Chimney and flashing repair in Fayetteville — the leak everyone caulks over
Native limestone and old brick chimneys are everywhere in Fayetteville, and the flashing around them is the most common serious leak we see. Caulk lasts three years; flashing done right lasts the life of the roof.
The chimney is the biggest hole in your roof, and the flashing around it is a three-part system: step flashing woven into each shingle course up the sides, counter flashing cut into the mortar joints and folded down over the step, and a cricket — a small peaked diverter — behind any chimney wider than 30 inches so water and leaves don't pile up against the uphill side. On the 1920s bungalows around the square and Wilson Park, and the 1970s and '80s ranches with big limestone chimneys off Old Missouri Road and in the older parts of Springdale and Rogers, at least one of those parts is usually missing or has been caulked over by three previous roofers.
Caulk over flashing fails in two or three Arkansas winters. The right repair is to remove the old flashing, grind the mortar joints, install new step flashing course by course, set new counter flashing in the joints with a proper lap, build a cricket if there isn't one, and seal the reglet — then check the chimney cap and crown, because a cracked crown lets water down inside the chimney where no flashing can stop it. We do the same work at skylights, dormers, wall-to-roof transitions and the sidewall of every second-story bump-out.
What's included
Step & counter flashing
Removed and replaced, counter flashing cut into the mortar joints, not surface-caulked.
Crickets
Built and flashed behind wide chimneys so water and oak leaves don't dam up on the uphill side.
Cap & crown
Cracked crowns sealed or rebuilt; missing caps replaced so water and animals stay out.
Skylights & dormers
Curb flashing and step flashing at every roof-to-wall transition.
Masonry coordination
Loose brick, spalled limestone and failed mortar flagged and fixed with a mason where needed.
Photos before & after
So you can see what was wrong and what's there now.
Chimney & flashing repair cost in Fayetteville, AR
| Job | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chimney re-flash (step + counter), small chimney | $650 – $1,400 | Up to about 30 in. wide |
| Chimney re-flash, large limestone or brick chimney | $1,200 – $2,600 | With mortar-joint counter flashing |
| Cricket built and flashed | $450 – $1,100 | Behind chimneys over 30 in. |
| Crown repair or rebuild | $300 – $1,200 | Cracked or missing |
| Skylight re-flash | $450 – $950 | Per skylight |
| Sidewall / dormer step flashing, per run | $400 – $1,100 | Replaced, not caulked |
These are 2026 Northwest Arkansas ranges so you can budget. Your written price is itemized — tear-off, decking, underlayment, ice barrier, flashing, vents, disposal, permit — and good for 30 days.
Recent work
Questions we get about chimney & flashing repair
How do I know the chimney is what's leaking?
Stains on the ceiling or wall near the chimney, a damp smell in the fireplace, water marks on the chimney's uphill side in the attic, or a leak that shows up in a driving rain from one direction. We confirm it from the attic before we quote.
Can't you just re-caulk it?
We can, and it will leak again in two or three winters. Caulk shrinks, cracks and lets go of limestone and old brick. Counter flashing set into the mortar joint is the permanent repair, and it costs about what three caulk jobs do.
Do you repair the chimney itself?
Crowns, caps and minor mortar, yes. Rebuilding a leaning or badly spalled chimney is a mason's job and we'll bring one in and coordinate the flashing with them.
What about the metal chimney on a newer house?
Factory chases on 1990s-and-newer homes leak at the chase cover — a flat metal pan on top that rusts through or has no cross-break to shed water — and at the siding-to-roof step flashing. Both are straightforward fixes.
Is chimney flashing covered by insurance?
Not as wear and tear. If a storm pulled the flashing loose or a tree hit the chimney, usually yes. We'll document either way.