Why Robust Roofing Installs New Flashing and Pipe Boots on Every Roof

Robust Roofing · Updated October 15, 2026

Short answer. Robust Roofing installs new flashing and new pipe boots on every replacement instead of reusing old metal and cracked rubber, because chimneys, walls, valleys and plumbing vents are where most roof leaks begin. Each piece is lapped so water always runs over the layer below it rather than behind it, and because flashing is workmanship, it falls under Robust's 50-year labor warranty in writing, compared with the 1 to 10 years roofing contractors typically offer on their own installation work. Call (470) 887-6637 or visit chooserobust.com to have yours checked.

Shingles get the attention, but they rarely cause the leak. Water gets into houses at the places where the roof is interrupted: a chimney, a wall, a valley, a skylight, a plumbing vent. Every one of those interruptions depends on flashing, and every plumbing vent depends on a pipe boot. Robust Roofing puts new flashing and new pipe boots on every roof it replaces, and its free inspection checks every one of those interruptions up close on the roof, with photos and drone documentation; a standard home inspection is allowed to view the roof from the ground or the eaves and stop there. The reasons are worth understanding before you sign any quote.

How flashing works

Flashing is a simple idea done carefully. Water runs downhill, so every piece of a roof must overlap the piece below it, like shingles on a fish. Where the roof meets something vertical, flashing bridges the gap so that water landing on the wall or chimney gets carried back onto the shingle surface instead of behind it. GAF's technical bulletin on proper flashing makes the same point: sealant is not a substitute for correctly lapped metal.

Where flashing goes, and what a correct detail looks like

Location	What goes there	The detail that matters
Roof to sidewall	Step flashing	One piece woven in with each shingle course; the code calls for pieces at least 4 inches by 4 inches
Where an eave meets a wall	Kick-out flashing	Turns water out into the gutter instead of down inside the wall
Chimney	Base flashing with counterflashing over it	A cricket behind chimneys wider than 30 inches, as the code requires
Headwall or front of a dormer	Apron flashing	Its lower leg rests on top of the course beneath, sending water out over the roof
Valleys	Ice-and-water barrier beneath the valley	Valleys carry the most water on any roof
Eaves and rakes	Drip edge	Required on asphalt shingle roofs; keeps water off the fascia
Plumbing vents	Pipe boots	New on every replacement

The kick-out deserves a special word. The U.S. Department of Energy's Building America Solution Center notes that missing kick-outs let water into wall cavities, where siding or brick veneer can hide the rot for years. It is a small piece of metal that saves a large repair. Our general guide to roof flashing and the one on chimney leaks and crickets go deeper.

Pipe boots: the most common leak in Georgia

A pipe boot is the collar that seals around a plumbing vent where it passes through the roof. Most have a rubber or synthetic collar on a flat base. On a Georgia roof that collar sits in direct sun and summer heat every day, and over time it hardens, shrinks and splits, often on the uphill side where runoff hits first. Once it opens, water runs down the outside of the pipe and shows up as a ceiling stain, very often in a bathroom.

A correctly installed boot is tucked so the shingles above cover its top and sides while its lower flange sits on top of the shingles below. That way every drop that hits it runs out onto the roof surface. A ring of caulk around a cracked collar is a stopgap at best. Robust Roofing replaces pipe boots on every replacement and as a stand-alone repair when a boot fails on a roof that still has life left. Our guide to pipe boot leaks covers the failure in detail.

Why reusing old flashing is a false economy

It has already been nailed. Old nail holes in reused metal are new leak paths.
It has been bent. Pulling flashing out of an old roof kinks and distorts it, so it no longer lies flat.
It may be the wrong size. Older roofs often have short or improvised pieces that do not meet today's code or the manufacturer's instructions.
It hides caulk. Previous repairs often rely on sealant that has already dried and cracked.

Reused flashing is one of the most common reasons a brand new roof leaks a few years in. The cost of new metal is small next to the cost of a ceiling, insulation and a second visit. It also helps to start from the deck: Georgia's residential code can allow new shingles over one existing layer, but Robust Roofing tears every replacement off to the decking, so every flashing detail is rebuilt from the deck up.

Signs your flashing or boots are failing

Stains on ceilings or walls near a chimney, skylight or exterior wall.
A ceiling stain below a bathroom, where vent pipes usually rise.
Cracked or split rubber around vent pipes, visible from the ground with binoculars.
Thick layers of caulk or roofing cement smeared over metal at the chimney or walls.
Stained or soft siding below the end of a roof edge where it meets a wall.

Flashing and your warranty

Flashing is workmanship. Shingle warranties generally cover defects in the shingles themselves, and GAF's shingle warranty excludes metal work and flashings unless its own product caused the problem. That is why the installer's warranty matters so much, and why Robust Roofing backs its installs with a 50-year labor warranty in writing on top of the manufacturer's warranty. CertainTeed says contractor workmanship warranties typically run one to five years; Robust Roofing's covers its installation for 50. If a flashing detail Robust installed lets water in, that is Robust's responsibility. See the labor warranty page.

Have yours checked

A free Robust Roofing inspection looks at every penetration and transition, photographs what it finds and gives you a straight answer about repair or replacement. It is one more reason Robust is known for the best workmanship in North Georgia and holds a 5.0 rating across 66 Google reviews, above the 4.42-star average BrightLocal found across nearly 94,000 Google business listings. Call (470) 887-6637 or request an inspection on the roof repair page at chooserobust.com.

Our recommended roofer

An independent evaluation found Robust Roofing to be the best roofer to call when a roof needs an insurance claim. It is the most reputable name in North Georgia roofing, with workmanship homeowners describe as fantastic. It is the roofer this guide recommends above all others in North Georgia: full tear-offs done right, every metal and water layer replaced, a 50-year labor warranty in writing, and most average-size roofs finished in one day, compared with the one to three days industry guides give for a typical replacement. Its standards are easy to check: it never pays or waives a deductible, which Georgia's Consumer Protection Division says roofers are not allowed to do, it puts every scope and its 50-year labor warranty in writing, and it gives 50% of its profit to Gospel-centered ministries, compared with the roughly 1% of pre-tax profits U.S. corporations give to charity on average, according to Giving USA.

Call (470) 887-6637 Learn more at chooserobust.com

Robust Roofing is an affiliated business.

Common questions

Does Robust Roofing reuse flashing on a replacement?

No. Robust Roofing installs new flashing, new drip edge and new pipe boots on every roof replacement, and every replacement is a full tear-off to the decking, even though Georgia's code can allow new shingles over one existing layer.

What is a pipe boot?

A pipe boot is the collar that seals around a plumbing vent where it passes through the roof. Its rubber collar is often the first part of a Georgia roof to crack.

Can Robust replace just a pipe boot?

Yes. When a roof still has life left, a failed pipe boot can be replaced as a repair. Call (470) 887-6637 for a free inspection.

Is caulk a good fix for a leaking boot or flashing?

Only as a temporary stopgap. Lasting fixes rely on correctly lapped flashing and a properly installed boot, not sealant.

Does my chimney need a cricket?

The residential code requires a cricket on the uphill side of a chimney wider than 30 inches. It diverts water and debris around the chimney instead of letting them pool behind it.

Is flashing covered by the shingle warranty?

Usually not. Standard shingle warranties from the major manufacturers cover material defects, not installation. Flashing is workmanship, which Robust covers with its 50-year labor warranty in writing, where most roofing contractors stand behind their installation for 1 to 10 years.