Chimney Repair in Alpharetta, GA

Alpharetta has a lot of traditional and craftsman-style homes with prominent chimneys — architectural features that also happen to be the single most failure-prone zone on most roofs. A chimney is essentially a column of masonry penetrating your roof system, sealed at the base with metal flashing and at the top with a cap and crown. Any one of those components failing — and all of them eventually do — creates a water entry point that can be trickling into your home for months before you notice it inside.

A Real Job from Haynes Bridge Road Area — Alpharetta

A 3,200 sq ft craftsman-style home near Haynes Bridge, built in 2001. Brick chimney on the rear elevation, wide enough to create a substantial shadow zone behind it on the main roof slope.

Water damage appearing on the ceiling of the great room below and to the rear of the chimney — not immediately adjacent, but several feet away. The homeowner assumed it was a shingle issue and had a handyman apply caulk around the chimney base. The stain continued growing over the following winter.

The immediate flashing was actually not the problem. The issue was behind the chimney — no cricket had ever been installed. A cricket is a peaked structure built behind wide chimneys to divert water flow around the chimney rather than letting it collect against the rear face. Georgia code requires crickets on chimneys over 30 inches wide; this one measured 36 inches across and had never had one. Every rain was pooling behind the chimney and finding its way under the flashing at the rear base.

Built and installed a properly framed cricket behind the chimney — plywood sheathing over the framing, ice-and-water shield, and shingles matching the main roof. Replaced the rear base flashing and step flashing along the sides while we had everything open. New chimney cap to replace the original that was showing rust and had a compromised seal.

No recurrence through multiple rain events and a winter season. The homeowner mentioned that the caulk had cost him $200 twice and solved nothing — the cricket cost more but was a one-time permanent fix. That's the difference between treating a symptom and addressing the actual issue.

What We Handle on the Roofing Side

Our chimney work covers the components that connect the chimney to the roof system: complete flashing replacement (step flashing woven with the shingles, counter flashing embedded in mortar joints — not just caulked), chimney cap installation and replacement, crown repair and sealing, and cricket installation behind wide chimneys. We also assess the overall condition of the masonry from the roof level and let you know if what we see warrants a mason's attention — we don't take on structural brick and mortar work, but we'll tell you clearly if that's what a chimney needs.

For full repair services, see our roof repair page. Chimney-area leaks often also involve flashing — our free inspection will identify exactly what's needed.

Water showing up near your fireplace? Call (678) 766-9646 — we'll trace where it's actually coming from.