Chimney Flashing Repair in Chicagoland

Chimney flashing is the single most common leak point we find on roofs in the north and northwest Chicago suburbs. A stain on the ceiling beside the fireplace, a damp patch on the attic side of the chimney chase, or water on the hearth after a hard rain usually traces back to the metal where the roof meets the brick.

Usually is not always. A chimney can also leak through a cracked crown, porous brick, a missing cap or a rusted chase cover, and replacing flashing that was never the problem is money spent for nothing. This page covers how we work out which one you have, what a chimney flashing repair involves, and when the better decision is to wait for a new roof. If you want the detail on how flashing should be built and when code requires a cricket, our guide to chimney flashing done right covers it line by line.

Is the leak the flashing, or another part of the chimney?

Find the source before anyone orders metal. The flashing is only one of five places a chimney lets water in, and the stain on your ceiling looks much the same whichever one it is. When the leak shows up is often the best clue.

Source	What usually points to it	Whose work it is
Step and counter-flashing	Stain beside the chimney after ordinary rain; caulk or roof cement smeared along the brick	Roofing
Back of the chimney (no cricket)	Leak mostly during a thaw, when snow and ice pile up on the up-slope side	Roofing
Crown (concrete cap on top)	Cracks on top of the chimney; water on the hearth or damp brick inside the attic	Masonry
Brick and mortar joints	Leak only in wind-driven rain; spalled faces or open joints on the brick	Masonry
Cap or chase cover	No rain cap on the flue, or a flat metal cover on a sided chase that holds water and rusts	Roofing or chimney specialist

Water also travels along the deck and down a rafter before it drops, so the stain can sit several feet down-slope of the brick. That is why we start in the attic where there is access: the underside of the deck shows the path far more clearly than the ceiling does.

What a chimney flashing repair visit involves

1. Attic first. We follow the water marks on the decking and framing back toward the chimney, and check whether the wood around it is stained, soft or still wet.
2. The whole chimney, from the roof. Flashing on all four sides, the mortar joint the counter-flashing is set into, the crown, the cap, and the shingles next to the brick. A chimney that leaks on one side often has a second weak spot developing.
3. Photographs and a written scope. You get pictures of what we found and a scope that says exactly what is being replaced. The scope should state whether the counter-flashing is new or reused, whether it goes into a fresh cut in the mortar joint or is sealed to the face of the brick, and whether a cricket is included where the chimney is wide enough to need one.
4. The repair. On a proper reflash the shingle courses beside the chimney are lifted, new step flashing is woven in course by course, a fresh reglet is cut into the mortar joint and new counter-flashing is set into it. Any wet sheathing found is cut out and replaced rather than covered.
5. Photographs of the finished work. You cannot see your own chimney from the driveway, so every repair is documented before and after.

In our area a standalone reflash on a sound masonry chimney typically runs $650 to $1,200. Chimney size, roof pitch and whether the chimney sits on a one-story or two-story slope move that number. The full cost breakdown, including crickets and chase covers, is in the chimney flashing guide.

Reflash now, or wait for the roof replacement?

If your roof has plenty of years left, reflash now. If it is near the end of its life, do the minimum to stay dry and put the chimney into the replacement.

• Roof well inside its life (architectural asphalt here generally runs 20 to 25 years). A proper reflash lasts as long as the shingles beside it, so the money is well spent.
• Roof at or past 20 years. The shingles next to the chimney have to be lifted to weave in step flashing, and old shingles crack when they are lifted. A reflash on that roof turns into a patch of new shingles around the chimney, which will be torn off with the rest in a few years. A sealant stop-gap for one season, and a replacement quote alongside it, is usually the honest answer.
• Replacement already planned. The chimney should be a separate, itemized line on the replacement estimate. Chimney flashing costs far less as part of a tear-off than as a standalone call, because the crew and the shingle removal are already paid for.

The corner that gets cut most often is on the re-roof itself: new shingles and new step flashing tucked behind the old counter-flashing, with a bead of sealant along the top. If your roof is only a few years old and the chimney already leaks, ask what was done with the counter-flashing. Our roof repair page explains how we decide between repair and replacement for the rest of the roof.

When we will tell you it is not a flashing job

Some chimney leaks are not ours to fix, and we would rather say so than sell you flashing you do not need.

• A cracked crown or failing brick. If water is entering through the top of the chimney or through the masonry itself, new flashing at the roof line will not stop it. That is a mason's work, and it is priced separately from anything we do on the roof.
• Water inside the flue. Water inside the chimney, rather than beside it, points to a missing or damaged cap, or a flue problem. The fix is at the top of the chimney, not at the roof line.
• Flashing that is doing its job. If the metal is properly let into the mortar joint and the stain has another source, such as a nearby pipe boot, a valley or a bath fan venting into the attic, we will show you the real one.
• Deep winter. Shingles are brittle in hard cold, and new shingles do not seal down until the weather warms. An active leak still gets a temporary repair to keep water out. The full reflash is better done when the shingles can be lifted without breaking.

Does insurance pay for chimney flashing?

Usually not on its own. Flashing that failed because mortar eroded or sealant dried out over many winters is wear, and homeowners policies exclude wear. Flashing that wind tore loose or hail damaged on a specific storm date is a different matter, and so is a chimney on a roof that is being replaced after storm damage: the flashing has to come off with the shingles, so it belongs in that scope.

Illinois law does not allow a roofing contractor to negotiate your claim. What we do is inspect, document the damage with photographs and measurements, and write a code-compliant estimate. Your carrier decides what it pays under your policy. If you want someone representing you on the claim itself, our partner State Adjusting Services, a licensed public adjuster, can do that. The insurance claim page explains how the two roles fit together.

State Restoration Services is a family-owned roofing and exterior restoration contractor working across the north and northwest Chicago suburbs. Book a free inspection or get in touch, and we will tell you whether the leak is your flashing, your chimney or something else entirely.