Roof flashing is the metal that seals every place your roof meets a wall, a chimney or a change in slope. When it rusts, bends or gets covered with tar instead of replaced, water runs behind it and into the house. We replace the bad section of flashing, lay the shingles back over it, and send you before and after photos.
If you see a stain on a wall or ceiling right under the spot where a lower roof butts into a higher wall, flashing is the first thing Jacob checks. It is also one of the most common repairs on Pine Bluff homes with additions, porches tied into the house, or a second story over part of the first floor.
Flashing does not fail all at once. A single missing piece or one bent seam can let in a cup of water in a hard storm and nothing in a light rain, which is why the leak can seem random. That is also why guessing does not work. We find the exact piece that failed before quoting anything.
Signs your flashing is leaking
- Stains on an inside wall or ceiling right below where a roof meets a wall
- Water marks that only show up after hard, wind-driven rain
- Rotted siding or trim at the bottom of a roof-to-wall joint
- Rusty, loose or missing metal where shingles meet a wall
- Thick smears of tar or caulk along a wall line, a sign someone patched it before
- Peeling paint or soft drywall around a window below a roof line
The types of flashing we repair
Step flashing
Small L-shaped pieces woven into every course of shingles along a side wall. Each piece laps over the one below it, so water steps down and off the roof. A single missing or rusted step lets water straight into the wall.
Counter flashing
The metal that covers the top edge of step flashing. On brick it should be cut into a mortar joint. On siding it tucks behind the siding. When it is only caulked to the surface, the caulk fails in a few summers. Chimneys have their own mix of flashing, covered on our chimney leak repair page.
Apron flashing
A single long piece where the bottom of a wall meets the top of a lower roof, like a shed roof porch tied into the front of the house.
Kickout flashing
A small bent piece at the very bottom of a roof-to-wall joint that kicks water out into the gutter. Many older homes never had one. Without it, water runs down behind the siding and rots the wall, often hidden until the damage is large.
Valley and vent flashing
Metal in the valleys and around pipes and vents. Those have their own pages: roof valley leak repair and vent and pipe boot repair.
How we repair flashing
Find it
Attic check first, then the roof. A water test if the spot is not obvious.
Price it
A written price for the exact repair. You approve it before we start.
Fix it
We repair the spot that leaks and check the area around it.
Prove it
Before and after photos go to your phone.
On a flashing job we carefully lift the shingles next to the wall, pull the old metal and any tar, check the wood underneath, and weave new flashing in with the shingles the way it was meant to go. If the siding has to come off to set the counter flashing, we put it back. Tar over old flashing is a patch, not a repair. Our answer on whether roofing tar stops leaks explains why it keeps failing.
Text Jacob a photo of the stain and the roof above it. Same-day response in Pine Bluff, and a written price before any work.
Roof flashing repair cost in Pine Bluff
| Repair | Typical Central Arkansas range |
|---|---|
| Seal or repair a section of flashing | $450 to $1,200 |
| Replace step flashing along one wall | Quoted on site, depends on length and siding |
| Add a missing kickout flashing | Usually added to a flashing repair |
| Rotted decking or siding found underneath | Shown in photos first, then priced |
Ranges based on published Central Arkansas roofing cost guides (2025 and 2026). They are not quotes. Your written price comes after we look at your roof, and you approve it before any work starts.
Why flashing fails on Pine Bluff homes
Most homes in Pine Bluff were built before 1980, and many have been re-roofed once or twice since. On a re-roof, the right way is to replace step flashing. The cheap way is to leave the old metal in place and smear tar over it. We see a lot of the cheap way. Add about 23 days a year above 95 degrees, which bakes caulk and tar until they crack, and around 87 rainy days a year, and old flashing has a hard time keeping up.
Wind makes it worse. Jefferson County has logged 122 damaging wind reports since 2005 (NOAA), including a 74 mph gust at Grider Field in January 2024. Wind pushes rain sideways and up behind flashing that would stay dry in a straight downpour.
What you can check from the ground
You do not need to climb up to narrow it down. Stand back from the house with binoculars or zoom in with your phone camera and look at every spot where a roof meets a wall. Look for dark streaks running down the siding below that joint, gaps where the metal has pulled away, or shiny black tar. Inside, check the top of the wall below that roof line for bubbling paint. Take photos of what you see and text them to us. It often tells us what we are dealing with before we arrive.
Repair or bigger job?
Most flashing leaks are one wall or one corner. It becomes a bigger job when the wood behind the flashing has rotted for years, when the siding at the bottom of the wall is soft, or when the whole roof is near the end of its life and every flashing detail is original. In that last case, replacing flashing piece by piece may not be the best use of your money, and Jacob will lay out both options with photos so you can compare.
Roof flashing FAQ
Can flashing be repaired without replacing the roof?
Yes. Flashing sits at the edges of the shingles next to a wall, so we lift those shingles, replace the metal and lay them back. The rest of the roof is not touched.
Why does my wall leak only when it storms hard?
Hard, wind-driven rain pushes water sideways and up behind flashing seams. A small gap stays dry in a light rain and leaks in a storm. See why roofs leak only in heavy rain.
Is kickout flashing really needed?
It is small, but it keeps roof water from pouring down behind the siding at the bottom of a wall. Homes without one often have hidden rot in that corner.
Can you match my existing siding?
We reuse the siding we remove whenever it is in good shape. If a piece is rotted, we tell you before replacing it and show you photos.
How long does a flashing repair take?
Most repairs along one wall take a few hours to a day, depending on the length of the wall and whether siding has to come off.