Repairing chimney counter flashing in Miami Shores

The uphill face meets the runoff

The side of the chimney that faces up the roof meets everything running down the slope toward it. Leaves and grit can gather there, and the pile holds moisture against the metal. From the ground this face is hard to see, so it is easy to overlook.

The Florida Building Code calls for a cricket on the ridge side of wider chimneys, which is framing work on the roof rather than flashing. Where your chimney has one, its metal is part of our check. Where the roof shape raises that question, we note it in the findings for you and your roofer to weigh.

What the flashing estimate spells out

A flashing estimate should let you see exactly what is being opened, replaced and put back. Ours for homes in Miami Shores list the parts below, face by face, so two proposals can be compared line for line.

With upfront pricing, the amount on the approved estimate covers that scope in full. If the work reveals something new, it comes to you as a separate item before it is done.

• The faces of the chimney included in the work
• Which metal pieces are replaced and which are kept
• The roofing to be lifted and how it is restored
• Any items priced separately, such as repointing or decking

Why we do not publish flashing sizes

You may find flashing dimensions quoted online as if one size suited every chimney. In practice the code table, the roofing maker's details and the chimney itself decide. A tile roof, a shingle roof and a metal roof each call for something different.

We work from those documents for the roof and chimney in front of us. Where a detail matters for your job, we explain it during the inspection. The estimate describes the pieces in words, and the written record of the work notes what was installed.

Keeping people and pets clear of the work

During flashing work, tools, metal offcuts and pieces of roofing can come down near the chimney. Keep children and pets away from the area below while we are on the roof. If the space under the chimney is a patio or pool deck, we mark it off.

Tell us if anyone in the household needs to use a door or path near the chimney during the day. We can plan the work around it. At the end of each day the area below is cleared, and the last pass picks up nails and small offcuts.