Isle of Wight · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Brighstone
Chimney surveys in Brighstone and the rest of the Isle of Wight. We survey on any day of the week.
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- A stack that appears to lean
- Bricks with flaking faces
Chimney survey in Brighstone: what you get
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. You get photos 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 signs that a stack is leaning and lifted or split lead flashings, we can find out what’s behind it, on brick chimney stacks, lead flashings and flaunching alike.
In a village or hamlet like Brighstone, older cottages and farmhouses frequently sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, often with chimneys that have stood a long time. We report on what can safely be seen, and thatch is a specialist material. On older roofs, it’s usually the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photographs, emailed to you. It explains the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Where
- Brighstone (PO30)
- Wider area
- Isle of Wight
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What this survey cannot tell you
Every survey has limits, and we’d rather be clear about that before you book. Keep these in mind:
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Flue inspections or sweeping
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
What we’re asked to look at in Brighstone
A stack takes the weather from every direction. 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.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Flaunching that has broken away
Historic houses like Mottistone Manor, about 1.4 miles north-west, show how far back building around Brighstone goes. If you own one of the older houses, the roof may have been repaired many times, and the survey records how each part is holding up.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What follow-up you get after the report
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Whether the price includes VAT
DIY checks: what’s safe
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Do not go up yourself.
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground.
Why it’s worth a survey now in Brighstone
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. For an older or listed building in a place like Brighstone, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so leaving a defect until it is urgent leaves less time to plan.
Every price we give includes VAT. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. You will know the price for your survey before you book.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Brighstone
- Packages from £150, including VAT
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Surveys seven days a week
- An independent look at the roof
See our cost guide or our case studies.
How the survey works
The visit typically starts outside and finishes in the loft: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the roof space where it can be reached. In total, it takes about one to two hours at most homes, and more on a big or complicated roof. Older rural homes like those around Brighstone can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.
How to prepare
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Leave side gates unlocked
Arrange a survey
We survey roofs on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To find a date that works for you, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Related advice
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Brighstone
Brighstone is within about 1 mile of the coast, so there is more wind and more salt in the air than further inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces. A number of the island’s villages keep thatched roofs on older buildings, and the whole island is open to sea air and wind. Whatever the covering, it’s often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
For an older house near a landmark like St. Mary's Church, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Brighstone Church of England Aided Primary School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Brighstone is about 6 miles south-west of Newport, in the Isle of Wight. Roofs in Brighstone get the same thorough look as anywhere else in the Isle of Wight. Our area takes in places right across the Isle of Wight, from the larger towns to small villages. For surveys nearby, see our Portsmouth page.
Every address in PO30 is covered for chimney surveys. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Main Road, Meadows Close and Wilberforce Road or anywhere close by, we can survey it. With the B3399 close by, Brighstone is easy for us to reach. We also cover the places around Brighstone: Moortown (1 mile north), Thorncross (1 mile south-east), Shorwell (2 miles east), Little Atherfield (3 miles south-east) and Atherfield Green (3 miles south-east). We also work in nearby towns like Newport (6 miles north-east), Ryde (12 miles north-east), Cowes (9 miles north-east), Sandown (10 miles east), Shanklin (10 miles east) and Ventnor (9 miles east). If you are somewhere remote, a little more planning is needed, so let us know when you get in touch.
What’s near Brighstone
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Three Bishops pub, among other places. Well-known places in the area include Carisbrooke Castle (4.8 miles north-east) and Whitecroft Hospital (4.7 miles north-east). The countryside around Brighstone includes Brighstone Down.
Also near Brighstone
Other services in Brighstone
Brighstone: your questions answered
Is my home in Brighstone listed or in a conservation area?
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.
Is Brighstone within the area you cover?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
What do I do with the report?
You receive the written report by email, with photographs and recommendations. It is yours to share with a seller, insurer, roofer or managing agent, whichever applies.
Why is my chimney breast damp?
There are a few common causes: cracked flaunching, worn pointing, failed flashings, uncapped pots, or damp trapped in an unventilated stack. We check each one and note the most likely cause.
What’s the best way to book?
It’s easiest to ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. Give us the address and a few details about the roof. Surveys run seven days a week.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We don’t sample or test for asbestos. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it’s disturbed.
Do you inspect shared chimneys?
Yes. We inspect whatever is safely visible and what you give us access to. If a defect seems to be on your neighbour’s side, the report records it and you can raise it with them.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Brighstone
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed in advance. Surveys run on any day of the week, which can make access easier.
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, and the report can go to both. Access is agreed with the tenant beforehand.