904 cities and towns covered
Chimney Flashing Repair in California
Flashing under terracotta barrel tile is the hardest chimney detail in California roofing and the one most often bodged. Tiles have to be lifted and relaid, not bedded over.
Leave the building and call from outside — that is an emergency services call, not a service call. A blocked or failed flue is one of the ways carbon monoxide reaches a living space, and headaches that clear when you leave the house point the same way. If you have had a chimney fire — a roaring sound, dense smoke, or debris on the roof — do not light another fire until the flue has been inspected.
Call about flashing repair
(844) 785-4066Free to use, and there is nothing to pay us. You are never committed to going ahead.
What happens when you call
- You describe the problem and where you are.
- We put you in touch with a licensed contractor covering that area.
- They arrange the visit and agree the price with you directly.
Worth having to hand
- Roughly how old the system is
- What it is doing — or not doing
- Your ZIP code
What to ask for on Chimney Flashing Repair
- Step and counter-flashing done properly
- Reglet cut into the mortar or stucco
- Terracotta barrel tile detailing
- Coordinated with reroofing
- Licensed & insured We match you with contractors who hold current licensing and cover.
- Know what to ask Every page says what decides the price, so you can judge a quote.
- Free to use We never charge you. Compare quotes and walk away at any point.
- Same-day reply Inquiries answered the day they arrive, usually within a couple of hours.
How it works
Three steps, no obligation at any of them.
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1
Call and tell us what is wrong
Describe the problem and give us your ZIP code. We match you with a chimney company covering your area — there is nothing to fill in and nothing to pay us.
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2
A local contractor gets in touch
A local chimney company contacts you to discuss the problem and arrange a visit. What they charge to attend or diagnose is theirs to set, so agree it with them up front.
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3
You decide
Book the work, wait a season, or get a second quote. There is no obligation to go ahead with the contractor we introduce you to, and nothing to pay us either way.
What these repairs look like
Illustrative examples of the work described here. More in our disclaimer.
Two layers, and a tile complication
Correct flashing is step flashing woven in with the roof courses as they climb the chimney, plus counter-flashing let into a groove cut in the mortar joint and folded down over it.
On barrel tile the tiles have to be lifted, the metal properly stepped and counter-flashed against the underlayment, and the tiles relaid. What happens instead, constantly, is that tile is bedded in mortar over the top of the joint. It sheds water for a year or two and then it does not.
On stucco chimneys
Counter-flashing has to be let into a cut reglet in the stucco and the render made good over it. Caulking metal to the face of stucco is not a detail, it is a delay.
Telling flashing from crown
Flashing leaks appear with wind-driven rain and often stop in ordinary showers. Crown leaks appear whenever it rains. A hose test working upward in sections separates them.
Coordinating with a reroof
The best moment to do chimney flashing is while the roof is open. The worst outcome is a roofer laying new covering over old flashing to save a day.
Raise it before the contract
Establish who is responsible for the chimney detail before roofing work is agreed. Split responsibility is how it ends up done badly by whoever gets there last.
Tile is reusable
Barrel tile that is carefully lifted can nearly always go back. Tile that is walked on cannot, and replacement tile on an older roof is frequently hard to match.
Chimney Flashing Repair — frequently asked questions
Can flashing just be sealed?
As a stopgap before proper work, yes. As the repair, no — sealant over a flashing joint is the most common failed chimney repair there is.
How long should flashing last?
Properly detailed metal will outlast the roof covering. Sealant gives two or three years.
Roofer or chimney company?
Either, provided they lift and relay the tile and cut a reglet. That is the question to ask rather than which trade they call themselves.
A stain but no active drip. Still a problem?
Yes. Staining means water has been arriving and the framing behind has been wet.
Our roof is flat or low-slope.
A different detail again, involving base flashing carried up the stack with counter-flashing over it. It needs someone who works low-slope roofing.
Chimney Flashing Repair near you
We cover cities and towns across California.