You are closing a roof-to-wall junction, and the roofer and siding crew each expect the other to finish it. Resolve that handoff before covering the wall. Kick-out flashing redirects runoff at the bottom of a sloped roof’s sidewall into the gutter, away from the wall below. PNNL’s roof-wall guide shows why the diverter belongs in the drainage assembly.
Name the installer and check the junction before it is covered. Ordering the diverter does not tell the next crew how to connect the roof flashing to the wall barrier.
Where kick-out flashing belongs
Look at the lower end of a roof edge that runs alongside a taller wall. Step flashing follows the sloped intersection. The kick-out forms the discharge at its lower end. Without that transition, concentrated runoff can reach the wall beneath the eave.
PNNL documents concealed sheathing and framing damage from deficient flashing. Roof-wall intersections.
Before construction, mark each junction on an elevation. Include porch roofs, additions, and small roof returns. Photograph the location from far enough away to show the roof, wall, fascia, and planned gutter together. Then take a close-up of the flashing detail.
Do not order a quantity from the front elevation alone. Walk the whole building with the roofing foreman. Give each marked location an identifier that the siding and gutter crews can recognize.
The roofing trade page helps define the wider package. Keep this article’s check focused on the point where roof runoff leaves the sidewall.
Connect the diverter to the whole water path
Trace the water path from the roof and wall to the gutter. PNNL’s wall drainage guide explains the principle: upper water-control layers overlap lower flashings so drainage travels outward.
Use that principle to question the proposed assembly. Ask the foreman to trace water from the wall barrier onto the flashing, through the diverter, and into the receiving gutter. Ask the siding installer to show which portion stays exposed after cladding.
Follow the gutter’s discharge route through the downspout too. PNNL’s gutter guide treats gutters and downspouts as parts of roof-water management. Check where the kick-out meets the gutter.
Bring the selected siding instructions to the walk. James Hardie’s technical library provides clearance guidance for its products. Use the actual cladding’s requirements; do not copy a clearance from another siding system.
Assign installation and acceptance separately
PNNL describes roofing installation coordinated with housewrap and siding installers, with the appropriate task assigned in the contract. Check whether your roofing subcontract includes that work. Installation responsibilities.
Use this sheet to agree the trade split before awarding the work.
Scroll to read all columns.
| Task | Assignment to record | Evidence to request |
|---|---|---|
| Select the junction detail | Builder with the responsible designer or manufacturer | Detail identifier and applicable products |
| Supply and fit the diverter | Named roofing or enclosure installer | Installed condition before siding |
| Integrate the wall barrier | Named WRB installer | Visible laps and transition photographs |
| Finish cladding around it | Siding crew | Required clearances and open discharge |
| Receive runoff | Gutter installer | Installed gutter at the discharge |
| Accept before concealment | Builder’s named site lead | Dated release or correction list |
Ask each bidder to acknowledge its row. If two bidders exclude the transition, resolve it before award. If both include it, select one installer and keep the other crew’s assigned connections in its scope.
Keep the water-resistive barrier handoff beside the roofing scope. The two packages need the same detail reference.
Check it before the wall closes
Stop and check these items before the siding crew covers the junction:
- Confirm the installed location matches the marked elevation.
- Compare the assembly with the selected roof and wall instructions.
- Identify the lower flashing and the wall layer that drains over it.
- Check the diverter’s outlet against the planned gutter position.
- Ask the siding lead to mark the finished cladding edge.
- Record unresolved items and assign the correction.
- Recheck the finished junction after the gutter arrives.
Keep wide and close photographs together. Label them with the elevation, junction identifier, product, and date. Show enough of the wall for someone who missed the walk to find the junction.
If the gutter is not installed yet, keep that check open. Release only the work that has been checked. A photo of the diverter alone does not show that the full runoff route is complete.
For Raleigh projects, the city requires roof and wall-opening flashing to remain visible at framing inspection. Residential inspection guidance. Confirm the project’s inspection timing before the cladding delivery.
Investigate a leak before choosing a repair
If you see staining below a roof-wall junction, document the location and notify the builder. Request a review of the assembly before choosing a repair. Do not promise that adding one exposed piece will resolve every possible entry path.
For a callback, use a short investigation record:
- Where the owner sees water or staining.
- Which weather conditions accompanied the report, as reported by the owner.
- Which roof, wall, opening, and gutter details are nearby.
- Which construction photographs and product documents are available.
- Who will inspect the concealed transition if opening work is authorized.
- Who will review the repair before finishes return.
Separate observations from conclusions. “Stain below porch eave” records a location. “Siding caused the leak” assigns responsibility before the investigation.
For a reroof or siding replacement, add a stop point for exposed conditions. Have the builder approve the repair scope after the assembly can be inspected. Agree how discovered damage, replacement materials, and return visits will be priced before restarting.
Use the governing detail, not a remembered dimension
North Carolina’s OSFM code page lists current codes and amendments. Check the permit’s governing edition and the selected product instructions when reviewing dimensions or material requirements.
Put the document names and revisions on the handoff sheet. Ask the responsible designer or manufacturer to resolve a conflict before installation. Use a sketch from another job to explain a question, then get approval for this job’s detail.
Carry the same approach to window sill pan flashing. Each water-management transition needs an identified assembly, an installer, and a check before concealment.
Example of a clear release note
For example, label the rear porch junction K2 in the handoff note. Assign the selected flashing detail to the roofer and the wall transition to the enclosure installer. Add separate siding-clearance and gutter checks.
The note lists the checks still open at the junction. Ask each assigned lead to confirm completion against the same location. Keep the final release with the photographs and applicable detail.
Where Cercha fits
Cercha’s trade, ZIP, and radius search can help you start conversations with roofing and siding contractors in the Triangle launch market. Review portfolios and builder or sub endorsements, then use Messages to discuss relevant project experience. Agree the flashing detail and contract responsibilities directly with the project team.