If your ceiling has a brown ring spreading under a chimney or a skylight, the leak is almost never the panel itself. It is the flashing, chimney and skylight repair in Lexington work that seals the joints where metal meets masonry, glass and wall. In a city built on rolling karst limestone, with freeze-thaw cycling that pries open old solder seams every February, those joints take the hit first. We bend and install custom flashing in-house, so a chimney on a Bell Court Victorian or a skylight over an Andover great room gets a watertight fit instead of a caulk patch. Call (859) 785-4928 and we will trace the leak to the actual penetration. For the wider repair picture, start with our metal roof repair service.
Why Flashing Fails First on Lexington Roofs
Lexington gets humid summers, hail-bearing thunderstorms and ice storms that refreeze overnight. That cycle works on the step flashing, counterflashing and skylight curbs harder than on the field of the roof. Older brick chimneys in Gratz Park and South Hill move with the seasons, and the seal between brick and metal opens a gap you cannot see from the ground. Once water gets behind the flashing, it runs down the deck and shows up feet away from the actual hole.
- Freeze-thaw cycling cracks old tar and mastic around chimney bases and skylight frames.
- Galvanized flashing rusts through on 1900s tin and standing seam roofs before the panels fail.
- Improperly lapped step flashing on steep composition roofs in Palomar and Beaumont lets wind-driven rain behind the shingles.
- Chimney saddles and cricket flashing rot out where leaves and grit from bur oak and sugar maple hold moisture.
- Skylight curbs installed without a proper pan or back-pan leaks at the head of the opening.
Every one of those failures is fixable without tearing off a good roof, and catching it early is what keeps a $600 flashing job from becoming a deck replacement.
Key info: On a 1920s Chevy Chase Tudor we traced a ceiling stain in a second-floor closet back to a chimney counterflashing that had pulled away from the brick by three-eighths of an inch. New bent copper counterflashing and a rebuilt cricket stopped it, no shingles removed.
For local permit and inspection rules, verify with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government before any structural work around a chimney.
How We Diagnose and Rebuild Flashing Around Chimneys and Skylights
We do not guess at a leak. We get on the roof, wet the suspect area, and watch where the water goes. Then we remove the failed flashing down to sound deck, form new pieces on site, and layer them so gravity does the sealing. That matters on a steep 1990s roof in Hamburg as much as on a low-slope porch roof near Tates Creek.
- We inspect the chimney, skylight, valleys and wall junctions and mark every compromised seam.
- We remove old flashing, caulk and any rotted decking or fascia behind it.
- We measure and bend new step flashing, counterflashing and skylight pans to the exact profile.
- We install in the correct lap order, sealing with butyl tape and proper fasteners, not surface caulk.
- We water-test the repair before we leave and photograph it for your records.
If the metal around the penetration is sound but the panels themselves are tired, we will tell you, because sometimes the honest answer is a targeted fix rather than a new roof.
Key info: A Versailles horse-farm barn had water pouring down the inside of a masonry chimney after every storm. The old flashing was nailed flat with no cricket, so we built a proper saddle and new counterflashing and the barn stayed dry through the next ice storm.
If the flashing repair is part of a bigger panel problem, see our metal roof leak repair page for how we handle the full assembly.
Flashing, Chimney and Skylight Repair Methods We Use
Which method fits depends on the roof material, the chimney or skylight type, and how much movement the structure sees. We pick the one that will still be watertight in ten Lexington winters, not the fastest one to install.
| Approach | Description | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Custom-bent step and counterflashing | Site-formed metal matched to the brick or wall profile and lapped into the roof. | Brick chimneys on older Lexington homes |
| Skylight curb rebuild with pan flashing | New curb, back pan and sill pan tied into the surrounding roof. | Leaking or fogged skylights on steep roofs |
| Chimney cricket and saddle fabrication | Bent metal saddle that sheds water around wide chimneys. | Chimneys wider than 30 inches |
| Valley and wall flashing replacement | New open or closed valley metal and wall counterflashing. | Roof-to-wall junctions and valley leaks |
| Sealant and fastener retrofit | Removing failed caulk, replacing fasteners and resealing laps correctly. | Minor flashing leaks on exposed-fastener roofs |
Flashing, Chimney & Skylight Repair Cost in Lexington: What to Expect
Most flashing repairs start around $600 and go up from there depending on access, height and how much material has to come off. A simple skylight reseal is at the low end. A full chimney counterflashing rebuild with a new cricket on a steep roof sits well above it. We give you a written scope before we start, so the number does not move mid-job.
Three things drive the price: how high and how steep the roof is, whether the decking behind the flashing is rotted, and whether the chimney or skylight needs structural work around it. A two-story Tudor in Ashland Park costs more to access than a single-story ranch in Southland. Getting two or three estimates is smart, and any contractor who will not put the scope in writing is one to skip.
See our full pricing overview for the range of repair and installation work we handle.
Choosing a Metal Roofing Contractor Near Me for Flashing Work
Flashing is detail work, and the crew that shows up matters more than the company name on the truck. Ask who actually bends the metal, because a contractor who orders pre-made pieces will not get a tight fit on an 1880s Italianate chimney. Here is what to check before you sign anything.
- Confirm the contractor is licensed and insured, and ask for the certificate, not just a verbal yes.
- Get two or three written estimates with the same scope so you compare like for like.
- Ask for references from jobs in your part of Lexington, ideally on the same roof type.
- Check whether the work needs a permit, especially near historic districts like Gratz Park or under HOA design review in Andover.
- Make sure the contract states who handles decking repair if rot is found.
When you are ready, reach us through our contact page and we will set up a free inspection.
Flashing, Chimney & Skylight Repair Near Me: What Lexington Homeowners Should Know
Most of the leaks we see in Lexington start at a penetration, not in the middle of the roof. That is why a stain on the ceiling near a chimney or skylight should be treated as urgent, before the next round of spring storms. The longer water runs behind the flashing, the more decking and insulation it takes with it.
We serve homeowners across Fayette County and the surrounding towns, from the older brick streets to the newer subdivisions. If you are not sure whether your roof needs flashing work or a full panel repair, an inspection tells you in under an hour. Call (859) 785-4928 and we will get on the roof and give you a straight answer.
Flashing, Chimney & Skylight Repair in Lexington: Pricing Guide
| Service | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Skylight flashing reseal or repair | Starting at $600 | Includes leak trace, new seal and pan check on one skylight, with height and roof pitch driving the price. |
| Chimney counterflashing rebuild | Starting at $950 | Covers removing old flashing, bending new counterflashing and sealing to the brick, plus chimney width and access. |
| Chimney cricket and saddle fabrication | Starting at $1,400 | Custom-bent saddle and cricket tied into the roof, priced by chimney size and how much decking needs repair. |
| Valley or wall flashing replacement | On estimate | Needs an on-site look because the scope depends on roof material, length of run and hidden rot. |
| Travel | Included | In Lexington and surrounding areas, no separate call-out or mileage fee. |
| Estimate | Free | Response within 24 hours at (859) 785-4928, no obligation to book. |
Indicative pricing, the exact cost depends on square footage, finish, and site access. Free personalized estimate within 24h at (859) 785-4928.
