A chimney cricket (also called a saddle) is one of the most overlooked parts of a Lexington chimney, and it’s usually the reason a chimney that “never leaked before” suddenly starts leaking after a hard rain. If your chimney sits wider than about 30 inches and you’re not sure whether it has a cricket, it’s worth checking before the fall rains set in.
What Is a Chimney Cricket?
A chimney cricket is a small peaked structure built into the roof on the uphill side of the chimney that splits rainwater and diverts it around the chimney instead of letting it pool against the back wall.
Without one, water running down the roof slope hits the back of the chimney, backs up under the flashing, and slowly works its way into the attic or the chimney chase — often for years before anyone notices a stain on the ceiling.
When Lexington Homes Need One
Code requires a cricket on any chimney wider than 30 inches measured across the high side, which covers most of the larger brick chimneys common on Lexington’s older Fayette County homes. On the chimney repairs we do around Lexington, a missing or undersized cricket is one of the most common defects we find — it’s easy for a roofer to skip during a re-roof if the original chimney never had one, since building a proper cricket takes more time than running flashing straight across.
The give-away is usually water staining on the ceiling near the chimney, or moisture inside the attic directly behind the chimney chase, even when the chimney’s step and counter-flashing look intact from the ground.
What a Proper Cricket Repair Involves
- Framing or building up a peaked cricket on the roof deck at the chimney’s uphill side
- Slope equal to or greater than the main roof, so water actually sheds instead of pooling
- New step flashing and counterflashing tied into the cricket on both valleys
- Sealing the counterflashing into the brick mortar joint, not just caulked to the surface
Typical cost to build and flash a new cricket on an existing Lexington chimney runs $500-$1,400, depending on chimney width, roof pitch, and how much of the existing flashing has to come out to tie it in cleanly. That’s a general range — a cricket on a steep, hard-to-access roof costs more than one on a low-slope ranch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my chimney needs a cricket?
If your chimney is wider than 30 inches on the uphill side and you have water stains on the ceiling or in the attic near the chimney, a missing or failed cricket is one of the first things worth checking.
Can a cricket be added without replacing the whole roof?
Yes. A cricket repair only requires opening the roof around the chimney, not the entire roof surface, so it can usually be done as a standalone repair.
Is a cricket the same thing as flashing?
No. Flashing seals the joint between the roof and the chimney; the cricket is the peaked structure that redirects water so it never pools against that flashing in the first place. A chimney can have good flashing and still leak if it has no cricket.
Source: UpCodes — IRC Chimney Cricket Requirements.
Not sure if your chimney has a cricket? Call or text us at (859) 310-1209, or
Last updated: September 20, 2026