What a WETT inspection is
WETT, short for Wood Energy Technology Transfer, is the Canadian training and certification program for people who install, maintain and inspect wood-burning systems. A WETT inspection is done by a WETT-certified professional and looks at the appliance, the chimney or flue, clearances to combustible materials and the installation as a whole. WETT describes three levels: a visual inspection, the one generally used for a home purchase or an insurance request; a technical inspection that goes further, including the attic and the chimney at roof level; and an invasive inspection for suspected damage, such as after a chimney fire.
What a home inspection covers
We look at the visible, accessible parts: the firebox, damper, hearth, the stove and its flue pipe, visible clearances, and the chimney exterior from the roof or the ground, including the cap, crown and flashing. We note smoke staining, creosote, cracked masonry and signs of water getting in. We don’t light fires, look along the full length of the flue, or certify the installation. A home inspection isn’t a WETT inspection.
Gas fireplaces and inserts are different: have them serviced by a licensed gas fitter, and make sure there’s a carbon monoxide alarm on that storey.
Metro Vancouver’s wood-burning rules
Metro Vancouver regulates indoor wood burning. In urban areas, a wood-burning fireplace or stove has to be registered before it’s used, and since September 15, 2025, unregistered devices may not be burned there. Burning is also restricted from May 15 to September 15 each year, unless the device is the home’s only heat source or there’s an emergency such as a power outage. Check Metro Vancouver’s current rules before you count on using a wood-burning fireplace.
What to do
- Before subject removal: ask your insurer whether it needs a WETT inspection, and book a WETT-certified inspector if it does.
- Before first use: have the chimney swept and inspected, and check the device’s registration status with Metro Vancouver.
- Every year: have wood-burning flues swept, and check the chimney cap, crown and flashing from the ground.
Buying a home with a fireplace? Book an inspection, and we’ll tell you what to ask the WETT inspector to look at.
Reviewed October 26, 2026 by Nick Hawley, Watch House Inspections. General information, not advice about a particular home.