Flashing & Leak Repair in Ann Arbor
Snowmelt finds the seam. We close it.
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4.9 · 1,066 Ann Arbor reviews
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CSIA certified
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1-year workmanship warranty
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Written quote before any work
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Santa’s favorite chimney crew
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Cleared for reindeer landing
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No soot on Santa’s boots
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Cookies for Santa, carrots for the reindeer
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Stockings hung, flues swept
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Merry Christmas & happy hearth-days
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Jingle all the way up the chimney
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Warm fires, cozy nights
●
Santa’s favorite chimney crew
●
Cleared for reindeer landing
●
No soot on Santa’s boots
●
Cookies for Santa, carrots for the reindeer
●
Stockings hung, flues swept
●
Merry Christmas & happy hearth-days
●
Jingle all the way up the chimney
●
Warm fires, cozy nights
●
Santa’s favorite chimney crew
●
Cleared for reindeer landing
●
No soot on Santa’s boots
●
Cookies for Santa, carrots for the reindeer
●
Stockings hung, flues swept
●
Merry Christmas & happy hearth-days
●
Jingle all the way up the chimney
●
Warm fires, cozy nights
●
Santa’s favorite chimney crew
●
Cleared for reindeer landing
●
No soot on Santa’s boots
●
Cookies for Santa, carrots for the reindeer
●
Stockings hung, flues swept
●
Merry Christmas & happy hearth-days
●
Jingle all the way up the chimney
●
Warm fires, cozy nights
Pricing, before you commit
Our prices are published, not hidden
Want to know the cost before anyone visits your Ann Arbor home? Our flashing repair pricing page covers everything from resealing to full replacement and works out an estimate for your chimney. No email, no callback.
The craft, done properly
CHIMNEY FLASHING & LEAK REPAIR IN ANN ARBOR, MI
Flashing is the metal seal where the chimney passes through the roof, and it is the most leak-prone spot on most Ann Arbor houses. It works in two layers — step flashing woven into the shingle courses, counter-flashing set into the masonry above it — so water sheds outward at every level. In a Michigan winter that seal faces something rain never does: snow that sits, melts slowly against the roof, and backs up under the flashing instead of running off it.
Brown Chimney repairs and replaces flashing, priced by scope and access — every option is on our flashing repair pricing page. We install step, counter, and saddle flashing in aluminium or lead-coated copper only — never plastic, never rubber, both of which go brittle in a Washtenaw County cold snap — sealed with chimney-rated elastomeric caulk. Chimneys wider than 30 inches at the roofline need a cricket by code to divert water and snow around the upslope side, and that is identified during the assessment.
Step and counter-flashing replaced in lead-coated copper — Ann Arbor, MI
The Work
What flashing repair does for an Ann Arbor home.
The stain on your ceiling is rarely under the hole. Water enters at the flashing, runs along the roof deck or down the outside of the flue, and surfaces wherever gravity and framing let it. That is why the first job is diagnosis, not sealant — sealing the wrong seam is money spent to keep the leak.
Ann Arbor adds a seasonal wrinkle: leaks that only appear during a thaw are usually flashing, because snowmelt backs up under a lifted seam where a summer downpour would run straight past it. Flashing is also only one of several ways water gets in. A crazed crown, a missing cap, and failed mortar all deliver water into the same structure. If the crown is part of the problem, crown repair gets quoted alongside the flashing so both entry points close in one visit rather than one leak-chasing trip after another.
We trace and repair chimney leaks across Washtenaw County and in Brighton and Northville. See the local service list on the Ann Arbor page.
When to book
What are the signs your chimney flashing has failed?
Flashing failure shows up inside the house long before anyone looks at the roof — and in Ann Arbor it often shows up first during a January thaw. These are the signs our crews hear about most.
Water stains on the ceiling or wall near the chimney
Damp or discoloured framing visible in the attic around the chimney
Shingles lifting, curling, or missing where the chimney meets the roof
Rusted, bent, or visibly separated metal at the roofline
Sealant that has hardened, cracked, or pulled away from the masonry
Leaks that appear during a thaw or in driving rain from one direction
If water is showing inside, the entry point needs finding before anything gets sealed. An inspection traces it and gives you a repair quote, and the fee is credited toward repair work booked within 30 days.
What to expect
What happens during a leak repair?
Leak work in Ann Arbor is diagnosed first, quoted second. Most flashing repairs complete in a single visit; jobs needing a cricket or extensive roof work are scoped during the assessment.
01
Leak source diagnosis
Water stains rarely start where they show. We trace the actual entry point — flashing, crown, cap, or masonry — before quoting anything, because sealing the wrong spot solves nothing.
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Written quote before the roof is opened
You approve the exact price before anything is lifted. Chimneys wider than 30 inches at the roofline need a cricket by code — if yours does, that's identified and priced up front.
03
Old flashing removal
Failed flashing and hardened sealant come off down to sound roof deck. Any pre-existing shingle damage is documented and quoted separately rather than quietly absorbed.
04
New flashing installation
Step, counter, and saddle flashing set in aluminum or lead-coated copper — never plastic, never rubber — and sealed with chimney-rated elastomeric caulk.
05
Roof restored, photos taken
The roof area around the chimney base is restored, the work photographed before and after, and the labor covered by the 1-year workmanship warranty.
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Moe (and team) did a great job with our chimney repairs! Moe’s inspection was thorough and he took the time to explain each task in the quote. Scheduling the repairs was easy and after the work was complete, he explained everything they did. Moe also took lots of pictures before and after the work to document, which I appreciated.
Jacob Rogers
Ann Arbor Client
The Brown Chimney Standard · Ann Arbor
Built for Michigan winters, not brochure weather.
Freeze-thaw is the local enemy
Lake-effect snow sits for weeks, then thaws. That cycle is what cracks Ann Arbor mortar — and what our repairs are specified against.
Code-ready inspections
From older homes near campus to newer builds in Scio and Pittsfield Township, our repairs pass local inspection.
1-year workmanship warranty
The labor on our repairs and installations is covered for a full year — in writing, not in promises.
Price fixed before we start
Measured on site, quoted in writing, approved by you — then the work begins. Never the other way around.
For transparency
What this visit doesn't cover.
Pre-existing shingle or roof deck damage — documented in photos and quoted separately
Full roof replacement or repairs beyond the chimney area, which are a roofer's scope
Interior water damage from previous leaks (drywall, paint, insulation)
FAQs
Common questions about flashing & leak repair in Ann Arbor
How is chimney flashing repair priced in Ann Arbor?
By scope, chimney size, and complexity — from resealing seams to full replacement. Chimneys requiring a cricket, or those needing lift access, are identified during the assessment and priced up front — the written quote comes before anything is lifted. Every option and its price is on our flashing repair pricing page.
Why does my chimney only leak when the snow melts?
Because meltwater behaves differently than rain. Snow sits against the roof and works sideways under a lifted flashing seam, where a vertical downpour runs straight past it. Thaw-only leaks are one of the clearest signs that flashing, not masonry, is the entry point.
What material should chimney flashing be?
Aluminium or lead-coated copper — Brown Chimney installs nothing else. Plastic and rubber flashing go brittle under Michigan temperature swings and fail years sooner, which is why they are excluded regardless of cost. Joints are sealed with chimney-rated elastomeric caulk.
What is a chimney cricket and do I need one?
A cricket is a small peaked structure behind the chimney that diverts water and snow around it instead of letting it pool against the upslope side. Code requires one on chimneys wider than 30 inches at the roofline — particularly important where snow load sits for weeks.
Can I just caulk the flashing myself?
Caulk on failed flashing buys a season at most, and in Michigan often less — it seals the symptom while water keeps entering behind the metal. Proper repair means removing failed flashing down to sound roof deck and setting new step and counter-flashing.
Related Services
Related Services
A safer hearth — for 2026
Traced, sealed, photographed.
Every Brown Chimney flashing repair in Ann Arbor starts by finding the actual entry point, is quoted in writing before anything is lifted, and is backed by a 1-year workmanship warranty. Book online or call 248-260-5979.
