What a Level 1 inspection covers
A Level 1 inspection looks at the readily accessible parts of the system: the firebox, the damper, the smoke chamber, the visible flue, and the cap and termination up top. The technician checks for buildup, cracks, blockages, and signs of water getting in.
You get a written report with what was found and photos where they matter. That document is what gets handed to a buyer, an agent, or an insurer, and it settles the question far better than a line in a general inspection report.
Ask for the written report either way. Whether the chimney passes or something turns up, get the documentation. Agents, buyers, and insurers all accept a dated technician report, and it stays useful long after the sale closes.
Why buyers push on it
Because a chimney problem is invisible and potentially expensive. A buyer who reads needs further evaluation has no way to know whether that means a $275 sweep or a liner replacement, so they assume the worst and negotiate accordingly.
A clean report removes that lever entirely. A report that finds something lets you fix it on your own schedule and at your own price, instead of accepting whatever number a nervous buyer puts on it.
When to book it
Before you list, if you can. That way anything found becomes a repair you control rather than a negotiation you’re reacting to, and you can hand the report to your agent as part of the packet.
If you’re already under contract and the fireplace has been flagged, book fast. We prioritize inspections that are holding up a closing, and same business day replies are the norm Monday to Friday.
What it costs
A chimney sweep and Level 1 inspection is $275 as a flat rate, and the written report comes with it at no extra cost. There’s no travel fee anywhere in our service area, so the number’s the same in Arlington as it is on Camano.
Set that against a buyer credit, which rarely comes in under four figures once a chimney’s involved, and it’s an easy call.
The takeaway
You don’t have to get a chimney inspection to sell. You just tend to wish you had. A $275 report ahead of the listing is the cheapest way to keep the fireplace from becoming a negotiating point.