Chimney leaks are almost always flashing, not roofing. The counterflashing has pulled out of the mortar joint, or there was never a cricket built on the high side.
What you will notice first
A stain on the ceiling that appears a foot or two away from the chimney chase, usually after the first real rain of the season.
By the time a homeowner sees something indoors, water has usually been moving through the assembly for a while. Drywall staining is a late signal, not an early one, which is why the repair scope is often larger than the visible damage suggests.
The actual repair
Cut a fresh reglet into the mortar, set new counterflashing, and build a cricket if the chimney is wider than 30 inches. Sealant over old flashing is a season of relief, not a repair.
The distinction that matters is between stopping the water and correcting what let it in. Sealant stops water. It does not correct a detail. If a roofer quotes you sealant on a flashing problem, ask what happens in year two.
How urgent is it
We would call this moderate — chimney leaks rot framing quietly for years before they show. Urgency on a roof is mostly about what sits downstream of the opening — framing, insulation, drywall and whatever is stored beneath it. Water damage compounds; the roof itself is often the cheapest part of the eventual bill.
What we look at on the call
- The reported location indoors, and the actual entry point, which are rarely the same
- Every penetration and flashing upslope of the stain
- Decking condition around the suspected entry, probed rather than eyeballed
- Whether the surrounding field has service life left or is at the end of it
- Attic insulation for saturation, which drives the interior repair scope
Questions we get asked
Will my insurance cover this?
It depends on cause. Sudden and accidental damage from a covered event is generally claimable. Wear, age and deferred maintenance are generally not. Document everything before any temporary repair.
Can this wait until the dry season?
Often yes, and sometimes emphatically no. An open field with weather forecast is not a wait. A slow flashing leak in April usually is.
Repair or replace?
If the surrounding roof has more than about five years of service life left and the damage is localized, repair. If the field is already at the end of its life, a repair is money spent twice.
Working with a Sunland roofer
All American Roof Repair & Commercial Roofing has been on Sunland roofs since 1986. We cover Sunland and the surrounding communities including Studio City, Glendale and La Crescenta, and every estimate we write names the material, the underlayment and the flashing scope so you can compare it line for line against anyone else's.
If you want a second opinion on chimney flashing leak, call (818) 275-0921 or run your address through our instant quote tool for a ballpark figure before you talk to anyone.
Need a roofer in Sunland?
Free inspection, honest scope, and an estimate that names the material and the flashing work. Call (818) 277-6626 or get a ballpark in about a minute.
