North Seattle Attic and Crawl Space Contractor
We serve Seattle north of the Ship Canal: Ballard, Fremont, Wallingford, Phinney Ridge, Greenwood, Crown Hill, Green Lake, Ravenna, Maple Leaf, Wedgwood, Northgate and Lake City. The south half of this area is full of early-1900s Craftsman houses and bungalows; the north half, much of it annexed into the city in the 1950s, has postwar ramblers.
Roof rats in the city
Seattle has a well-established roof rat population, and North Seattle's mature street trees, dense blocks and overhead utility lines give them easy access from roof to roof. Attic noise in fall and winter is the most common reason North Seattle homeowners call us. Because rats can cross from neighboring roofs, roofline exclusion is especially important on closely spaced lots.
Craftsman attics and half-story rooms
Many Craftsman and bungalow houses have a finished half-story upstairs with sloped ceilings and knee walls, leaving three small, separate attic spaces: two side attics behind the knee walls and a flat attic above the collar ties. Insulating these properly means treating each one, plus the sloped ceiling sections in between, which can be limited by rafter depth. We explain the options for each section, including dense-packing sloped bays where needed.
Wiring and permits in Seattle
Knob-and-tube wiring is still common in pre-1940 North Seattle houses. It must be evaluated before insulation is installed around it. Electrical work in Seattle, including any sump pump circuit, is permitted through the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections rather than the state. Our electrician pulls those permits.
Postwar ramblers in the north end
Wedgwood, Lake City, Maple Leaf and Northgate have many 1950s ramblers with full crawl spaces. Their needs look much like Shoreline's: old barriers, failed floor insulation and attic top-ups.
North Seattle costs
| Project | Range |
|---|---|
| Craftsman half-story: side attics, knee walls, upper attic | $4,500 – $9,000 |
| Roofline exclusion, closely spaced lot | $1,200 – $2,800 |
| Postwar rambler crawl space barrier + R-30 floor | $4,800 – $7,800 |
North Seattle questions
Do you work south of the Ship Canal?
Our regular range stops at the Ship Canal. For Queen Anne, Magnolia and Capitol Hill, call; we take jobs there when the schedule allows.
Can parking be a problem for the insulation truck?
Sometimes. The hose can run 150 feet or more, so we can usually park within reach. On streets with restricted parking, we may arrange a temporary permit.
Most requested in North Seattle: Rodent Exclusion · Attic Insulation · Rodent Cleanup