Covering 50 ZIP codes
Chimney Flashing Repair in San Francisco, CA
Flashing under terracotta barrel tile is the hardest chimney detail in California roofing and the one most often bodged. Tiles have to be lifted and relaid, not bedded over.
- Covering 50 San Francisco ZIP codes
- Free to use, no obligation
Leave the building and call from outside — that is an emergency services call, not a service call. A blocked or failed flue is one of the ways carbon monoxide reaches a living space, and headaches that clear when you leave the house point the same way. If you have had a chimney fire — a roaring sound, dense smoke, or debris on the roof — do not light another fire until the flue has been inspected.
Call about flashing repair in San Francisco
(844) 785-4066Free to use, and there is nothing to pay us. You are never committed to going ahead.
What happens when you call
- You describe the problem and where you are.
- We put you in touch with a licensed contractor covering that area.
- They arrange the visit and agree the price with you directly.
Worth having to hand
- Roughly how old the system is
- What it is doing — or not doing
- Your ZIP code
What to ask for on Chimney Flashing Repair in San Francisco
- Step and counter-flashing done properly
- Reglet cut into the mortar or stucco
- Terracotta barrel tile detailing
- Coordinated with reroofing
- Licensed & insured We match you with contractors who hold current licensing and cover.
- Know what to ask Every page says what decides the price, so you can judge a quote.
- Free to use We never charge you. Compare quotes and walk away at any point.
- Same-day reply Inquiries answered the day they arrive, usually within a couple of hours.
How it works
Three steps, no obligation at any of them.
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1
Call and tell us what is wrong
Describe the problem and give us your ZIP code. We match you with a chimney company covering your area — there is nothing to fill in and nothing to pay us.
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2
A local contractor gets in touch
A local chimney company contacts you to discuss the problem and arrange a visit in San Francisco. What they charge to attend or diagnose is theirs to set, so agree it with them up front.
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3
You decide
Book the work, wait a season, or get a second quote. There is no obligation to go ahead with the contractor we introduce you to, and nothing to pay us either way.
What these repairs look like
Illustrative examples of the work described here. More in our disclaimer.
Chimney Flashing Repair in San Francisco
The systems we see in San Francisco tend to share a history — a heating system replaced once or twice, cooling added later, and ductwork extended as rooms were added rather than designed for the house as it now stands. Most comfort complaints here start there.
About 46% of homes in San Francisco were built before 1940 — old enough to have been built with radiators and no ductwork at all; 33% of them heat with electricity, so a fireplace here is used by choice rather than by necessity and tends to be inspected far less often. (US Census ACS 2022)
Two layers, and a tile complication
Correct flashing is step flashing woven in with the roof courses as they climb the chimney, plus counter-flashing let into a groove cut in the mortar joint and folded down over it.
On barrel tile the tiles have to be lifted, the metal properly stepped and counter-flashed against the underlayment, and the tiles relaid. What happens instead, constantly, is that tile is bedded in mortar over the top of the joint. It sheds water for a year or two and then it does not.
On stucco chimneys
Counter-flashing has to be let into a cut reglet in the stucco and the render made good over it. Caulking metal to the face of stucco is not a detail, it is a delay.
Telling flashing from crown
Flashing leaks appear with wind-driven rain and often stop in ordinary showers. Crown leaks appear whenever it rains. A hose test working upward in sections separates them.
Coordinating with a reroof
The best moment to do chimney flashing is while the roof is open. The worst outcome is a roofer laying new covering over old flashing to save a day.
Raise it before the contract
Establish who is responsible for the chimney detail before roofing work is agreed. Split responsibility is how it ends up done badly by whoever gets there last.
Tile is reusable
Barrel tile that is carefully lifted can nearly always go back. Tile that is walked on cannot, and replacement tile on an older roof is frequently hard to match.
The full guide: everything about chimney flashing repair — how the job works, what decides the price, and the questions worth asking before you book — is on the service page. This page covers what is different about it in San Francisco.
Areas we cover in San Francisco
We work throughout San Francisco, including the areas around Alamo Square, Alcatraz Island, Apparel City / Industrial District and Aquatic Park Cove.
Chimney Flashing Repair in San Francisco — FAQs
Should the chimney be repaired or rebuilt?
It depends how far the damage goes. If a key scrapes mortar out but the brick is intact, that is repointing. Once brick faces have flaked through, a brick can be rocked by hand, or the stack leans, repointing has nothing sound to bond to and a rebuild is the honest answer. Most rebuilds stop at the roofline, because that is the section taking weather from every side.
Do you charge for a quote in San Francisco?
We charge nothing at any point — contractors pay us, you never do. What a company charges to attend or to carry out an inspection is theirs to set, so agree it with them before they come out. An inspection is a real piece of work with a written report attached, and it is reasonable for it to be chargeable.
How often should a chimney be inspected?
Annually, whatever it vents — that is the NFPA 211 standard and it covers gas and oil appliances as well as wood. Sweeping frequency is separate and depends on what and how much you burn. An appliance used twice a year still needs the annual look, and those are the ones where neglected faults turn up.
Do we need a chimney liner?
If a camera survey finds cracked tile, washed-out joints or a separated liner, yes. You also need one whenever the flue is the wrong size for the appliance now venting into it, which is the common case after any change of fuel or appliance. A liner is sized from the appliance manufacturer venting tables, not from what happens to fit down the chimney.
What does a Level 2 inspection include?
Everything in a Level 1 visual check, plus a camera survey of the entire flue and an examination of accessible attic, crawl space and basement areas. It is required on a property transfer, on any change of fuel or appliance, and after a chimney fire. A general home inspection does not include it.
Is chimney waterproofing worth doing?
On sound, porous, exposed masonry it genuinely slows the water absorption that destroys brick. On masonry that has already started to flake it is worse than doing nothing, because it traps water behind the damaged face. And it has to be a breathable repellent rather than a film-forming sealant — the film is what causes the damage people then blame on waterproofing.
Roofer or chimney company?
Either, provided they lift and relay the tile and cut a reglet. That is the question to ask rather than which trade they call themselves.
A stain but no active drip. Still a problem?
Yes. Staining means water has been arriving and the framing behind has been wet.
Neighborhoods we cover in San Francisco
Chimney work across San Francisco and the areas around it.
- Ashbury Heights
- Buena Vista / Corona Heights
- Chinatown,
- Cole Valley
- Dolores Heights
- Embarcadero waterfront
- Fort Mason / Marina Green area
- Golden Gate Heights
- Historic Pacific Heights
- Jordan Park / Little Russia area
- Lower Pacific Heights
- Mission District
- North Beach
- Parnassus Heights Park
- Russian Hill
- Sea Cliff
- St Patrick Church
- Transamerica Pyramid