London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Southampton
We cover all 40 towns and villages in Southampton for chimney surveys, with a written report and photos after every survey., with a written report and photos and surveys on weekdays and weekends.
Chimney survey across Southampton
Across Southampton, that means a survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching. Choose your town from the list to see local details. You can also book straight away on 07833 053749.
Biggest towns in Southampton
Our chimney survey service in Southampton
Our survey covers the structure of the stack and its weathering details. It is not a flue inspection, a sweep or a gas safety check. If you use a fire or a gas appliance, the flue should be checked by a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer as appropriate. If something we see points to the flue, we will say so. We survey brick chimney stacks, chimney breasts and chimney pots and cowls, and common reasons people get in touch are eroded joints in the brickwork and flaunching that has broken away.
The visit has one job: to see as much of the chimney stack as can be seen safely and record it clearly. Notes and photos go into the written report. It normally takes about one to two hours on an ordinary house, and more on a big or complicated roof.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- The stacks are looked at from the ground, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
What you’ll pay
Every price we give includes VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Why clients in Southampton book us
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- An independent view of the roof
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
Arrange a survey
Unsure which package suits your roof? It’s easiest to call 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
Local landmarks in Southampton
Typical jobs here are in homes near Saint Mary's, St Mary's Independent School and Rockstone Place Park and the streets around them. You will also find Bevois Town Primary School (less than half a mile west), The Hobbit pub (within half a mile west) and St Anne's Catholic School (0.6 miles south-west). Southampton has its own railway station: St Denys station. Other landmarks nearby include Marlands Shopping Centre (1 mile south-west) and R J Mitchell Museum (0.9 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include Netley Common.
Homes and roofs across Southampton
Across Southampton, plenty of older houses still have chimney stacks, used or not, and their flashings and pointing need checking like any other part of the roof. Valleys, gutters and fixings follow close behind.
We survey roofs across London and South East England, and Southampton is part of that. Housing here runs from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to post-war new towns and modern estates. Parts of Southampton are coastal, so wind can decide whether a drone flies or a roof can be reached safely. If conditions are not right, the visit moves to a calmer day.
Southampton: The streets around a church such as Saint Mary's are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for instance near Marlands Shopping Centre, a dated report on the roof is useful for planning and for any lease discussions.
Before and after the survey
Nothing here needs a ladder. Our suggestions:
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
If the report recommends a structural engineer, a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer, it will say why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Check fixings on the stack are sound, and moved if they’re working it loose. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
Why act early?
Before deciding what to do with a redundant stack, a survey shows how it’s doing. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need permission from the council, so check with them first.
What to check before booking
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- When you will get the report
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
Roof by roof
Flaunching
Flaunching is the mortar on top of a stack that holds the pots and sheds water. Cracks in it let water into the stack.
Brick stacks
Spalled bricks, where the face has flaked off, are a sign of water and frost. Any spalling is noted with photos.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Southampton
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the addresses.
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, with the most urgent items set out first.
Why roofs fail
Removing a chimney breast inside can leave questions about how the stack is supported. We note what’s visible in the roof space and outside, and the report recommends a structural engineer if support is a concern.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
Your questions about chimney surveys in Southampton
What should I do with a chimney I don’t use?
It depends on its condition and your plans. We record how the stack is doing and whether it’s capped with ventilation. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need consent.
Do I need to be at home?
That depends on the survey. For inside areas and the roof space, someone has to give us access, while outside access can be discussed when booking.
Do you need to get into the loft?
If there’s a loft and safe access to it, yes. The loft space can show things the outside cannot, such as damp timbers, staining or daylight.
Which parts of the chimney do you look at?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. You get a written report with photos.
How do I book a survey in Southampton?
The quickest way is to phone 07833 053749 or email us. Tell us the address and a little about the roof. Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so the freeholder or managing agent needs to agree access. We can only inspect what we are given access to.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Only when it’s safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where it applies, a drone.