Pipe boot
A rubber or metal collar that seals around a roof's plumbing vent pipe.
A pipe boot (also called a vent boot or pipe flashing) is the collar that seals the gap where a plumbing vent pipe pokes through the roof. The rubber gasket at its center is one of the most common sources of roof leaks: sun and weather crack it within 10–15 years, well before the shingles wear out. If a ceiling stain sits below a vent pipe, a failed pipe boot is the first suspect — see [how to find a roof leak](/guides/how-to-clean-a-leaky-roof-find-the-source).