West Berkshire · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Ball Hill
We take a careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Ball Hill, with photos and a written report.
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Worn or missing pointing
- A chimney out of line
FAQs for Ball Hill
Is Ball Hill within the area you cover?
Yes. Ball Hill is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We survey roofs across London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there as you book.
I let a flat near Kintbury station. Can you check the roof?
Of course. We just need to know who will give access, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it’s applicable. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and every flight depends on the airspace and the weather.
Will you go up on the roof?
Only if it is safe. We look at everything that can safely be seen: from ground level, from windows and vantage points, from the roof space, from the roof itself where safe and by drone where applicable. The report says if anything couldn’t be seen.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
Have it checked rather than leaving it. Leaning often comes from mortar breaking down unevenly. We record its condition with photos, and a structural engineer can confirm whether it’s stable.
What does a chimney survey cover?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access. Everything is written up with photographs.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
Typically it is water getting in from outside, or condensation in a sealed stack. We check the stack, the flashings and how unused flues are capped and records the likely cause.
How a chimney survey works in Ball Hill
A chimney survey looks at the stack and everything around it: the pots and cowls, the flaunching on top, the pointing, the brickwork and the flashings where it meets the roof. We also look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. You get a photo-illustrated written report and our recommendations. We survey single stacks on houses and groups of stacks on bigger buildings. Typical surveys look at damp on a chimney breast inside and flaunching that has broken away, across flaunching, chimney breasts and brick chimney stacks.
Some older homes in villages like Ball Hill are listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is frequently expected.
The report does not just list problems. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend.
- Where
- Ball Hill (RG20)
- Region
- West Berkshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What a survey costs
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- Roof area
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Getting in touch
What helps most when you contact us:
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
- What made you get in touch
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email when you’re ready.
When to book a survey in Ball Hill
Chimney stacks stand above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Frost works into cracks in the flaunching and pointing, and rain soaks into worn brickwork. Most people book after spotting damp or a loose pot, or before buying.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Cracked or missing flaunching
If you own a rental within reach of Kintbury station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Questions to ask before booking
- Their insurance cover
- Their report turnaround times
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- What follow-up you get after the report
DIY checks: what’s safe
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
It helps to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Share it with us when you book.
Nearby places to Ball Hill
Also in Ball Hill
What this survey can’t tell you
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- Conditions inside walls
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will give you a straight answer before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What this survey covers
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
What we look for on each type of roof
Rendered stacks
A rendered stack can mask problems in the bricks below. We look for cracks, hollow areas and staining.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Damp patches on chimney breasts frequently point to a problem above. We look at them and at the stack in the loft where there’s safe access.
Ball Hill homes and their roofs
In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile, and flat-roofed additions turn up almost everywhere. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look. Historic houses such as Stargroves, about 1.5 miles south, show how far back building in the area around Ball Hill goes. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters.
If you live near a park such as Hamstead Marshall Park, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Ball Hill is about 4 miles south-west of Newbury, in West Berkshire. We provide chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Ball Hill. We cover towns and villages across West Berkshire, from the larger towns to small villages. For surveys nearby, see our Reading page.
Here we cover the RG20 postcode area for chimney surveys. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Knights Lea, Gore End Road and Knights Lane or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Hamstead Marshall (1 mile north), Woolton Hill (1 mile south-east), Crockham Heath (1 mile north-east), Enborne Row (2 miles east) and Penwood (2 miles south-east). Larger places within reach include Newbury (4 miles north-east), Thatcham (7 miles east), Burghfield Common (15 miles east), Speenhamland (4 miles north-east), Hungerford (6 miles north-west) and Lambourn (11 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in Ball Hill
Around Ball Hill, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Hamstead Marshall Park. The closest station to Ball Hill is Kintbury station, roughly 3.1 miles north-west. Nearby you will also find Newbury Castle (2.2 miles north) and West Berkshire Community Hospital (5.3 miles north-east). Not far away are Kintbury Newt Ponds and Pilot Hill.
What we do, step by step
The aim of the visit is simple: 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 typically takes an hour or two on an ordinary house, and more on a big or complicated roof. Somewhere like Ball Hill needs a little journey planning: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- You tell us how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- The stacks are looked at from the ground, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Where there’s safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- You get a written report with photos and our recommendations.
How to prepare
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
How to book
We confirm the price for the job before booking, so you know the cost up front. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or email us.