Did you know that the most common cause of roof leaks is damaged flashing? If you have a chimney on your home, the risk of this is even higher. A chimney’s flashing does essential work in keeping water out of your chimney and the rest of your roofing system. If this crucial flashing has been damaged, you’re going to need chimney flashing repair services ASAP.
PITCH Roofing’s founding roofers have been installing and repairing roofs across Florida for a combined 60 years. Whether your roof was damaged in a recent storm or as a result of normal wear and tear, you can bet that we know how to help. Before we talk about ourselves, though, let’s focus on everything you need to know about fixing your chimney’s flashing in Florida.
How Does Chimney Flashing Work?
To understand what’s entailed in a chimney flashing repair, you first have to understand what your flashing does. On the rest of your roof, flashing is a thin piece of metal that directs water away from areas where it might otherwise pool. That’s why you’ll often find roof flashing near the valleys of your roof.
Chimney flashing has this same function, but it offers other benefits as well. While roofers do everything possible to make your chimney as watertight as possible, there is no way to install a chimney so that it’s 100% flush with the rest of your roof. Chimney flashing fills this gap and ensures that water has no easy entry into your roof.
Typically, your chimney flashing is more than just one piece of metal. Rather, your chimney will have several types of flashing. Let’s take a closer look at each type of chimney flashing and what it does:
- Base Flashing: As the name implies, this is the bottom-most layer of flashing. It will usually be installed in roofing cement or the underlayment so that it is flush with the roof’s surface.
- Step Flashing: This flashing is named for its staircase-like pattern of individual metal pieces that go up the side of your chimney. This directs water away from your chimney and toward the edges of your roof.
- Counterflashing: This is the top-most layer of flashing. Embedded into your chimney’s mortar or fastened on top, counterflashing covers the step flashing to double up on your water protection.
With so many types and pieces of flashing, there is always a backup in case something goes wrong. Over time, however, wear and tear can take their toll on every part of your flashing. Let’s take a look at the signs that you need chimney flashing repair services.
When Do You Need a Chimney Flashing Repair?
As a homeowner, it can be hard to identify the cause of your roofing issues. If you’re not sure whether or not you need a chimney flashing repair, there are some crucial signs you can watch out for. Let’s take a look at the most common ways Floridians know there’s something wrong with their chimney flashing!
Leaks Near Your Chimney
This is often the issue that homeowners notice first. If you notice a leak or dark staining on the ceiling or walls near your chimney, it probably means that water is getting in through your flashing. The only way to fix this is through professional chimney flashing repair services.
Cracks or Crumbling in Your Chimney
Typically, cracks in your bricks or mortar are a sign that your chimney is getting old. Excess moisture can speed up the process of decomposition, though. In this way, water trapped near your chimney (a function of damaged flashing) can cause these and other signs of premature aging on your chimney.
Strange Noises Near Your Chimney
During a thunderstorm, you might notice odd popping or creaking noises coming from the area around your chimney. This is the sound of the seal around your flashing being loosened or even broken. If you hear it, watch out for other signs that you may need to fix your chimney flashing!
Shingle Damage Around Your Chimney
Sometimes you might notice external damage to your roof before you see signs of it in your home. Specifically, shingles surrounding your chimney can become waterlogged or warped as a result of water ponding around your chimney. Where there’s standing water, there’s likely damaged chimney flashing!
How Much Does a Chimney Flashing Repair Cost
Every homeowner wants to know how much their chimney flashing repair will cost. Unfortunately, figuring out exact numbers isn’t possible without looking at your roof and the damage to your flashing. That said, we can give you an idea of how fixing your chimney flashing in Florida will cost.
Chimney flashing repairs can cost as little as $400 or as much as $2,000 or more. That said, the average cost of chimney flashing repairs is around $1,400. Different repairs come with different costs. To help you estimate how much it may cost to fix your chimney flashing, let’s look at some average prices of various repairs in Florida:
- Replacing Step Flashing: $400 to $700
- Resealing Your Flashing: $150 to $300
- Replacing Counterflashing: $500 to $1,500
- Fixing Cracked Molding: $400 to $1,000
Ultimately, how much your chimney flashing repairs cost will come down to the specific type of damage your roof has sustained, how accessible your roof is, and who you hire to complete your roof repairs. Thankfully, there is one surefire way to find out how much your roof repairs will cost. All you need is a roofing estimate.
Get Your Free Roof Repair Cost Estimate
Getting a free roof repair cost estimate has never been easier. You can call our friendly customer service staff at 727-677-4824 or schedule your estimate online. Either way, we’ll sound out a friendly roofing professional to look over your damage, discuss your options with you, and put together an itemized quote that includes every part of your chimney flashing repair.
When you choose PITCH Roofing, you’re choosing veteran local roofers who know the area and local building codes. We don’t do simple patch jobs — instead, we provide comprehensive roof repairs that fix the issue at its root and protect your property for years to come. When we fix a roof, our solutions work in the long term.
Reach out to our friendly customer service professionals today to see how easy roof repairs can be. With great roofing reviews and a team of dedicated roofers, you can count on us to always deliver on roofing done right. Expecting greatness goes hand in hand with picking PITCH Roofing!
Heather Ware is an In-House Roofing Specialist at PITCH Roofing. Working daily alongside our internal roofing teams, she translates complex Florida building codes and roofing techniques into clear, actionable advice for homeowners. With 4 years of experience in the Florida roofing industry, her goal is to ensure property owners have the exact facts they need to protect their investments.
