Flashing, Chimney & Skylight Repair in Allentown

When a nor'easter rolls up the Lehigh Valley and snow piles deep on a slate mansard in Old Allentown, the first place water finds is the flashing. Flashing, Chimney & Skylight Repair in Allentown is the work that keeps meltwater and ice-dam backup outside where it belongs, and it is the single most common leak point we open up on Lehigh Valley roofs. Brick chimneys on 1900s twins, skylights cut into West End Arts and Crafts roofs, dormers on Moravian stone buildings in Bethlehem: each one is a joint between two materials that move differently, and each one fails when the seal gives out. We bend our own flashing in-house so the fit is tight to your actual chimney or curb, not a stock piece forced into place. If the penetration is already leaking, start with our metal roof leak repair page and we will trace it to the source.

Why Flashing and Chimney Leaks Hit Allentown Roofs So Hard

Allentown sits where the Lehigh River cuts between South Mountain and Blue Mountain, and that geography gives us cold snowy winters, freeze-thaw cycles, and ice dams that back water up under shingles and panels. The building stock makes it worse: 1870s to 1910s brick rowhouses and twins with slate mansards, Tudor and Arts and Crafts homes under big oaks and sycamores in the West End, and post-war brick ranches across Whitehall. Every one of those roofs has at least one chimney or skylight penetration, and most were flashed decades ago with materials that have since cracked, pulled, or rusted through.

• Ice dams push meltwater sideways under failed step flashing and into the attic.
• Old mortar and brick chimneys wick water down into the roof deck at the counterflashing joint.
• Skylight curbs on 1990s colonials in Lower Macungie and Upper Macungie dry out and shrink at the seal.
• Party walls and valleys on rowhouses channel heavy rain into the same weak points every storm.
• Hurricane remnants like Ida in 2021 drove rain sideways against dormers and stone farmhouse walls across Lehigh and Northampton counties.

We rebuild those joints with bent metal that sheds water instead of relying on a bead of caulk to hold it back.

Key info: A chimney on a brick twin in Old Fairgrounds that leaks only during snowmelt is almost always a counterflashing problem, not a roof panel problem. We see the same pattern on slate-look metal retrofits across the Slate Belt in Slatington and Pen Argyl.

For the official word on when a roofing permit is required before flashing work is tied into a larger repair, check the City of Allentown building department, since thresholds and inspection requirements vary by jurisdiction.

How We Rebuild Chimney and Skylight Flashing on Allentown Roofs

We start by finding where the water actually enters, not where the stain shows on the ceiling. On a West End Tudor or a stone bank barn out in Lehigh County, that means getting on the roof, checking the step flashing, counterflashing, and curb seals, and looking at the deck from the attic side when we can. Then we fabricate the replacement pieces to fit the penetration in front of us.

1. We inspect the chimney, skylight, dormer, or valley and mark every failed joint and lifted edge.
2. We remove the old flashing and any rotted underlayment or decking we uncover.
3. We bend new step flashing, counterflashing, and curb pieces in-house to match the profile.
4. We set the flashing in proper laps so water runs down and out, never sideways or back under.
5. We seal the terminations and test the joint with a controlled water check before we close up.

That sequence is what separates a repair that lasts from one that leaks again at the first ice storm.

Key info: On a 1920s twin in Catasauqua, the skylight curb had been patched three times with tar. We pulled the old curb, bent a new one to the opening, and reset it with proper flashing; the ceiling stayed dry through the next February thaw.

If your flashing is sound but the fasteners around it are backing out, our screw replacement and re-fastening service handles that before it turns into a leak.

Flashing Repair Methods We Use Around Allentown

Not every penetration needs the same approach. A brick chimney on a Victorian rowhouse calls for different metal and a different lap detail than a skylight curb on a 2010s colonial in Lower Macungie. Here is how we match the method to the job.

We pick the method based on the penetration, the roof material, and how the water actually moves on your roof, then we bend the metal to fit.

Flashing, Chimney & Skylight Repair Cost in Allentown: What to Expect

Most flashing repairs in Allentown start around $600 for a single chimney or skylight with a straightforward rebuild, and the price climbs from there based on what we find once we open the joint. A rowhouse chimney that needs counterflashing reset into new mortar costs less than a skylight curb rebuild on a steep Arts and Crafts roof in the West End, where access and staging add time. Historic properties under design review, copper or specialty metal, and repairs that uncover rotted decking all move the number up.

We give you 2 to 3 estimates before you commit, and we explain what each one covers so you can compare like for like. Our full pricing overview breaks down the ranges by job type, and the estimate itself is free. If the flashing failure is part of a larger problem, we tell you that up front rather than selling a patch that will not hold through the next thaw.

Hiring a Metal Roofing Contractor Near Me for Flashing Work in Allentown

Flashing is detail work, and the contractor you hire matters more here than on a full re-roof. Ask for proof of licensing and insurance, get at least two or three written estimates, and ask for references from jobs in Allentown or the surrounding boroughs. Confirm who pulls the permit if the repair is tied to a larger roofing project, and check whether your home sits in a historic district or under HOA design review before you settle on a metal type or finish.

We are a Metal Roofing Alliance member, we carry insurance, and we can send a certificate on request. Reach out through our contact page to set up a free estimate, or call (610) 600-9879 and we will get someone out to look at the chimney or skylight that has been giving you trouble.

Flashing, Chimney & Skylight Repair in Allentown: Pricing Guide

Indicative pricing, the exact cost depends on square footage, finish, and site access. Free personalized estimate within 24h at (610) 600-9879.