Flashing, Chimney & Skylight Repair in Paterson, NJ

Paterson roofs sit on rocky Piedmont ground below the Great Falls, packed with brick and stone and shaded by red maples, sycamores and Norway maples that drop debris into every valley and wall joint. The city's housing stock runs from 1880s Victorian and Italianate mansions near Hamilton Park to dense two- and three-family frame rowhouses in Sandy Hill and Riverside, and every one of those roofs has a chimney, a dormer, a valley or a skylight where water finds a way in. Flashing, Chimney & Skylight Repair in Paterson is the work that stops those leaks at the source, not at the ceiling stain. We bend metal on site for a precise fit against brick, slate, shingle and standing seam, and we seal the joints that freeze-thaw cycles tear open every winter. If your leak trace points to a penetration rather than the field of the roof, start with our metal roof leak repair page and we will confirm the source on site.

Why Flashing, Chimney and Skylight Repair Is the Number One Leak Fix in Paterson

Most of Paterson's roofs are old enough that the original flashing has already failed once. Brick chimneys on the 1900s rowhouses around Sandy Hill and Eastside wick water into the mortar joints, and the step flashing that was tucked in a century ago has rusted, pulled loose or been covered over by a previous patch. Skylights on the 1920s-50s Cape Cods and Dutch Colonials in Hillcrest and the Totowa section are another chronic entry point, especially where the curb was framed into a low-pitch roof. Add nor'easter wind, ice dams and heavy summer thunderstorms, and the penetrations take more punishment than the field of the roof ever does.

• Chimney flashing fails first on brick stacks because freeze-thaw opens the counter-flashing seal every winter.
• Skylight curbs on older Paterson homes leak when the original curb flashing is nailed rather than woven and stepped.
• Valley flashing on Victorian and Queen Anne roofs near the Great Falls historic district rusts through where debris from maples and oaks holds moisture.
• Brick party walls on dense rowhouse blocks need counter-flashing reset before water tracks sideways into a neighbor's ceiling.
• Dormer and sidewall flashing on Hillcrest bungalows pulls away when the siding or shingles above it settle.

We treat every penetration as a custom fabrication job, not a caulk-and-hope repair, because that is what actually holds through a Passaic County winter.

Key info: On a 1910s two-family in Riverside, the leak showed up as a ceiling stain three feet from the chimney. The culprit was a failed step flashing joint hidden under the shingles, not the chimney cap the homeowner had already replaced twice. We rebuilt the entire chimney flashing assembly in bent aluminum and the stain stopped.

Roofing permits and inspection requirements in Paterson vary by scope and jurisdiction, so confirm the current rules with the City of Paterson building department before any structural flashing or skylight replacement begins.

How We Repair Flashing, Chimneys and Skylights on Paterson Roofs

We start by finding the actual leak path, not the stain. On metal roofs we check the panel laps, fastener gaskets and every penetration before we touch a tool, because water travels along the underside of panels and shows up far from the entry point. Once we confirm the source, we fabricate the replacement flashing in our shop or on the roof to match the existing profile and material, then install it in the correct sequence so each layer sheds water over the one below.

1. We inspect the roof, chimney, skylight curb and all valleys, and we photograph each failure point before work starts.
2. We remove the failed flashing and any rotten underlayment or sheathing beneath it.
3. We bend new flashing from coil stock to the exact dimensions of the chimney, curb or wall.
4. We install step flashing, counter-flashing and pan flashing in the correct overlap order.
5. We seal with compatible polyurethane or butyl, never silicone over old caulk.
6. We water-test the repair and document it for your records or insurance file.

Every repair ends with a water test and a photo record, so you know exactly what was fixed and why.

Key info: A standing seam roof on a newer colonial in Fair Lawn had a skylight leak that two other contractors had tried to fix with sealant. The curb flashing had been installed over the panel ribs instead of in a proper pan, so water ran sideways under the metal. We cut back the panels, built a soldered pan, and re-set the skylight curb correctly.

If the inspection turns up storm-related damage beyond the flashing, we handle that through our storm and wind damage repair service.

Flashing Repair Methods We Use on Paterson Roofs

The right method depends on the roof material, the pitch and the condition of the penetration. We match the approach to the building, not the other way around, and we tell you plainly when a repair will not hold and a rebuild is the honest answer.

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

Most single-penetration flashing repairs in Paterson start at From $600 and go up from there. That figure covers a straightforward chimney or skylight re-flash with new bent metal, new sealant and a water test. The price moves when the job is bigger: a full chimney rebuild with new counter-flashing and mortar repair, a skylight curb that has to be re-framed, or a valley replacement that requires opening several courses of roofing. Access matters too, because a three-story brick rowhouse in Sandy Hill takes more setup than a one-story ranch in Fair Lawn.

Getting two or three estimates is smart on this kind of work. Flashing repairs are often quoted from the ground, and a contractor who has not been on the roof cannot see whether the sheathing is rotten or the leak is coming from somewhere else entirely. Ask each contractor to show you photos of the failure point and to explain the repair sequence. You can see how we structure estimates on our pricing page, and we will always tell you when a repair is not worth doing and a replacement makes more sense.

What to Look for When Hiring a Metal Roofing Contractor Near Paterson

Hiring for flashing work near Paterson means hiring someone who will get on the roof, not someone who will quote it from the driveway. Ask for proof of New Jersey licensure and insurance before work starts, and ask whether the crew is employees or subcontractors. Check references from jobs in Paterson or a neighboring town with similar housing stock, because a contractor who only works on new construction may not know how to flash a 100-year-old brick chimney. Confirm who pulls the permit if one is required, and ask how historic district or HOA design review affects the materials on your block.

Reach out through our contact page to schedule a free estimate, or call (973) 333-4969 and we will set a time to get on the roof and find the actual leak.

Flashing, Chimney & Skylight Repair in Paterson: Pricing Guide

Indicative pricing, the exact cost depends on square footage, finish, and site access. Free personalized estimate within 24h at (973) 333-4969.