West Berkshire · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Bishop's Green
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching across Bishop's Green, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
Chimney survey in Bishop's Green
For buyers, a chimney survey before exchange can flag work you may want to raise. On older stacks, we often find cracked flaunching, loose flashings and worn pointing. You get photographs and findings you can take back to the seller or agent. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it. If you’ve noticed loose, cracked or missing pots and eroded joints in the brickwork, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Village roofs often face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are frequently where weather gets in first.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Where
- Bishop's Green (RG20)
- Region
- West Berkshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens if roof problems are left?
A leaning stack should be looked at sooner rather than later. Our survey records it and says when a structural engineer should look at it, so you can decide what to do next. Around Bishop's Green, older homes often have old roof timbers, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it is left.
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package you pick makes a difference too. The price is always agreed first.
What you get with us
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- Package prices that include VAT
- 20+ years’ experience
Read what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
When to book a survey in Bishop's Green
Lots of homes have redundant stacks. If a stack is capped or blocked without ventilation, moisture can build up inside. Damp patches can appear on chimney breasts even when nothing is leaking.
We’re frequently asked to look at:
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
Landlords with a home close to Newbury Racecourse station may find that the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
Questions to ask before you book
- Their report turnaround times
- Will the report include photos?
- Is VAT included in the price?
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
What a chimney survey does not cover
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- Hidden damage within the stack
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
- Flue inspections or sweeping
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll tell you. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
FAQs for Bishop's Green
Do you cover smaller places like Bishop's Green?
Yes, Bishop's Green is covered. Our area covers London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Bishop's Green?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Will you check the chimney is safe to use with a fire?
No. We survey the stack and its weathering, not the flue. The flue should be checked by a sweep, or by a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances.
Do you inspect shared chimneys?
Yes. Shared stacks are common on terraced and semi-detached houses. We survey what we can see safely, and note anything that seems to involve next door.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first, with the freeholder or managing agent. Let us know about it when booking and we’ll explain what’s needed.
How do I book a survey in Bishop's Green?
Just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day.
Can you survey in bad weather?
It can, depending on the survey. Drone flights need calm, dry weather, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. If the conditions are not right, we will talk to you about another date.
Local roofs in Bishop's Green
In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. Historic houses like Shaw House, about 3.6 miles north-west, show how far back building in the area around Bishop's Green goes. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If you look after a building like Cheam School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. Trees in and around New Greenham Park shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
Bishop's Green is about 3 miles south of Thatcham, in West Berkshire. We visit Bishop's Green as part of our work across West Berkshire. Bishop's Green is one of the places in West Berkshire where we work for chimney surveys. You can also see our page for Reading.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: RG20. Local streets include Beech Road, Kestrel Gardens and Peregrine Road. We also cover the places around Bishop's Green: Heads Hill (1 mile north-east), Headley (1 mile east), Bury's Bank (1 mile north), Mill Green (2 miles east) and Plastow Green (2 miles east). Larger places within reach include Newbury (3 miles north-west), Thatcham (3 miles north), Burghfield Common (10 miles east), Speenhamland (3 miles north-west), Hungerford (11 miles west) and Spencers Wood (14 miles east).
Around Bishop's Green
We work in homes and buildings around New Greenham Park and The Clere School, among other places. The nearest railway station is Newbury Racecourse station, roughly 2.6 miles north-west of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Old Chapel Textile Centre (0.7 miles north) and Donnington Castle (4.5 miles north-west). Not far away are Ladle Hill and Audrey's Meadow.
Places near Bishop's Green
More services for Bishop's Green
Roof by roof
Brick stacks
Older brick stacks often have soft lime mortar. Repairs should suit the original materials, which we mention where relevant.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Inside, chimney breasts can show damp when water gets into the stack. We check them and at the stack in the loft where there’s safe access.
The survey, step by step
There isn’t much for you to do on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, like stains, drips or loose pieces, and we’ll take it from there. A typical survey takes between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Somewhere as small as Bishop's Green, access is often the only tricky part. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- You let us know how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- 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 photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
Before we arrive
- Keep pets in another room
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Book a survey
If you are buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just phone 07833 053749 or email us when you’re ready.
Related advice
Practical tips
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Our tips:
- Check fixings on the stack are secure
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
With a shared stack, the report can help when talking to next door. The photos show the problem and which side it is on, as far as we could see.
Look at your chimneys from ground level now and then, especially after strong winds. With binoculars, you can frequently see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.