Washington: who needs a license to work on your chimney or fireplace?
Checked Sep 2026·Laws as cited·All 3 records checked Sep 2026
Public recordWA LAW
For consumer remedies, home-sale rules and carbon monoxide law, see Washington chimney & fireplace laws — know your rights. That page was verified Sep 2026.
Stove & insert installation: is a credential required in Washington?
#stove-installREGISTRATION- Credential
- THE HEARTH-NAMED REGISTRATION: L&I specialty 'Wood/pellet and gas stove' — WAC 296-200A-016(63): 'installs wood, pellet, or gas stoves, zero clearance and fire place inserts. These systems may include the following areas of work and related equipment: Air-filtering devices; gas piping from service connection to equipment; chimney, flashing and flues; and outside combustion air ducts.' No exam (registration tier; bond $15,000 specialty). STATEWIDE EPA AXIS: RCW 70A.15.3520 — 'After January 1, 1992, no used solid fuel burning device shall be installed in new or existing buildings unless such device is either Oregon department of environmental quality phase II or United States environmental protection agency certified or a pellet stove either certified or exempt' + SBCC must require an adequate non-woodstove heat source in new/substantially remodeled construction in UGAs and PM nonattainment areas; RCW 70A.15.3540 bans sale of new woodstoves not approved under Washington's OWN program (RCW 70A.15.3530, WAC 173-433 — which bars selling/giving away uncertified devices but contains no install ban); RCW 70A.15.3600 limits use. Code: 2021 WSRC (WAC 51-51) in force since 3/15/2024; SBCC: 2024 codes effective 5/3/2027. NFI voluntary
- Issuing body
- WA Dept. of Labor & Industries (contractor registration); Dept. of Ecology (stove approval program); local building depts (permits)
- Statute
- WAC 296-200A-016(63); RCW 18.27.040; RCW 70A.15.3520/.3530/.3540/.3600; ch. 173-433 WAC; WAC 51-51-003
- Dollar threshold
- none (registration from $0; Handyman specialty (26) limited to minor/casual existing-residential work under $2,000)
- Exam
- n
- Local overlay
- y — local clean-air agencies (PSCAA etc.) run burn bans; the July claim that PSCAA adds uncertified-device resale/reinstall restrictions is NOT re-verified; Seattle gas overlay is gas-side only
- Confidence
- high · checked 2026-09-25
- Sources
Chimney flashing: is a credential required in Washington?
#chimney-flashingREGISTRATION- Credential
- 'Roofing' specialty registration — WAC 296-200A-016(44): 'installs and repairs materials common to the industry that form a water tight, weather resistant surface for roofs and decks, including all accessories, plywood, coping, flashing, valleys, gravel stops, and roof insulation panels above the roof decks... Also includes roofing related architectural sheet metal' — flashing named. The same rule keeps chimney work in-family: 'Masonry' (36) 'also includes chimney cleaning and repair', and 'Wood/pellet and gas stove' (63) itself includes 'chimney, flashing and flues' — a hearth shop registered under (63) can lawfully do its own chimney flashing without a separate roofing registration. No exam at any tier; Handyman specialty (26) limited to minor/casual existing-residential work under $2,000
- Issuing body
- WA Dept. of Labor & Industries
- Statute
- WAC 296-200A-016(26)/(36)/(44)/(63); ch. 18.27 RCW
- Dollar threshold
- none (registration from $0)
- Exam
- n
- Local overlay
- n — statewide registration; city permits for re-roofs
- Confidence
- high · checked 2026-09-25
- Sources
Gas fireplace service: is a credential required in Washington?
#gas-fireplace-serviceREGISTRATION- Credential
- L&I specialty contractor registration, 'Wood/pellet and gas stove' specialty (WAC 296-200A-016(63)) — installs wood, pellet or gas stoves, zero clearance and fireplace inserts; 'These systems may include... gas piping from service connection to equipment; chimney, flashing and flues; and outside combustion air ducts' — a hearth-NAMED registration category with NO exam; registration bond $15,000 specialty / $30,000 general (RCW 18.27.040); state plumber certification (RCW 18.106) covers potable water, liquid waste and medical gas piping — fuel gas is not named (RCW 18.106.010); NO state HVAC/mechanical worker license and NO LP installer license (absences carried from July); BONUS: the 'Masonry' specialty (36) 'also includes chimney cleaning and repair'
- Issuing body
- WA Dept. of Labor & Industries (contractor registration)
- Statute
- RCW 18.27.010–.090; WAC 296-200A-016(36), (63); RCW 18.106.010
- Dollar threshold
- none (registration from $0; homeowner exemption RCW 18.27.090)
- Exam
- n
- Local overlay
- y — Seattle Gas Piping Mechanic license (SDCI; scope 'install gas piping from the meter to the appliance or to the point of use'; open-book exam, 70%; 12 months experience, or 6 months + approved class, or a plumber's license; Seattle Gas Piping Installers Licensing Law, Ord. 127303 — the July 'SMC 6.430' cite not confirmed); Tacoma/Spokane UNVERIFIED
- Confidence
- high · checked 2026-09-25
- Sources
What insurance does Washington require of contractors?
#insurance- Regime
- registration (L&I contractor registration, RCW 18.27 — bond + insurance, no exam)
- Liability minimum
- $200,000 public liability + $50,000 property damage OR $250,000 combined single limit (RCW 18.27.050) — COI FILED with L&I as certificate holder, lapse AUTO-SUSPENDS registration, status shown in Verify-a-Contractor = STATE-VERIFIED (the strongest registration-tier insurance regime in the project)
- Bond
- $30,000 general / $15,000 specialty continuous surety bond (RCW 18.27.040; raised by HB 1534 (2023) eff. 7/1/2024 — first increase in 22 years); pays laborers (incl. benefits), state taxes, material suppliers/equipment renters, and residential-homeowner breach-of-contract judgments; claims = superior-court suit against contractor AND bond, 1-yr window (2 yrs for residential homeowners); homeowner claims take PRIORITY and non-homeowner claims are capped at HALF the bond; bond impairment auto-suspends registration
- Guaranty fund
- Homeowner Recovery Program (RCW 18.27.410, created by HB 1534 (2023)) — claims eligibility began 7/1/2026 (nine days before this check): up to $25,000 per contractor per parcel for homeowners holding a final court judgment against a REGISTERED contractor (primary residence); funded by L&I fines/penalties (not assessments); annual payouts capped at 80% of account balance with waitlist — WA now has bond + insurance + fund, all state-held
- Workers' comp threshold
- 1 employee; MONOPOLISTIC STATE FUND — industrial insurance is bought from L&I itself (Title 51 RCW; no private WC market except approved self-insurance), so verification is STATE-RUN: Verify-a-Contractor displays the live 'active, paid-to-date workers' comp account' status directly; excluded (RCW 51.12.020): sole props/partners (may opt in), qualifying corporate officers (non-public corps may exempt up to 8, unlimited if family), qualifying LLC members
- How to verify
- single-portal AUTOMATED check: secure.lni.wa.gov/verify returns registration status, specialty class, bond + pending bond lawsuits, liability insurance, WC account status, and citations in one state-run lookup — best-in-project automation
- Confidence
- high · checked 2026-07-10
- Sources
Download the full licensing matrix (CSV) · All states
Before anyone goes on your roof
What should you ask a chimney company in Washington?
- Is your company a member of the National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG)?
- Does the technician coming to my home hold an individual NCSG certification, and which one?
- Does the technician hold a National Fireplace Institute (NFI) certification — and for which fuel: wood, gas, or pellet?
- What other certifications does the technician hold (for example, CSIA), and can I check them on the issuer's own roster?
- What state or local license or registration covers this work here, and what is the number?
- Will you send a certificate of insurance, dated and naming your company, before work starts?
- Which NFPA 211 inspection level — Level 1, 2, or 3 — are you performing, and why that level?
- Will you show me what you found — photos or video of the flue — in writing?
We take no fee from any certification body, guild, or contractor, and are not paid to mention anyone named.