Isle of Wight · London and the South East
Chale Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys in Chale, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. You get a clear report with photos.
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching that has broken away
Local roofs in Chale
Chale is within about 1 mile of the coast, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Near the sea, metal fixings wear faster and loose pieces on a roof are more likely to lift, while driving rain finds any gap. The wider area around Chale has a long history of building, with Wolverton Manor about 3.4 miles north-west. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If you live in an older home near St Andrew's Church, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Chale is about 7 miles south of Newport, in the Isle of Wight. Whether the building in Chale is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, the roof can be surveyed. We cover towns and villages across the Isle of Wight, from the larger towns to small villages. There is also a page for Portsmouth.
All of PO38 is covered for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We cover properties on Church Place, Upper House Lane and Blythe Shute and the roads around them. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Blackgang (1 mile south-east), Pyle (1 mile north-west), Chale Green (1 mile north), Atherfield Green (1 mile north-west) and Niton (2 miles south-east). We also work in nearby towns like Newport (7 miles north), Ryde (11 miles north-east), Cowes (11 miles north), Sandown (8 miles north-east), Shanklin (7 miles east) and Ventnor (5 miles east). Harder-to-reach addresses take a little more planning, so tell us where you are when booking.
Around Chale
Nearby you’ll also find Whitecroft Hospital (5.2 miles north) and Blackgang Sawmill Museum (0.6 miles south). For a walk, there is Stenbury Down.
About our chimney survey in Chale
A damp patch on a chimney breast does not always come from the same place. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. Condensation inside an unventilated stack is another common cause. We check each possibility and record what we find. You then know where to start. Common reasons to book are staining on walls around the chimney and bricks with flaking faces, on chimney pots and cowls, shared and party-wall stacks and brick chimney stacks.
Village roofs often face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, 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 roof report shows what needs attention first. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are frequently the first to give way.
The written findings come by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Where
- Chale (PO38)
- Region
- Isle of Wight
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we can’t see
This isn’t a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- Conditions inside walls
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What this survey covers
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
What happens on the day
Every roof is different; as a rough guide, the survey takes between one and two hours at most homes, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. If you have questions on the day, just ask. Somewhere as small as Chale, access is often the only tricky part. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access.
- You get a report with photographs and our recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
Booking a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine; never climb up to get a better view. To send them or to book, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Read more
Common questions in Chale
Will you come out to Chale?
Yes, we do. We survey roofs across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Is the coastal weather around Chale hard on roofs?
Yes, coastal weather is harder on roofs: there is more wind, and more salt in the air. Exposed details such as ridges, verges, flashings and metal fixings are the ones to watch.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
It’s worth having a leaning stack checked. Our survey notes how it looks and the condition of the bricks and joints, and if it may be a structural issue, we recommend a structural engineer.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not always. Some roofs are too steep or fragile to walk on safely. Safe viewpoints, the loft and a drone where applicable let us see the rest.
Does the report include photographs?
Yes, plenty. Each finding is shown in a picture where possible, which makes the report easy to follow.
Does someone need to be in?
Not necessarily. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
What should I do with a chimney I don’t use?
There is no single answer. The survey shows its condition and how it’s been capped. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need consent.
What a survey costs
To price your survey, we check:
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- The size of the roof
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included.
Getting in touch
Here’s what helps us most when you get in touch:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Access details, like a loft hatch or a shared roof
- What’s prompted the survey
To book a survey, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price before booking.
Checking the roof from ground level
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
Before and after the survey
You do not need to be a roofer to help. Here’s what helps most:
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Check your stacks from ground level after strong winds
Once we have been, the findings are written up with photos. It explains the condition of each part of the stack and any damp inside. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24 to 48 hours and Premium reports the same day.
Make sure redundant flues are capped with ventilation. That helps stop damp building up inside.
What we look for on each type of roof
Rendered stacks
Water can get in through cracks and then struggle to dry out. We record any cracking and where it is.
Flaunching
Flaunching takes the worst of the weather. The survey checks for cracking and gaps around each pot.