Milton Keynes · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Broughton, Milton Keynes
Independent chimney surveys in Broughton. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
Can I check my roof myself?
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That’s where a survey comes in.
About our chimney survey in Broughton
Many homes have chimneys that are no longer used. A disused stack still needs looking after. If it has been capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside it. Our survey looks at how each unused stack has been capped and checks the breasts for damp. The report sets out what we found and what we recommend. We survey brick chimney stacks, chimney breasts and lead flashings, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are disused chimneys trapping moisture and bricks with flaking faces.
Around Broughton, older cottages sit alongside bungalows and newer houses. Coverings range from slate and clay tiles on older homes to concrete tiles on many later ones. On older homes, chimney stacks, valleys and gutters are typically where the work is, and the fixings under the coverings matter too. Nails and battens under older coverings often give out before the slates or tiles themselves.
We keep jargon out of it: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, and where it can wait, that’s said too.
- Where
- Broughton (MK10, MK16, MK15)
- Region
- Milton Keynes
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Broughton questions
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Woburn Sands station?
Yes, letting agents and landlords book with us as well as owners. You can call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and some details.
Is my home in Broughton listed or in a conservation area?
We can’t confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. Visible signs such as deflection or sagging are recorded, but we do not provide calculations or an engineer’s opinion. The report will say if you need an engineer.
My chimney looks like it is leaning. What should I do?
A leaning stack should be looked at. We record the lean, the brickwork and the pointing, and recommend a structural engineer where it may be a structural concern.
How long does the survey take?
Most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. The report follows by email.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it’s applicable and safe, yes. We fly a sub-250g drone and we’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where applicable.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
That depends on the survey. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in; we’ll agree the details when you book.
The survey, step by step
Every visit follows the same pattern: we listen to what’s been worrying you, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photos as we go and record our findings for the written report. Most visits take about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In a smaller place like Broughton, parking is seldom the issue; lanes, gates and long drives are worth mentioning. On bungalows and lower roofs, much can be seen from ground level, with the loft showing the underside, while taller roofs may need other vantage points or the drone where applicable.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there is access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Getting ready for the survey
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Book a survey
If you’re buying, it’s useful to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just call 07833 053749 or send us an email when you’re ready.
Advice
Practical tips
A little preparation and a few simple habits help, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Some pointers:
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
With a shared stack, the report can help when talking to next door. It shows what we found and where, as far as we could see.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. With binoculars, you can frequently see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
Roof by roof
Lead flashings
Where the chimney meets the roof slopes, lead flashings keep water out. We check for lifting, splits and gaps in the joints.
Chimney pots and cowls
A loose or cracked pot can fall from height. We record their condition with photos.
Why get it checked now?
If you are buying, find out about the stacks before you exchange. Once you’ve exchanged, the work is down to you. A report gives you something specific to put to the seller. Around Broughton, a leak in an older house can soak into timbers and plaster, and that’s a much bigger job than the original defect.
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where applicable) come with the Premium Survey, from £400 inc. VAT. We will tell you which package suits the questions you have.
What you get with us
- Every finding written up with photos
- 98% customer satisfaction
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- An independent look at the roof
Take a look at our cost guide or our case studies.
Chimney surveys around Broughton
Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles, 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. The wider area around Broughton has a long history of building, with Linford Manor about 3.1 miles north-west. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for example near Midsummer Place, a roof report helps plan work around trading rather than after a leak. Take a building like Broughton Fields Primary School: its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Broughton is about 3 miles east of Milton Keynes, in Milton Keynes. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Broughton can all book chimney surveys, with a written report and photographs every time. Across Milton Keynes, we cover Broughton.
We work across the MK10, MK16 and MK15 postcode area for chimney surveys. Whether your property is on Ripley Road, Milton Road and Aureol Lane or a nearby road, we can help. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Kingston (1 mile south), Moulsoe (1 mile north-east), Glebe Farm (2 miles south-east), Wavendon (2 miles south-east) and Salford (2 miles east). Within a short drive, we also cover Milton Keynes (3 miles west), Bletchley (4 miles south-west), Newport Pagnell (3 miles north-west), Bletchley and Fenny Stratford (4 miles south), Furzton (4 miles south-west) and Whitehouse (5 miles west).
What’s near Broughton
We work in homes and buildings around The Broughton pub and Walton High and the streets around them. The closest station to Broughton is Woburn Sands station, about 2.8 miles south-east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Milton Keynes University Hospital (2.4 miles south-west) and National Film and Sci-Fi Museum (2.7 miles west). Not far away are Willen Lake and Blue Lagoon Park.
Nearby places to Broughton
Also in Broughton
Common roof problems in Broughton
The flaunching on top of a stack holds the pots in place and sheds water. Cracked flaunching lets water in, and each winter makes it worse. In time, the pots can become loose.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
If you live in an older home near St Lawrence's Church, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Questions to ask before booking
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one