Reading · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Burghfield
Chimney surveys in Burghfield, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- A chimney out of line
- Mortar washing out of the joints
How a chimney survey works in Burghfield
A chimney stands up above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Over the years, the flaunching cracks, the pointing wears and flashings lift. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the roof space. We record what we find with photographs and recommendations. If you’re worried about pots or cowls that look unsafe and redundant stacks capped without ventilation, we can find out what’s behind it.
In a small place like Burghfield, many roofs stand in the open, 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 often where weather gets in first.
Findings are set out part by part, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets, each with a short note and a photograph. You’ll see the good as well as the bad.
- Where
- Burghfield (RG30)
- Region
- Reading
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Why get it checked now?
Chimneys are easy to forget because you rarely see the top of them. Defects tend to go unseen until there is a stain. Surveying the stack now can catch problems first. Outbuildings and barns around Burghfield are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. It’s worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so the price reflects that. You’ll know the figure before booking.
What you get with us
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Surveys seven days a week
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
See our cost guide and our case studies.
Roof by roof
Rendered stacks
What’s behind the render cannot be seen without removing some, so the report explains what we could and couldn’t assess.
Lead flashings
Some older stacks have mortar fillets instead of lead. They crack with age, and we check them too.
Places near Burghfield
More services for Burghfield
Chimney surveys around Burghfield
Older houses in the South East frequently have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles, with flat-roofed extensions, dormers and garages common everywhere. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. Historic houses like Stratfield Saye House, about 4.8 miles south-east, show how far back building in the area around Burghfield goes. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
For an older house near a landmark like Church of St Mary the Virgin, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs. If you let a flat or house near Theale station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. Take a building like Burghfield St Mary's C.E. Primary School: large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Burghfield is about 4 miles south-west of Reading, in Reading. Burghfield gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photographs and a written report. Burghfield is one of the places in Reading we cover.
Surveys in RG30 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Saxon Gate, Hazel Close and Willow Close or anywhere close by, we can help. We also cover Trash Green (1 mile north), Burghfield Hill (1 mile south), Sulhamstead Abbots (1 mile west), Sheffield Bottom (1 mile north-west) and Sulhamstead Bannister Upper End (1 mile west). Larger places within reach include Caversham (6 miles north-east), Norcot (4 miles north), West Reading (4 miles north-east), Tilehurst Within (3 miles north), Shinfield (4 miles east) and Arborfield Garrison (7 miles east).
Local landmarks in Burghfield
In Burghfield, that means homes and buildings near The Willink School, The Hatchgate pub and The Willink School, among other places. Burghfield’s nearest station is Theale station, about 1.9 miles north-west. Nearby you will also find Thames Valley Police Museum (1.3 miles north-west) and Beaumys Castle (3.8 miles south-east). Not far away are Fobney Island Wetland Reserve and Hosehill Lake.
What we do, 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. Most surveys take about one to two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Somewhere like Burghfield needs a little journey planning: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- You let us know whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- We look at the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Before the survey
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
Getting a price
Every survey is priced before it’s booked, so you know the cost up front. Prices start from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Related advice
Questions from Burghfield
Will you come out to Burghfield?
Yes, Burghfield is covered. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
I let a flat near Theale station. Can you check the roof?
Of course. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
How soon will I get the report?
Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24–48 hours and Premium reports on the same day. Each one is emailed.
Do you look in the roof space?
If there is a loft and safe access to it, yes. From inside, the underside of the roof frequently shows damp, staining or daylight that cannot be seen from outside.
What will the report tell me?
Written findings with photographs, explaining the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our recommendations. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check, and the Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
What insurance do you have?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability, and details are available on request.
Do you inspect shared chimneys?
Yes. Many houses share stacks with a neighbour. We record the stack as far as we can see it and flag anything on the neighbour’s side.
How we price chimney surveys
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. The main factors are:
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- How big the roof is
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we can help you choose.
Booking your survey
There is no need for technical words. It’s enough to let us know:
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
- What made you get in touch
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 are ready.
When you need someone else
It’s useful to know what a survey won’t do before you book:
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- A structural engineer’s assessment
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you. What a survey covers and does not.
Roof types and parts we check
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
Should I look at the roof myself first?
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: 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.