A cricket — sometimes called a saddle — is a miniature peaked roof built on the uphill side of a chimney or any wide obstruction on a sloped roof. Without one, everything flowing down that slope — water, fir needles, leaves — runs straight into the flat back of the chimney and stops. The cricket's little ridge splits the flow and sends it around both sides, where the chimney's step flashing and counter-flashing can do their job. Crickets are framed and sheathed like tiny roofs, then covered in shingles or metal.
Why crickets matter in Douglas County
Our roofs deal with two things chimneys hate: 130-plus rain days and a constant drizzle of debris from oaks and Douglas-firs. Behind an uncricketed chimney, that debris builds into a soggy dam that holds water against the flashing for weeks at a time in winter. Code generally requires a cricket behind chimneys wider than 30 inches, and around here we'd argue for one on anything close to that. It's a small piece of carpentry that prevents one of the most stubborn leak patterns we see.
When it's missing, what it costs you
Chimney-back leaks are sneaky: water wicks into the flashing joints, tracks down the chimney chase, and shows up as stains on the ceiling or wall near the chimney — often blamed on the chimney cap first. By then, sheathing behind the chimney may be rotten, turning a modest repair into structural work. If your chimney back collects a needle pile every fall, get it looked at before the rains; our winter roofing guide covers the pre-season checklist, and a reroof is the perfect moment to add the cricket that should have been there all along.
Can a cricket be added without reroofing?
Yes — a cricket can be retrofitted by opening the area behind the chimney, framing the saddle, and reflashing. It costs more than doing it during a reroof, but far less than repeated leak repairs and rot.
Related terms
Step flashing · Counter-flashing · Valley · Kick-out flashing · Pipe boot