Keith Hill's side have not lost away from home in the league since the opening day of the season and this latest performance showed why they are such a dangerous outfit on their travels.
The pace of the front line conjured goals from nowhere and, although Chesterfield came back strongly in the second half, Rochdale hung on to chalk up their seventh away victory of the campaign.
For the home side, it was another disappointment and they will need to tighten up if they are to have any chance of contesting the promotion places at the end of the season.
The Spireites also have plenty of pace and skill going forward and Jack Lester scored his 19th goal of the season to pull Chesterfield level early in the second half.
The first 45 minutes had belonged to Rochdale with Perkins firing in from 12 yards in the 18th minute and then nutmegging Aaron Downes near the touchline before bending a shot past Barry Roche six minutes before the interval.
Chesterfield had to improve and they did with Downes heading home a corner in the 49th minute before Lester's deflected shot ten minutes later wrong-footed Dale keeper Sam Russell.
Chesterfield were now in complete control but Rochdale hung on and, in the 86th minute, Gary Jones set up Perkins whose shot from the edge of the box went just inside Roche's left-hand post.
Glenn Murray broke away to score a fourth two minutes later, but there was still time for Adam Rooney to head in off the underside of the bar for Chesterfield before Downes had a header cleared off the line in the final seconds.