Where the roof meets the chimney.

Flashing is the metal system that seals the joint between your roof and your chimney. When it fails, water gets in — and the stain on your ceiling doesn't say which side of that joint failed. We find out before anyone proposes a repair.

Chimney leaks get blamed on the roof — and roof leaks get blamed on the chimney. We photograph the actual entry point before proposing anything.

Pick a date and arrival window online — we confirm before we arrive.

Licensed & insured — Connecticut Photo-documented findings Written scope before work starts
Metal flashing at the base of a brick chimney where it meets the roof
The roof-to-chimney joint Illustrative
$149 assessment via inspection Credited toward the repair if you proceed — repair pricing follows the on-site assessment and is scoped in writing first

How flashing leaks show up

"Usually" is the honest word for all of these — the same symptoms can also point to the crown, the cap, or the masonry, which is why the assessment looks at the whole top of the system.

Ceiling stains near the chimney after rainWater gets past the roof-to-chimney joint and follows the framing down to the nearest ceiling.
Water entry above
Water in the attic along the chimneyDamp sheathing or drip trails beside the chimney are the same leak, seen closer to its source.
Roofline joint
Rust at the flashing lineCorroding metal where the chimney meets the roof means the flashing itself is weathering.
Aging metal
Lifted or separated metalFlashing that has pulled away from the brick or the shingles leaves the joint it was sealing open.
Failed seal

Two layers of metal, one job

Chimney flashing isn't a single piece — it's a system. Step flashing weaves into the shingles along the sides of the chimney, and counter flashing is set into the masonry above it, lapping over the top. Water that gets past one layer is supposed to be shed by the other.

When any part of that system fails, the result inside the house looks exactly like a cracked crown, a cap problem, or masonry soaking up water: a stain near the chimney. From the living room, they're indistinguishable.

That's why diagnosis starts with photos of the whole top-of-chimney system — flashing, crown, cap, and masonry — not with an assumption about which one failed.

Step and counter flashing layered against the side of a brick chimney
Fig. 01 — Step and counter flashing Illustrative

What we'll propose, and what we won't

The repair should match what the photos show — no more, no less. These are the boundaries we work inside.

Re-seal or re-seat where the metal is soundIf the flashing itself is in good shape and a joint has opened, the fix is the joint — not a bigger job
Replace sections where the metal is rusted throughSealant over failed metal is a stopgap, and we won't dress one up as a repair
If it's actually the roof plane, we say soWhen the photos show the problem isn't the chimney, that's roofer territory — and you'll hear it from us plainly
Anything we propose is scoped in writingWhat gets done, with what materials, for what price — before any work starts

Often booked alongside

Flashing questions

Why does my chimney only leak in heavy rain? +

Wind-driven rain reaches places an ordinary shower never touches. A small gap at the flashing can shrug off light rain for years and then let water in when a storm pushes rain sideways against the roofline. That pattern — dry most of the time, wet after big storms — is one of the classic signatures of a flashing problem, and it's exactly what the photo assessment is designed to confirm or rule out.

Is it the roof or the chimney? +

From inside the house, the two look identical — a stain near the chimney could come from the flashing, the crown, the cap, the masonry, or the roof plane itself. That's why we photograph the whole top-of-chimney system before proposing anything. If the photos show the problem is on the roof plane rather than the chimney, we tell you that plainly — that repair belongs to a roofer, not to us.

Can you just caulk it? +

Honestly: sealant is a stopgap, not a fix, when the metal itself has failed. Where the flashing is sound and a joint has simply opened up, re-sealing can be a legitimate repair — and where the metal is rusted through or pulled away, caulk only hides the problem for a season. The photos show which situation you have, and the written scope says which repair we're proposing and why.

What does a flashing assessment involve? +

It's done as a $149 inspection, credited toward the repair if you proceed. We look at the flashing line where the chimney meets the roof, plus the crown, cap, and masonry above it — because from inside, failures in any of them look the same. You get photos of what we find, a plain-English explanation, and a written scope if repair is recommended.

How do I book a flashing assessment? +

Book online: choose the service that fits, pick a preferred date and arrival window, and send the request. We review every request and confirm the window with you before the visit.

Stop guessing which side of the joint failed.

A photo-documented assessment of the flashing, crown, cap, and masonry — and a written scope before anything gets repaired.

CallRequest a Flashing Assessment