Wokingham · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Bowsey Hill
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Bowsey Hill, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Staining on walls around the chimney
Roof by roof
Chimney breasts and the loft
Damp patches on chimney breasts often point to a problem above. We check the breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach.
Lead flashings
Over time, lead can lift or come away from the brickwork. Any loose or split flashings are recorded.
About our chimney survey in Bowsey Hill
For buyers, a chimney survey before exchange can flag work you may want to raise. On older stacks, we frequently find cracked flaunching, loose flashings and worn pointing. Our report gives you specific points to raise with the seller or agent. It works alongside a RICS home survey, not instead of one. Common reasons to book are a chimney out of line and gaps where the stack meets the roof, across lead flashings, flaunching and shared and party-wall stacks.
Older buildings in small places like Bowsey Hill may be listed or in a conservation area. If yours is, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so the council is the place to check. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the coverings down to the gutters. You’ll see the good as well as the bad.
- Place
- Bowsey Hill (RG10)
- Region
- Wokingham
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Do you need a chimney survey in Bowsey Hill?
Some owners book because a chimney breast has been removed below and they want to know about the stack above. We note what’s visible in the roof space and outside, and recommend a structural engineer where support is in question.
Problems we come across often include:
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
If you live in an older home near St Paul's Mission Church, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What follow-up you get after the report
- What experience they bring
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
Also near Bowsey Hill
Other services in Bowsey Hill
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
Prices always include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we will tell you which fits.
What to tell us when you get in touch
A little information up front helps. Please include:
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
If you are buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply call 07833 053749 or use the contact form whenever suits you.
Can I check my roof myself?
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
The survey, step by step
We photograph the roof as we go, so the report shows exactly what we saw. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available, including by drone where it is applicable and the weather allows. Most surveys take an hour or two on an ordinary house, and longer for a large or complex roof. Older rural homes like those around Bowsey Hill can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- The stacks are looked at from the ground, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Where there’s safe access, we look at the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Getting ready for the survey
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Let us know about parking near the property
Arrange a survey
You can call us seven days a week. To book or ask a question, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Read more
Questions from Bowsey Hill
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Wargrave station?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you need.
Is Bowsey Hill within the area you cover?
Yes, Bowsey Hill is covered. We cover the whole of London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We look from ground level, from windows and from the loft where it’s safe. Where it applies, our Premium Survey adds a drone inspection for a closer view. Any area we couldn’t view is noted.
Are you insured?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and details are available on request.
How many surveys have you done?
We’ve been surveying roofs for over 20 years and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys.
Is it a problem to have an unused chimney?
It depends on its condition and your plans. The survey shows its condition and how it’s been capped. If you are thinking of removing it, check with the council first in a conservation area or on a listed building.
Is a chimney survey the same as a flue inspection?
No. We survey the stack and its weathering, not the flue. For the flue, you’ll need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
What a chimney survey looks like in Bowsey Hill
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. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. About 3.3 miles north-east lies Harleyford Manor, a reminder of how long the area around Bowsey Hill has been built on. If yours is one of the older homes, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
For site and facilities teams at buildings like Crazies Hill CofE Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. If you own a rental within reach of Wargrave station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Bowsey Hill is about 3 miles south-east of Henley-on-Thames, in Wokingham. Bookings from Bowsey Hill are handled just like any other: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. Bowsey Hill is one of the places in Wokingham where we work. For surveys nearby, see our Reading page.
We cover every part of the RG10 postcode area for chimney surveys. If you’re just outside Bowsey Hill, we cover Warren Row (1 mile north-east), Knowl Hill (1 mile east), Wargrave (1 mile south-west), Cockpole Green (1 mile north-west) and Cold Harbour (2 miles east). Within a short drive, we also cover Reading (7 miles south-west), Wokingham (7 miles south), Woodley (5 miles south-west), Earley (7 miles south-west), Crowthorne (10 miles south) and Lower Earley (7 miles south-west).
Landmarks near Bowsey Hill
In Bowsey Hill, that means homes and buildings near Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School and The Queen Victoria pub. For rail, the closest station is Wargrave station, roughly 1.8 miles south-west. Other landmarks nearby include St Mark's Hospital (4.2 miles east) and Frazer Nash Archives (2.7 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Hurley Chalk Pit and Weycock Hill.
Why it is worth a survey now in Bowsey Hill
Loose pots and bricks on a stack are a safety concern. Finding them early means they can be dealt with before they come down by a suitable contractor. Older and listed buildings around Bowsey Hill may need consent and matching materials for repairs, so a defect found early gives time to plan the work properly.
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) come with the Premium Survey, from £400 including VAT. We can help you choose the package that fits what you’d like to know.
What you get with us
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- 20+ years’ experience
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Surveys seven days a week
Read how roof surveys are priced and what we found on two real jobs.