What Is Step Flashing?
Step flashing is a series of small bent metal pieces, one per shingle course, installed where a sloped roof meets a vertical wall. Each piece tucks under the shingle above and lies over the shingle below, so water steps down the wall line and out onto the roof surface.
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Step flashing is a series of small bent metal pieces, one per shingle course, installed where a sloped roof meets a vertical wall. Each piece tucks under the shingle above and lies over the shingle below, so water steps down the wall line and out onto the roof surface.
Step Flashing explained
Each piece is an L-shaped bend of galvanized steel, aluminum, or copper, with one leg lying on the roof and the other turned up against the wall. The pieces go in as the shingles go on, one per course, each overlapping the one below it. The vertical leg tucks behind the wall covering, such as siding, so water running down the wall lands on the metal and is directed onto the shingles. The bent shape lets the roof and the wall move a little without breaking the seal.
Sidewalls, dormer cheeks, and the sides of chimneys are all step flashing locations, and they account for plenty of the leak calls a roofing company runs. On a replacement estimate it is a linear-foot line, and it should be replaced rather than reused. Adjusters sometimes leave it out where siding hides the joint. Photos of corroded metal, or of a smear of caulk where flashing should be, give a rep a concrete reason to put it in the scope.
The usual shortcut is one long strip of bent metal running the length of the wall, called continuous or L flashing. It cannot flex with the roof and is a common source of leaks. Caulk is the other stand-in, and it ages out long before metal does. At the lower end, where the wall meets the eave, a missing kickout flashing sends water down behind the siding, which can rot the wall long before anyone sees a stain inside.
Why it matters when you're buying
Wall-to-roof joints are where leaks hide, so this is where a rep’s knowledge buys trust. Naming step flashing, kickouts, and the caulk shortcut tells the homeowner the estimator checked the joints where leaks start. In a claim, the same knowledge backs a supplement with photos instead of an argument.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can step flashing be reused when a roof is replaced?
Why does step flashing use separate pieces instead of one long strip?
What is kickout flashing?
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