Chimney Flashing Repair in Toronto

Licensed & insured Ontario does not licence this trade at provincial level, so the checks that actually mean something are current liability insurance and a WSIB clearance certificate. Ask the partner to see both — a legitimate one hands them over without being chased.
Know what to ask You are told what actually decides the price, so you can judge a quote.
Someone local You are put through to a technician who works your area, not a call centre in another province.
Calls answered 7 days Someone picks up seven days a week, weekends included.

Is it urgent?

Can wait

Water at a chimney runs down inside the structure before it shows on a ceiling, so by the time there is a stain the framing beside it has usually been wet for a while.

Two things override everything else on this page. Do not go up on a roof that is wet, frosted or snow-covered, and do not go up a ladder to chip ice off the eaves — that is the most common way people are seriously hurt around a house in a Toronto winter, and nothing you can do up there beats waiting for someone with the right equipment. And if a ceiling is sagging or bulging, stay out from under it: the water is pooling above the drywall and it comes down all at once.

Signs to look for

A stain on the ceiling near the chimney breast
Damp or white deposits on the chimney brickwork inside the house
Visible tar or caulking smeared at the roof line, which is somebody's previous attempt
Rusted metal visible where the chimney meets the shingles

How the work is done

Strip out the old step flashing and whatever sealant was smeared over it
Fit new step flashing woven course by course up the side
Cut counter-flashing into the mortar joint rather than sticking it to the brick face
Build or rebuild a cricket on the upslope side where the chimney is wide enough to need one

In Toronto specifically

Toronto's humid continental — long cold winters, humid summers, and a freeze-thaw shoulder season either side climate and its housing stock — Victorian and Edwardian semis through the old city, postwar bungalows and backsplits across Scarborough, North York and Etobicoke, and a downtown core that is almost entirely towers — decide what is worth doing first. Roofing work here falls under the Ontario Building Code, and the City of Toronto handles permits and inspections. Ontario does not licence roofers at provincial level, so the checks worth making are a WSIB clearance certificate and proof of liability cover — both of which a legitimate company will hand over without being chased.

Before the technician arrives

Four things worth doing — and the first one is usually the thing people get wrong.

Say whether the chimney is still in use, and for what. It changes who should be on the roof and what else needs checking.
Look for a previous repair. Caulking smeared over old flashing is common and it always fails.
Note whether the staining appears in wind-driven rain specifically.
Photograph the inside staining before it dries.

What the work looks like

Photographs of chimney flashing repair being carried out, so you know what to expect on the day.

How it works

Three steps, and you decide at the end of them.

1
You call and describe the problem

Tell us what you have noticed and where — the room, the smell, the noise, how long it has been going on. Give us your postal code and we will match you to a licensed company covering your area. There is no form to fill in.
2
A local company takes it from there

They discuss the problem with you directly, arrange a time to inspect, and agree the work and the price with you before anything starts. That conversation is between you and them.
3
You decide whether to go ahead

You are under no obligation. If the quote or the approach is not what you wanted, you are free to say no and call someone else.

Chimney Flashing Repair — FAQs

Do I actually need Chimney Flashing Repair done?

Water at a chimney runs down inside the structure before it shows on a ceiling, so by the time there is a stain the framing beside it has usually been wet for a while.

What does Chimney Flashing Repair involve?

Replacing step flashing and counter-flashing where the chimney passes through the roof plane, and rebuilding the cricket on the upslope side if there is one and it has failed.

What makes this different in Toronto?

Toronto's humid continental — long cold winters, humid summers, and a freeze-thaw shoulder season either side climate and its housing stock — Victorian and Edwardian semis through the old city, postwar bungalows and backsplits across Scarborough, North York and Etobicoke, and a downtown core that is almost entirely towers — decide what is worth doing first. Roofing work here falls under the Ontario Building Code, and the City of Toronto handles permits and inspections. Ontario does not licence roofers at provincial level, so the checks worth making are a WSIB clearance certificate and proof of liability cover — both of which a legitimate company will hand over without being chased.

Are the companies licensed and insured?

Yes. We only work with licensed, insured partners in Toronto, and you are welcome to ask to see a licence number on arrival.

What does Chimney Flashing Repair cost?

It depends on the property, the size of the system and what the inspection finds, so we do not publish a price — a figure quoted on a web page is not one the attending company has agreed to. You get a price before any work starts.

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