Flashing at a chimney, pipe or vent
Flashing leaks are small and steady. Each rain adds water to the framing around the chimney, and Angi lists this among the cheaper roof repairs when caught early.
What is probably happening
- The metal or sealant where the roof meets the chimney, a plumbing vent pipe or a roof vent has cracked, rusted or pulled away.
- Angi's signs of failed chimney flashing: dripping inside the fireplace, water stains on ceilings or walls next to the chimney, damp mortar, rust stains, and gaps or peeling in the caulk.
- A rubber vent-pipe boot that has split from sun exposure is one of the most common single-point leaks.
Do this in the next five minutes
- Put a bucket under the drip and photograph the stain and the fireplace interior.
- From the ground, use binoculars or your phone zoom to photograph the chimney base and any pipe boots. Look for lifted metal, cracked rubber or missing sealant.
- In the attic, look for water staining on the framing right around the chimney or the pipe.
- Book a roofer for a flashing repair. Ask for the attic and the roof both to be checked.
Do not
- Do not smear roof cement over the flashing yourself. It fails within a season or two and makes the proper repair harder.
- Do not accept a whole roof replacement quote for a flashing leak without a written reason why the rest of the roof has failed.
- Do not climb to the chimney. Roof pitch around a chimney is where falls happen, and OSHA's fall-protection threshold in construction is six feet.
Who to call
A licensed roofing contractor
Flashing is roofing work. A chimney sweep or mason handles the chimney crown and mortar, but the seal between chimney and roof belongs to the roofer.
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What it should cost
$400 to $1,600
Chimney flashing repair, national range. Simple flashing repair $200 to $500, vent boot $75 to $250.
Source: Angi, chimney flashing repair cost, updated August 2026 and Angi, roof repair cost, updated August 2026. View source
National published range, not a quote for your job. The full cost table for this trade is on the roofing page.
Ask this contractor, on the phone, before anyone comes out
Tap each one as you ask it.
- Are you replacing the flashing or resealing it, and how long does each last?
- Is the counter-flashing being cut into the mortar joint, or surface-mounted with sealant?
- Will you replace the vent-pipe boots while you are up there, and what does each add?
- What is the workmanship warranty on the flashing itself?
End the call if
- A quote that is only 'seal it' with a tube of caulk and no metal work, at a price that suggests metal work.
- A roofer who will not go into the attic to confirm where the water is entering.