Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Caldecote, Hertfordshire
We carry out chimney surveys in Caldecote and the rest of Hertfordshire. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Worn or missing pointing
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
Chimney survey in Caldecote
We inspect chimneys from wherever they can safely be seen: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the roof space where it’s safe. With our Premium Survey, a drone inspection is included where it applies. Where part of a stack cannot be seen, the report says so. Every defect we find is photographed and described in plain words. We survey lead flashings, shared and party-wall stacks and flaunching, and people most frequently book us about signs that a stack is leaning and staining on walls around the chimney.
Somewhere as small as Caldecote, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are frequently old. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. On older roofs, it’s normally the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Where
- Caldecote (SG7)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What a chimney survey looks like in Caldecote
Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. With Hinxworth Place about 0.6 miles north, Caldecote sits in an area with a long building history. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Take an older house close to St Mary Magdalene's Church: corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs. If you let a flat or house near Baldock station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
Caldecote is about 2 miles north-east of Stotfold, in Hertfordshire. We provide chimney surveys for homeowners, landlords and businesses in Caldecote. Our area takes in places right across Hertfordshire, from the larger towns to small villages. For surveys nearby, see our Milton Keynes page.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: SG7. We also cover the places around Caldecote: Newnham (1 mile south-east), Bury End (1 mile north), Hinxworth (1 mile north), Ashwell End (1 mile north-east) and Ashwell (2 miles east). Within a short drive, we also cover Stevenage (9 miles south), Hitchin (7 miles south-west), Letchworth (4 miles south), Letchworth Garden City (4 miles south), Baldock (3 miles south) and Benslow (6 miles south-west).
Near you in Caldecote
For rail, the closest station is Baldock station, about 2.8 miles south. Well-known places in the area include Bygrave House (2.4 miles south-east) and Stotfold Watermill & Nature Reserve (1.5 miles south-west). For a walk, there is Arlesey Old Moat and Glebe Meadows.
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
All our prices include VAT. What changes the price is:
- Roof area
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
Every price we give includes VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Our price is from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Booking your survey
We will normally ask about:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- The address and postcode of the property
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form whenever suits you.
When you need someone else
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- Parts of the stack that cannot be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we cannot access
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or email us and we will suggest the right survey. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
What we do, step by step
When we arrive, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that is worrying you. After that, we check everything we can see safely, from ground level, from windows, in the roof space and by drone where it applies. Most surveys take about one to two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Cottages and farmhouses around Caldecote often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Where there is safe access, we look at the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
How to book
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. You will know the price before anything is booked.
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What we look for on each type of roof
Lead flashings
Where the chimney meets the roof slopes, lead flashings keep water out. The survey looks at whether the lead is tight, sound and well fixed.
Rendered stacks
Some stacks are rendered, which can hide the condition of the brickwork beneath. The survey checks for cracking, bulging and staining in the render.
What else we do in Caldecote
Caldecote questions
Do you cover smaller places like Caldecote?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
I let a flat near Baldock station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you need.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
We carry out surveys on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To find a day that suits you, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
Have it checked rather than leaving it. Leaning often comes from mortar breaking down unevenly. The survey records what we can see, and a structural engineer can confirm whether it is stable.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We note visible signs like sagging or deflection, but we’re not structural engineers and do not carry out calculations. Where an engineer is needed, we say so in the report.
Which parts of the chimney do you look at?
The survey covers the pots and cowls, the flaunching, the pointing, the bricks and the flashings. We also check chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach. You get a written report with photos.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We look at the roof, not the whole building, so it’s not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. Many buyers have both.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Landlords, agents and building managers in Caldecote and across Hertfordshire can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Where a roof is shared: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Let us know about it when you book and we will plan the survey around it.
Before and after the survey
A little preparation and a few simple habits help, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Some pointers:
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
With a shared stack, the report can help when talking to next door. The photos show the problem and which side it’s on, as far as we could see.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. That helps stop damp building up inside.