Wood and Pellet Stove Installation in Seattle

Every new wood stove sold in Washington has to meet both state and EPA standards. Ecology lists the EPA limits for new wood and pellet stoves as 2.0 grams of smoke per hour tested with crib wood, or 2.5 grams per hour with cord wood. Those numbers matter in the Puget Sound area, because an EPA-certified stove can still be used during a Stage 1 burn ban as long as it makes no visible smoke. An old uncertified stove cannot.

Washington law also says a used stove cannot be installed unless it is EPA-certified or meets Oregon's Phase II standard. So a stove bought secondhand, or the old one from a relative's house, may not be legal to put in. We help you pick a stove that fits the room, the chimney and the way you plan to heat, then install it to the maker's instructions.

Signs you need this

• An old stove with solid metal doors or no EPA label
• A cold room the furnace or heat pump does not reach
• Wanting heat that works when the power goes out
• A remodel that opens up space for a hearth
• An existing stove with a cracked body or warped door

How we do it

1. Visit and measureAt the free inspection we look at the room, the floor, the walls and the chimney or roof, and measure clearances to anything that can burn.
2. Plan the ventingA masonry chimney usually gets a stainless liner sized to the stove. A house with no chimney gets a new class A chimney through the roof.
3. Permit and installA new stove usually needs a permit, and we tell you which office covers your address. We set the stove, hearth pad and venting to the maker's listing.
4. Fire it and explain itWe run the first fire with you, show how the air controls work and how to burn without visible smoke.

What permits are needed in Seattle and nearby?

Seattle's SDCI issues mechanical permits for new heating and venting equipment, and a gas line needs a separate permit. Bellevue states that a permit is required for fireplace inserts, pellet stoves and similar devices. Unincorporated King County requires a mechanical permit when a wood-burning stove is installed, moved or replaced. We tell you which office covers your address and plan the install around its inspection.

Wood stove or pellet stove?

A wood stove burns split, seasoned firewood and needs no power to run. A pellet stove burns compressed wood pellets from a hopper, feeds itself, and needs electricity for its auger and fans. A pellet stove is priced at the visit. A wood stove installed typically costs $3,000 to $8,000, with the higher end usually meaning a new chimney or a tall liner. A wood stove is off in a Stage 2 burn ban, certified or not. Check PSCAA's current guidance for pellet stoves.

Is there help with the cost?

The federal tax credit for wood and pellet stoves ended after December 31, 2025, so do not count on it for a 2026 purchase. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency pays $500 to recycle an eligible old stove, which covers uncertified stoves and inserts and certified ones that do not meet the 2020 EPA standard. The owner removes the old device and takes it to an approved recycler, and we can do the removal as part of the new install.