Chimney Flashing Repair in Pasadena: Written Report, Licensed Technicians

A straightforward step flashing and counter flashing repair on a single-story ranch in Sunland typically runs between $450 and $900. That covers removal of the old flashing, new aluminum or lead step flashing set into the mortar joints, and a proper counter flashing seal at the chimney face. But here's where it gets more involved: if you also need flue lining or smoke chamber parging - which we handle frequently in La Crescenta homes built in the 1950s and 1960s - the chimney often needs to be opened up from the interior before flashing work even begins. That interior access can reveal deteriorated mortar joints behind the flashing line, which adds $200 to $500 in masonry prep before new flashing goes on. We quote them together when both are needed because the scope overlaps.

Tujunga hillside homes add another variable: roof pitch. Steeper pitches mean longer labor hours and sometimes a cricket installation behind the chimney to redirect water. A cricket alone adds $300 to $600 depending on size. Timing matters too. Pasadena's rain season typically hits hardest between November and March, and emergency leak calls during a storm cost more than planned repairs in September or October. If your chimney already has a flue liner scheduled, booking the flashing repair in the same visit saves you a second mobilization fee, which usually runs $150 to $200. We see this combination constantly in the foothill neighborhoods where older chimneys were built without modern lining and the original tar-based flashing has cracked after decades of UV exposure.

The first thing our technician does is figure out whether your leak is actually a flashing failure or something else. Water stains near a chimney can come from a cracked crown, deteriorated mortar joints, or failed flashing - and the fix for each is different. We run a controlled water test on the chimney exterior, section by section, starting at the base flashing and working up. This isolates exactly where water enters. In La Crescenta, where many homes sit on slopes with prevailing wind driving rain against one chimney face, we often find that the uphill step flashing has failed while the downhill side looks fine. That directional wear pattern is specific to foothill properties and changes how we scope the repair.

Once we confirm a flashing failure, we remove the old material down to bare roof deck and masonry. On homes in Sunland and Tujunga, we frequently find the original builder used aluminum flashing set with roof cement rather than properly regletted counter flashing. That shortcut lasts maybe 15 years before the cement dries out and separates. We cut a reglet groove into the mortar joint, set new step flashing pieces that interweave with each shingle course, then lock the counter flashing into the reglet with high-temperature sealant. If a cricket is needed - and on any chimney wider than 30 inches on a slope, it usually is - we frame and flash it during the same visit. When flue lining or smoke chamber parging is part of your project, we coordinate so the interior work finishes before we seal the exterior flashing, avoiding any need to reopen the chimney later. Every repair follows NFPA 211 inspection standards, and we document the work with photos for your records.

If your chimney has an active leak or you want to get ahead of the next rain season, call Fyreline Chimney Sweep to schedule an inspection. We serve Pasadena, La Crescenta, Sunland, and Tujunga with same-week availability most of the year.