Custom flashing bent to your dimensions
Custom Metal Flashing for New Jersey Roofs, Walls and Chimneys
Custom metal flashing in NJ is the formed metal that seals each place a roof meets a wall, a chimney, a valley or another roof. We cut and bend every piece in our New Brunswick shop to the dimensions and profiles your roofer or contractor sends, in Galvalume steel, aluminum or 16 oz copper. Written quotes come within 24-48 hours, and orders are delivered or picked up at the shop. Owners can request a quote; builders can send plans.
- Owner's 26+ years in metal
- Delivery or shop pickup
- Free written quotes
What is metal flashing, and why does it fail?
Flashing is formed metal that steers water away from joints that the roofing or wall cladding cannot seal by itself. It fails when it is missing, too short, lapped the wrong way, or held in place by sealant instead of by laps.
Most roof leaks start at an edge or an intersection, not in the open field of the roof. Water runs downhill and, in wind, sideways and even uphill for a short distance. Good flashing works with gravity: each upper piece laps over the one below, so water always drains outward. Sealant is a backup, not the barrier.
Our guide to metal roof flashing and where leaks start walks through the most common failures in more detail.
Which types of flashing do we fabricate?
We form every common type of roof and wall flashing, plus custom pieces for odd conditions. Each one does a specific job.
Step flashing
Individual L-shaped pieces where a sloped roof meets a sidewall. Each piece laps the one below and tucks under the wall covering, so water steps down the roof instead of into the wall. On a standing seam roof, a continuous sidewall flashing does the same job.
Headwall flashing
One long piece runs along the line where a roof slope stops against a wall above it; roofers also call it apron flashing. It runs up the wall and down onto the roof, and the wall covering or a counter-flashing laps over it.
Counter-flashing
The second layer on masonry. It sits in a cut reglet in a mortar joint or under a surface-mounted termination, and it laps down over the base or step flashing so the roof and the wall can move separately.
Valley flashing
Open metal valleys line the joint where two roof slopes meet. A center crimp or diverter rib keeps water from one slope from running across and under the other.
Kick-out flashing
A small diverter at the bottom of a roof-to-wall intersection. It turns water into the gutter instead of letting it run down behind the wall cladding, a common source of hidden rot.
Chimney crickets
A sloped saddle on the uphill side of a chimney. It splits water and snow around the chimney so they do not pond against its back face. The cap on top of the chimney is a separate part; see chimney caps.
Pipe and penetration flashing
Collars and boots around vent pipes, exhaust stacks and equipment curbs, formed to the size and roof slope of each penetration.
How does flashing change on masonry?
On brick, stone and stucco, flashing comes in two parts: base flashing on the roof and counter-flashing set into the wall. The two-part design lets the roof and the wall move separately without tearing a seal.
- Cut reglets in mortar joints hold the counter-flashing. The metal is set into the cut and the reglet is sealed.
- Stepped counter-flashing follows the brick courses up the sloped sides of a chimney.
- Surface-mounted terminations suit concrete and stucco where a reglet cannot be cut, with a sealant bead along the top.
- Through-wall flashing belongs to the mason. Your roofer coordinates where the counter-flashing meets it.
When you order, tell us whether each counter-flashing goes into a reglet or a surface termination, so we form the right top edge.
It is common to find old chimney flashing that is only surface-sealed with tar or caulk instead of set into reglets. That patch can look fine for a season or two; then the sealant dries out and lets water in behind the metal.
Which metal should flashing be?
Match the flashing to the roof and the wall around it. Prefinished Galvalume steel suits metal roofs and wall panels, aluminum suits coastal homes and light trim, and 16 oz copper suits masonry, slate and historic work.
- Prefinished Galvalume steel comes in PVDF (Kynar 500 type) or SMP colors that match our standing seam and wall panels.
- Aluminum in .032 or .040 inch is light and rust-free. Keep it away from copper and from long contact with wet mortar.
- 16 oz copper solders, bends neatly into complex shapes and lasts a very long time. It suits chimneys, slate roofs and historic buildings.
Never mix metals in the same water path. Copper runoff corrodes steel and aluminum below it, and Metal Sales’ Galvalume warranty, for one, excludes areas that take runoff from copper or lead flashing. On a metal roof, flashing should be the same metal as the panels or one that is compatible with them.
Ice dams test every lap at the eaves, valleys and walls; our guide to ice dams and metal roofs in New Jersey explains how they form and where a membrane belongs.
How is flashing repaired or replaced?
Your roofer finds the actual entry point first, then replaces the flashing as a system rather than smearing sealant over it. Fixing one piece in a lapped sequence usually means opening the pieces above and below it.
- The roofer inspects inside and out: stains, attic wood, the roof and the wall around the leak.
- They open the roofing or cladding needed to reach the flashing and measure each piece.
- We form new pieces in our shop to their dimensions and sketches, for delivery or pickup.
- The roofer works from the bottom up so each lap sheds onto the piece below, with membrane underneath where needed.
- They set counter-flashing into new reglets or terminations and seal the reglets.
- They restore the roofing or cladding around the work, then check the area in the next heavy rain.
We form matching flashing with our standing seam roof panel and metal wall panel orders, and as stand-alone parts for repairs on existing roofs and walls. Drip edges, corners and other trim for the same job are on our custom trim and brake metal page.
How do you order custom metal flashing?
Send a sketch with dimensions for each piece, or plans for a larger job, and we return a written quote within 24-48 hours. There is no minimum order: one cricket and a full set of flashing for a new roof are quoted the same way.
- What to send: each piece’s profile with dimensions and bend directions, the length, the quantity, the metal and the color.
- How to send it: the quote form, the plan upload or email. A phone photo of a sketch works too; text us the picture with the measurements on it.
- Lead time: shown on your quote. Architectural and commercial jobs that call for shop drawings get them for approval first.
- Delivery: within about a 5-hour drive of New Brunswick, covering New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland. The delivery cost is quoted with the order.
- Pickup: at the shop during office hours, Monday–Friday 7 AM–5 PM.
Custom (non-stock) colors carry a minimum quantity. Have a lower written quote for the same parts? Send it with your request and we will match or beat it.
Flashing for contractors and architects
Send drawings and the sheet metal specification section, and we quote the flashing with the rest of the sheet metal on the job. We form custom metal flashing, metal coping, box gutter liners, ES-1 edge metal and trim to the same drawings and colors.
Upload plans on our send plans page and list any metals or finishes the specification names. Shop drawings come back for approval where the job calls for them. Architectural Metal Panels has been in business since 2000 and in New Jersey since 2018, and our custom sheet metal page shows everything else we form.
Metal flashing questions
Can flashing be repaired with sealant?
Only as a short-term patch. Sealant dries out and cracks with sun and temperature swings. A lasting repair replaces or re-laps the metal so water drains by gravity.
What is a chimney cricket, and do I need one?
A cricket is a small sloped roof on the uphill side of a chimney that splits water and snow around it. Wide chimneys on sloped roofs benefit the most, because water and snow otherwise pile against the back. Send us the chimney width and the roof pitch, and we form it to suit.
What is kick-out flashing?
It is a diverter at the bottom edge where a roof meets a sidewall. It turns water into the gutter so it does not run down behind the wall cladding and rot the framing.
Should my chimney flashing be copper?
Copper suits masonry chimneys, slate roofs and historic homes because it solders well and lasts, and we form chimney flashing in 16 oz copper. On a metal roof, flashing should be compatible with the roof metal, which usually means prefinished steel or aluminum.
What is counter-flashing?
It is the upper layer of a two-part flashing on masonry. It is set into a mortar joint and laps over the base flashing, so the roof and the wall can move without breaking the seal.
Can you make replacement flashing for an existing roof?
Yes. Your roofer finds the entry point, measures each piece and sends us the dimensions or a sketch. We reply with a written quote within 24-48 hours, form the new flashing to match, and you pick it up or we deliver it. Homeowners can request a quote.
Is there a minimum order for flashing?
No. We make a single piece of flashing as readily as a full roof’s worth. Only custom (non-stock) colors carry a minimum quantity.
Do you install the flashing you make?
No. We are a fabrication shop. We make custom metal flashing to your roofer’s or contractor’s dimensions, and they install it. Field dimensions are the installer’s responsibility.
Request a quote
Tell us what you need: the product, the metal and finish, and your dimensions or cut list. Attach a photo, sketch or cut list if you have one. We reply with a written quote within 24-48 hours. Delivery within about five hours of our New Brunswick shop, or pickup.
Or text a photo or sketch with dimensions to (732) 236-8750
Prefer to talk now? Call (732) 201-5224, Monday–Friday 7 AM–5 PM. Text us a photo or sketch Fully insured
Flashing made to your dimensions
Need new flashing for a wall, chimney or valley?
Have your roofer trace the water to its entry point and measure the pieces. Send us the dimensions or a sketch, and we reply within 24-48 hours with a written quote for new flashing, delivered or ready for pickup. Builders can send plans.