What Is a Roof Cricket? How This Funny-Sounding Feature Could Save You Thousands

When you hear “roof cricket,” you’re probably thinking of some four-legged insect that hops. But actually, a cricket in roofing refers to an essential structure that helps divert water on your roof to protect it from some of the most common roof issues, like water damage. Depending on your roof’s pitch and structure, the building code may require a roof cricket. But even if it’s not required, it may be a good idea to install one anyway. 

Keep reading to learn more about what a roof cricket is and whether or not you need one.

What is a Roof Cricket?

Some people refer to a roof cricket as a water traffic cop. Like how a policeman helps divert traffic away from a wreck or other issue, roof crickets do the same thing with water. 

Roof, also called saddles, crickets are pieces of metal installed at an angle around structures that jut from your roof, like HVAC units, chimneys, or skylights. The slope of the metal diverts water away from these structures to help extend the lifetime of your roof (and avoid the high cost of roof replacement for as long as possible).

Importance of Roof Crickets

Without a roof cricket in place, water will pool at the base of any structure on your roof—and standing water on your roof nearly always spells disaster. And there’s no telling how much damage a leaking roof can cause, especially if left unchecked for years. 

If you have a chimney, skylight, or other type of roof, you probably need roof crickets.

• Avoid leaks: Pooled water can seep into seams, flashing, and shingles, causing leaks, especially around penetrations. So if you need to fix a leaking chimney and don’t have a cricket in place, that’s the perfect place to start.

• Prevent wood rot: When moisture gets trapped under your shingles, it can lead to mold or wood rot—which impacts the integrity of your roof.

• Limit ice dams: Ice dams form after a snow, when moisture pools behind a chimney and refreezes. This pushes water under your shingles, which leads to a host of other issues. 

• Extend roof life: Adding any sort of preventative measure or drainage, like a cricket, is a key roof maintenance tip to extend the lifetime of your roof and its materials.

Are Roof Crickets Required

IRC requires roof crickets on any roof penetrations that are wider than 30 inches and perpendicular to the roof's slope. But some local codes have stricter rules, like those with more snow and ice. For example, any Denver home with penetrations wider than 30 inches must have a roof cricket, regardless of the slope of its roof. And some areas with very little snow or rain, like Phoenix, may offer exceptions to the rule.

That being said, even if your home doesn’t fit the requirements, you should probably consider installing a roof cricket for added safety. Some roof types, such as flat roofs or butterfly roofs, may not be required by law to have a cricket, but they are highly susceptible to issues like ice dams and could greatly benefit from its installation. 

Roof Cricket Cost

Installing a roof cricket alongside a new roof will be more affordable than adding one after the fact. That’s because the roofing company can buy your items in bulk and wrap the labor costs in with all the other work. As part of a complete roof installation, the cricket itself will run between $700 and $1,000. A one-off cricket installation can run upward of $1,500.

While these costs may seem expensive, the potential costs associated with not repairing or installing a roof cricket can be much more expensive. Whenever you notice a common warning sign you need a new roof or a cricket repair, it’s important that you hire a pro immediately to tackle the job.