Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Charlton, Hertfordshire
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching across Charlton, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
Chimney survey in Charlton
For buyers, a chimney survey before exchange can flag work you may want to raise. On older stacks, we often find cracked flaunching, loose flashings and worn pointing. Our report gives you specific points to raise with the seller or agent. It works alongside a RICS home survey, not instead of one. We survey chimney pots and cowls, lead flashings and brick chimney stacks, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are lifted or split lead flashings and redundant stacks capped without ventilation.
Some older homes in villages like Charlton are listed or in a conservation area. If yours is, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so the council is the place to check. A roof report helps you plan work with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
Where we cannot see part of the chimney stack, the report says so. That way, it’s clear what was covered and what wasn’t.
- Place
- Charlton (SG5)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we are asked to look at in Charlton
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.
It is worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- A chimney out of line
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
Anyone responsible for a site like Highbury Infant School and Nursery will know that long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
What to check before booking
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- What happens after the report arrives
- Their report turnaround times
What we can’t see
Every survey has limits, and it is better to know them up front. Bear these in mind:
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Parts of the stack that cannot be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we cannot access
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll suggest the right survey. The full list of what we check.
What we check
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
Before and after the survey
Small things make a difference, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Our tips:
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Do not use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
If the stack is shared, you can pass the report to your neighbour. It shows what we found and where, as far as we could see.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
Questions from Charlton
Can a landlord with a rental near Hitchin station book a roof survey?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. Just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the details, and we will talk through which survey suits.
How do I find out if my home in Charlton is listed?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case.
What do I do with the report?
You will get the report by email, with photographs and clear recommendations. With Standard there’s a follow-up consultation; with Premium, an in-person consultation, so you can talk the findings through.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. For the rest of the building, a RICS home survey is a separate job.
What’s the best way to book?
Simply phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day.
What’s in the survey report?
Written findings with photos, covering the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check, and the Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
Is Charlton in your area?
Yes. We cover Charlton and the rest of Hertfordshire, as part of our work across London and the South East. For a price, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
DIY checks: what’s safe
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
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. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
What else we do in Charlton
What happens if roof problems are left?
For a buyer, the best time to learn about a chimney is before exchange. Once you’ve exchanged, the work is down to you. A report gives you something specific to put to the seller. Outbuildings and barns around Charlton 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.
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.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Charlton
- Clear package prices, inc. VAT
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- Surveys seven days a week
- Every finding written up with photos
Take a look at what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
What we do, step by step
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you want to find out. After that, we look at everything we can see safely, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where it applies. Most surveys take about 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Somewhere as small as Charlton, access is often the only tricky part. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
Preparing for the visit
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
How to book
Not sure which survey you need? It’s easiest to phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
Advice
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Charlton
In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. Listing and conservation areas can both shape what roof work is allowed on an older home. The council is the place to check, along with Historic England’s list.
If you live near a park such as Butts Close, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching. If you live in an older home near St Mary's Church, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Charlton is about 1 mile south-west of Hitchin, in Hertfordshire. We visit Charlton as part of our work across Hertfordshire, for homes and businesses alike. Our Hertfordshire coverage includes Charlton. For surveys nearby, see our Milton Keynes page.
We work across the SG5 postcode area for chimney surveys. Close by, we survey roofs in Gosmore (1 mile south-east), Hitchin (1 mile north-east), Benslow (1 mile north-east), Bearton (1 mile north) and Westmill (1 mile north). Larger places within reach include Hemel Hempstead (15 miles south-west), Stevenage (5 miles south-east), St Albans (13 miles south), Welwyn Garden City (11 miles south), Harpenden (9 miles south) and Hatfield (12 miles south).
What’s near Charlton
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Hitchin Boys' School, The Three Moorhens Public House and Kingshott School and the streets around them. The closest station to Charlton is Hitchin station, about 1.4 miles north-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include North Hertfordshire Museum (0.8 miles north-east) and Lister Hospital (3.3 miles east). For a walk, there’s Markham's Hill and Oughtonhead Nature Reserve.