Chimney & Roof Cricket Installation
GEJ Roofing builds roof and chimney crickets to solve one of the most common causes of roof leaks near a chimney: water and debris pooling on the uphill side. A cricket is a small peaked structure that redirects water around the obstruction instead of letting it sit against it.
What Is a Roof Cricket?
A roof cricket (also called a saddle) is a small, peaked structure built into the roof deck directly behind a wide chimney or other roof obstruction, on the uphill side where water naturally collects. Without one, rain and debris pile up against the back of the chimney, which is a common spot for leaks, rot, and ice damming. The cricket splits the water flow and directs it around both sides of the chimney instead of letting it sit and soak in.
Building codes generally call for a cricket on any chimney wider than 30 inches measured parallel to the ridge, but GEJ Roofing will recommend one on narrower chimneys too if the roof pitch or history of the house calls for it.
What’s included
- Framing the cricket structure and tying it into the existing deck
- New decking over the framing
- Underlayment and step/counter flashing at the chimney
- Shingle installation matched to the surrounding roof
- Sealing all flashing and transition points
- Cleanup and final walkthrough
A Real Example: Murfreesboro, Tennessee
GEJ Roofing’s crew built this chimney cricket on a home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on June 3, 2018, when the business operated as a sole proprietorship – before it was formalized as GEJ Roofing LLC in 2025. Same team, same hands-on approach, just under an earlier business structure. This is a different house from the full roof replacement featured elsewhere on this site.
Warranty on This Work
Cricket and flashing work is backed by the same 5-year workmanship warranty GEJ Roofing puts behind every job, under normal conditions. See GEJ Roofing’s full warranty details.
Request a Roofing Estimate
Tell GEJ Roofing about your roof and get an honest, on-site conversation about whether a cricket or other flashing work will solve it.