What chimney flashing does and what a repair can mean
Flashing is the metal that carries water from the roof surface over the joint where the roof meets the chimney. A repair can range from resealing a joint to replacing sections to rebuilding the whole assembly, and the quote should say which one you are paying for and why.
For Michigan houses the code is still the 2015 Michigan Residential Code: as of Oct 19, 2026 LARA still lists that edition after a court order stopped the 2021 rule set, and this may change, so check LARA before you rely on it. Ask the roofer to put the repair method and the metal in writing.
What chimney flashing repair costs in Michigan: the evidence so far
Our estimate for a chimney flashing repair in Michigan is $275 to $2,225 per flashing repair. It is a model, not a quote: one published national range, adjusted for what Michigan roofers are paid. No Michigan roofing company we looked at published a price we could count, so none is shown.
The rows below the estimate are wages, which are pay and not price, and permit fees from city schedules we could read.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $275 to $2,225 per flashing repair | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan roofer median wage ratio (1.07). No Michigan roofing company price is shown, because none of the companies we looked at published a price we could count. |
| Roofer wage, Michigan median | $28.62 an hour | What Michigan roofers are paid (BLS May 2025 via O*NET OnLine), not what you are charged. |
| Residential re-roofing permit fee, Grand Rapids | $66 | FY2027 fee schedule; a re-roofing fee, not a flashing-repair fee. |
| Roof or re-roof permit, Sterling Heights | $78, plus $56 application fee | Building permit fee table; the city says re-roofing needs a permit. |
| Re-roofing permit fee, Kalamazoo | $52 | 2026 schedule via a summary; confirm with the city. |
How we estimate costs: the Estimated range row is a model, not a quote. It takes one published national range for this job (a cost guide from a third-party site that we have not verified and do not cite) and multiplies it by Michigan's roofer median wage ratio to the US (1.07, BLS May 2025 data read through O*NET OnLine). The wage and permit rows in the table are what roofing workers are paid and what a city's own schedule charges, and neither is a price. We have not collected quotes, and we found no Michigan roofing company that publishes a price we could count. Full method. Prices as of Oct 19, 2026.
Repair the flashing or replace it
No Michigan source gives an age or a percentage for when flashing should be replaced, so we give none. The code's own test, on a re-roof, is whether it is rusted, damaged or deteriorated.
- The damage is one joint or section the roofer can show you.
- The rest of the metal is sound and the roof is not being replaced soon.
- The metal is rusted, damaged or deteriorated, which on a re-roof the code says is replaced.
- The chimney is wider than 30 inches and has no cricket.
Flashing material and the cricket rule in the 2015 code
Section R903.2.1 calls for flashing at wall and roof intersections, at changes in slope or direction and around roof openings. Metal flashing must be corrosion resistant and at least 0.019 inch thick, which the code equates with No. 26 galvanized sheet.
Section R903.2.2 requires a cricket or saddle on the ridge side of any chimney or penetration more than 30 inches wide. A cricket is a small peaked structure that sheds water around the chimney instead of letting it pool behind it. If your chimney is wider than that and has none, a flashing repair alone leaves the requirement unmet, so ask the roofer.
Chimney flashing when the roof is replaced
On a re-roof, section R908.5 says existing flashings, edgings, outlets and vents that are part of the roof assembly are replaced where rusted, damaged or deteriorated. Section R908.6 says flashings are reconstructed per the manufacturer's instructions. Michigan did not amend those sections in the rules we read.
A roof quote that reuses the chimney flashing should say why it is not rusted, damaged or deteriorated. The layer and tear-off rules are in roof replacement.
Lead paint and asbestos questions on an older house
The EPA lead renovation rule covers disturbing painted surfaces in housing built before 1978. Our reading of it, which is medium confidence, is that tearing off shingles does not disturb paint, while work on painted trim, fascia, gutters or a painted chimney can. If your house is that old, ask whether the company follows the rule for the painted parts.
Federal asbestos rules name asphalt roofing products with more than 1 percent asbestos, but they exclude residential buildings with four or fewer dwelling units from the notification requirement. That reading is our inference, not an EPA statement. Cities, EGLE and MIOSHA have their own rules, so ask your building department.
Where roofing ends and masonry begins
Flashing is roofing work, but brick, mortar and the chimney crown are masonry. LARA's list of maintenance and alteration crafts shows roofing and masonry as separate trades, so a roofing company may send you to someone else for the chimney itself. Ask who is responsible for each part before you accept a single price.
When a chimney leak is an emergency
- Water is running in around the chimney during a storm.
- Bricks are loose or falling, or the chimney is leaning; keep people and cars clear of its base.
- Water is near light fixtures, outlets or the electrical panel; keep away.
- Stay off the roof whatever the cause; OSHA says not to work on a damaged roof until its structural integrity is determined.
- A stain by the chimney that shows only after a rain and is not growing.
- Planning a flashing repair or comparing quotes.
What to look at from inside and the ground before you call
- Inside, photograph any stain on the ceiling or wall near the chimney with the date, and photograph again after the next rain. Put a bucket under any drip.
- From the ground, look at the joint between roof and chimney with binoculars or phone zoom for gaps, lifted metal or rust streaks. Do not climb up to look closer.
- Write down whether the stain appears in wind-driven rain, steady rain or snow melt, and give that to the roofer, whose job is to find the cause.
Permits and licensing for chimney flashing work in Michigan
Michigan's permit exemption list does not include roofing or roof repair, and enforcement is local. The base code excuses ordinary repairs from an application, but the building official decides whether a flashing job is ordinary, and we read that text through a summary. Grand Rapids and Sterling Heights both require a permit to re-roof: Grand Rapids, Sterling Heights.
Roofing is a craft on the residential maintenance and alteration license, and work of $600 or more needs the license unless you are the owner on your own home. An unlicensed contractor cannot sue for payment or file a lien. Ask for the license number and check it on the LARA lookup.
Before any work starts, ask for the license number and check it with your state's licensing board.
- LARA M&A Contractor License Information Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Mich. Admin. Code R. 408.30505 Work exempt from permit (LII) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- LARA Statewide Jurisdiction List (PDF), Rev. 10/6/2026 Read Oct 19, 2026.
- 2015 IRC Chapter 1, R105.1-R105.2.2 Read Oct 19, 2026. Our reading of the source, not something it states outright. Confirm before you rely on it.
- MCL 339.2403 Read Oct 19, 2026.
- MCL 339.2412 Read Oct 19, 2026.
- LARA Find / Verify a Licensed Professional or Business Read Oct 19, 2026. Confirm with the source before you rely on it.
A tool for this job
Repair or replace, and what it costs
Michigan has no rule that settles repair versus replace by age or by percent of roof, so this tool does not give a verdict on that. It sorts what to ask a roofing company for, using the Michigan code on layers, tear-off and ice barrier, and it estimates your roof area in roofing squares. Once you have the area, the page shows our modeled range for a replacement, which is an estimate and not a quote. It runs in your browser and asks for nothing.
Open the toolQuestions people ask
Does a chimney need a cricket in Michigan?
Under the 2015 code, a chimney more than 30 inches wide needs a cricket or saddle on the ridge side; narrower chimneys are not covered by that rule, and your building department confirms what applies.
Should chimney flashing be replaced during a roof replacement?
The 2015 code says existing flashings are replaced where rusted, damaged or deteriorated, and reconstructed per the manufacturer's instructions. Ask the roofer to say in writing whether yours is reused.
Do I need a permit to repair chimney flashing in Michigan?
It depends on your city, because Michigan's permit exemption list does not include roofing and enforcement is local; call your building department before work starts.
Does a Michigan roofer need a license to repair chimney flashing?
Yes for work of $600 or more, unless you are the owner working on your own home. Ask for the license number and check it on the LARA lookup.
Does lead paint matter for chimney flashing work on an old house?
It can, if the work disturbs painted surfaces on a house built before 1978. Our reading, with medium confidence, is that shingle tear-off alone does not, but painted trim or a painted chimney can. Ask whether the company follows the EPA lead renovation rule.
Does asbestos matter when a roofer works on a Michigan house?
The federal asbestos notification rule names asphalt roofing products over 1 percent asbestos but excludes residential buildings with four or fewer dwelling units, which is our inference and not an EPA statement. Cities, EGLE and MIOSHA have separate rules.
How much does chimney flashing repair cost in Michigan?
Our estimate is $275 to $2,225 per flashing repair. It comes from one published national range adjusted for what Michigan roofers are paid, so use it to judge a written quote, not as one. We found no Michigan roofing company that publishes a flashing price.
- BLS May 2025 wages for roofers (SOC 47-2181), Michigan, as shown by O*NET OnLine Read Oct 19, 2026. Confirm with the source before you rely on it.
- RooferMatch: how we estimate costs (editorial policy) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Re-Roofing or Re-Siding of Existing Residential Building Permit - City of Grand Rapids Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Building - City of Sterling Heights (FAQ) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- City of Kalamazoo, Apply for Non-Structural Maintenance Permit (read through a summary; confirm with the city) + 2026 CPED Fee Schedule PDF Read Oct 19, 2026. Confirm with the source before you rely on it.
- LARA BCC Code Books Read Oct 19, 2026.
- LARA notice: 2021 Code Injunction, Residential Part 5 and Energy Part 10 (PDF) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- 2015 IRC Chapter 9, R903.2 Read Oct 19, 2026.
- 40 CFR 745.83 Definitions (eCFR) Read Oct 19, 2026. Our reading of the source, not something it states outright. Confirm before you rely on it.
- 40 CFR 61.141 Definitions (eCFR) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Roof Tarping (Blue Roof) Safety, OSHA FactSheet Read Oct 19, 2026.