Why is my roof leaking around the chimney if the shingles look fine?

Because the leak is almost never the shingles. Water gets in where the chimney meets the roof — failed step flashing, counter flashing that has pulled away from the masonry, a missing cricket behind a wide chimney, or on a framed chimney, rotted siding that lets water run behind the flashing. Those are what we look at first.

Do you replace siding on the whole house?

No. We repair and replace the siding that lives on the roof — dormers and chimney chases — because that is where roof leaks come from and it is roofing work done from the roof. A whole-house siding job is a different trade and we will tell you so.

Can flashing be repaired, or does it have to be replaced?

Step flashing that has rusted, been reused, or was installed as a single strip gets replaced — it is woven into the shingle courses, so there is no meaningful repair. Counter flashing can sometimes be reset and resealed if the metal is sound. Caulk over failed flashing is not a repair; it is a delay.

What is kick-out flashing and do I need it?

It is the small diverter at the bottom of a roof-to-wall run that sends water into the gutter instead of down the face of the wall. If your house has a wall that ends at a roof edge and the siding below that corner is stained or soft, it is probably missing. Nearly every house here needs it and many were built without it.

Is flashing or siding damage covered by insurance?

If wind or a storm caused it, it may belong on a claim alongside the roof; wear and age generally do not. We document what we find with photos either way. See our page on how roof insurance claims work for what adjusters look for.

Siding & flashing · Baldwin & Mobile County, AL

Where a roof meets a wall is where it leaks

Dormer cheeks, chimney sides, the wall above a porch roof — the vertical surfaces that sit on a roof take more water than the roof itself, and the flashing that ties them together is the detail most repairs skip. Liberty repairs the siding and the flashing, not just the shingles around them.

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Get a repair quote Call (251) 342-4338

Flashing, explained

Three pieces of metal that decide whether a wall leaks

Step flashing
Individual L-shaped pieces woven in with each shingle course where a roof runs into a wall — a dormer cheek, a second-story wall, the side of a chimney. When step flashing is missing, reused from the last roof, or run as one long piece, the wall leaks in the first driving rain.
Counter flashing
The second layer, lapped down over the step flashing and set into or against the wall or chimney so water running down the vertical surface never reaches the shingle line. On masonry chimneys it is cut into a mortar joint; sealant alone is not counter flashing.
Kick-out flashing and crickets
A kick-out is the small angled piece at the bottom of a wall run that throws water into the gutter instead of behind the siding — the single most skipped detail on Gulf Coast homes, and the cause of rotted wall corners. A cricket is the small peaked saddle behind a wide chimney that keeps water from ponding against it.

Chasing a specific leak? Start with leaks around the chimney or chimney flashing.

We get on the roof, find where the water is actually getting behind the wall, and put the fix in writing with photos.

Get a repair quote (251) 342-4338

Siding on the roof

Dormers and chimneys, done from the roof

Dormer cheeks and faces — the small vertical walls sitting on the roof, which take more water than any wall on the house
Chimney chases — framed chimneys wrapped in siding, where soft or rotted boards let water behind the flashing
Trim, corner boards, and the bottom course above the roofline, cut to leave the clearance a wall needs to dry
Matching or replacing the housewrap and flashing behind the siding, not just the boards you can see
Written scope with photos of what failed; storm-related damage documented for your insurer

Whole-house siding is a different trade. What we do is the siding a roofer has to touch to make a roof stop leaking. Full repair scope is on the roof repair page.

Siding and flashing questions

Why is my roof leaking around the chimney if the shingles look fine?: Because the leak is almost never the shingles. Water gets in where the chimney meets the roof — failed step flashing, counter flashing that has pulled away from the masonry, a missing cricket behind a wide chimney, or on a framed chimney, rotted siding that lets water run behind the flashing. Those are what we look at first.
Do you replace siding on the whole house?: No. We repair and replace the siding that lives on the roof — dormers and chimney chases — because that is where roof leaks come from and it is roofing work done from the roof. A whole-house siding job is a different trade and we will tell you so.
Can flashing be repaired, or does it have to be replaced?: Step flashing that has rusted, been reused, or was installed as a single strip gets replaced — it is woven into the shingle courses, so there is no meaningful repair. Counter flashing can sometimes be reset and resealed if the metal is sound. Caulk over failed flashing is not a repair; it is a delay.
What is kick-out flashing and do I need it?: It is the small diverter at the bottom of a roof-to-wall run that sends water into the gutter instead of down the face of the wall. If your house has a wall that ends at a roof edge and the siding below that corner is stained or soft, it is probably missing. Nearly every house here needs it and many were built without it.
Is flashing or siding damage covered by insurance?: If wind or a storm caused it, it may belong on a claim alongside the roof; wear and age generally do not. We document what we find with photos either way. See our page on how roof insurance claims work for what adjusters look for.