Reading · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Arborfield, Reading
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Arborfield. We have completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
- A chimney out of line
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
Arborfield homes and their roofs
Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles, and flat-roofed additions turn up almost everywhere. Whatever the covering, it’s often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. What can be done to an older roof may depend on listing or a conservation area. Your council and Historic England’s list will tell you where you stand.
For landlords with property near Winnersh station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. If you look after a building such as The Coombes Church of England Primary School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time. If you live near a park like Pearman's Copse, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
Arborfield is about 3 miles west of Wokingham, in Reading. In Arborfield, as across Reading, every roof gets the same careful survey. Arborfield is one of the towns and villages in Reading where we work for chimney surveys.
Here we cover the RG2 postcode area for chimney surveys. That includes homes and businesses on Church Lane, Walden Avenue and Cartershill Lane and the roads around them. We also cover Shinfield (2 miles west), Lower Earley (2 miles north), Ryeish Green (2 miles west), Earley (2 miles north) and Whitley Wood (2 miles north-west). Further out, we also cover Caversham (6 miles north-west), Norcot (6 miles north-west), West Reading (5 miles north-west), Tilehurst Within (6 miles north-west), Caversham Heights (6 miles north-west) and Horncastle (6 miles north-west).
Around Arborfield
We work in homes and buildings around Swan Inn, Bohunt School Wokingham and Pearman's Copse and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Winnersh station, roughly 2.5 miles north-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Wokingham Hospital (3 miles east) and Berkshire Library & Museum of Freemasonry (1.8 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include South Lake and Sonning Hill.
Chimney survey in Arborfield: what you get
Many homes have chimneys that are no longer used. A disused stack still needs looking after. Capping a stack without ventilation can trap moisture and lead to damp inside. Our survey looks at how each unused stack has been capped and checks the breasts for damp. The report sets out what we found and what we recommend. We survey chimney pots and cowls, lead flashings and brick chimney stacks, and common reasons people get in touch are damp on a chimney breast inside and unused flues sealed without airflow.
Somewhere as small as Arborfield, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. We report on everything that’s safely in view, and thatch is a specialist material. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
Where we can’t see part of the chimney stack, the report says so. You will know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t.
- Place
- Arborfield (RG2)
- Wider area
- Reading
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
FAQs for Arborfield
How do I find out if my home in Arborfield is listed?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Do you cover smaller places like Arborfield?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Does the report include photographs?
Yes. We photograph the roof as we go, and the report uses them to show each finding.
Do you inspect the flue?
No. A flue inspection, sweep or gas safety check is a separate job. We look at the stack, pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings, and damp inside and flag anything that suggests the flue needs a look.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Do I need to be at home?
Someone needs to let us in if we’re looking inside or in the loft. We’ll talk about access as you book.
Does the weather affect the survey?
It can, depending on the survey. Drones cannot fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. If the conditions aren’t right, we will talk to you about another date.
Practical tips
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
The report is emailed to you, ready to share with a roofer or builder. Each defect is described in plain words and shown in a photo so anyone reading it can see what we saw.
Have aerial and dish brackets on the stack checked, and moved if they’re working it loose. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
How the survey works
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the roof space is checked as well as the outside. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement, as far as the space allows. The whole visit normally takes about 1–2 hours for most houses, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Somewhere like Arborfield needs a little journey planning: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Getting ready for the survey
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Tell us about parking before the day
Getting a price
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Related advice
Checking the roof from ground level
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Don’t go up yourself.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
What happens if roof problems are left?
For a buyer, the best time to learn about a chimney is before exchange. After that, any work is yours to arrange and pay for. Our report gives you facts to raise with the seller or agent. Around Arborfield, older homes frequently have old roof timbers, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it’s left.
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package matters as well. We will give you the figure before anything is booked.
Why us?
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- PI and public liability insurance
Read our cost guide or our case studies.
For landlords and managing agents
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, with the most urgent items set out first.
Landlords, agents and building managers in Arborfield and across Reading can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Also near Arborfield
What else we do in Arborfield
What we can’t see
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- Conditions inside walls
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks