Chimney survey

How it works

1. You tell us which chimneys you’d like surveyed and about any damp or leaks.
2. We look at the stack from the ground, windows and vantage points, and by drone where applicable.
3. We check inside, including chimney breasts and the roof space around the stack where access is safe.
4. We photograph the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings and note any lean.
5. Your report sets out the condition of each chimney and our recommendations.

Shared stacks

Many terraced and semi-detached houses share a chimney stack with the neighbours. We can only inspect what the owner gives access to, and we note where work may involve the house next door.

Not a flue inspection

Our chimney survey looks at the outside of the stack and the damp it can let in. It isn’t a flue, gas or sweep inspection. If you use the fireplace or a stove, a sweep or a registered engineer needs to check the flue.

Why it’s worth doing now

Chimneys stand above the roof in the full weather, so cracked flaunching, worn pointing and lifted flashings let water in long before anything shows. Loose pots and leaning stacks are also a safety risk to the street and the roof below.

What our survey covers and doesn’t

We inspect what can be seen safely: from the ground, from windows and vantage points, from inside the roof space where there is safe access, from the roof where it is safe, and by drone where applicable. Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey, not a structural engineer’s report and not an asbestos survey, and we can’t see under coverings or inside walls without opening them up. Where a roof may contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag it so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check before it is disturbed.

What our survey covers

What affects the price

• The size and height of the roof
• How many roofs there are, including extensions, dormers and garages
• How complex the roof is: valleys, parapets, chimneys and different levels
• Access to the roof space and the roof
• The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
• Whether drone inspection or thermal imaging is needed
• For commercial roofs and blocks, the size of the roof and the number of buildings

What to check before booking a roof surveyor

• What the report includes, and when you’ll get it
• Whether photographs are included
• How the roof will be inspected: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
• Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
• For drone work, a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
• What the survey doesn’t cover
• The price, including VAT

After the survey

Deal with anything loose first. Use the report to brief roofers or builders on the stack, and if your stack is shared with the house next door, talk to your neighbours early. Remember that a sweep or registered engineer still needs to check any flue you use.