Reading · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Chazey Heath, Reading
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Chazey Heath, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photographs.
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- A stack that appears to lean
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
Landlords, agents and block managers in Chazey Heath
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. Recommendations are set out with the most urgent first where relevant, which helps with budgets and planning.
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you get in touch and we’ll plan the survey around it.
About our chimney survey in Chazey Heath
Our chimney survey covers the stack and the details that keep water out around it: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and the flashings at the roof line. We also look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access. You get a photo-illustrated written report and our recommendations. We survey single stacks on houses and groups of stacks on bigger buildings. If you are worried about damp on a chimney breast inside and eroded joints in the brickwork, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
In a small place like Chazey Heath, 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.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Location
- Chazey Heath (RG4)
- Region
- Reading
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Chimney surveys in Chazey Heath: local notes
With Mapledurham House about 1.6 miles west, Chazey Heath sits in an area with a long building history. If your house is among the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. 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.
Landlords with a home close to Tilehurst station may find that a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let. If you run a business near Broad Street Mall, a written record of the roof’s condition helps you plan maintenance rather than react to leaks.
Chazey Heath is about 2 miles north-west of Caversham, in Reading. We survey roofs in Chazey Heath and the rest of Reading, as part of our work across London and the South East. Chazey Heath is one of the places in Reading where we work.
Chimney surveys in RG4 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Streets in the area include Rokeby Drive and Chazey Close, and we cover them all. If you’re just outside Chazey Heath, we cover Trench Green (1 mile west), Mapledurham (2 miles west), Purley on Thames (2 miles south-west), Norcot (3 miles south-west) and Tilehurst (3 miles south-west). Further out, we also cover West Reading (3 miles south), Shinfield (6 miles south), Arborfield Garrison (9 miles south-east), Horncastle (3 miles south), Whitley Wood (6 miles south) and Fords Farm (4 miles south).
Near you in Chazey Heath
Around Chazey Heath, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre, The Pack Saddle pub and The Warwick School and the streets around them. Chazey Heath’s nearest station is Tilehurst station, about 1.9 miles south-west. Well-known places in the area include Battle Hospital (2.4 miles south) and Royal Berkshire Regiment Museum (2.4 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Fobney Island Wetland Reserve and Sonning Hill.
Prices for chimney surveys in Chazey Heath
Survey packages start from £150, with VAT included. The price for your roof depends on:
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- The roof’s overall size
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
One thing that affects the price is the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all with VAT included. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
What we need to know
When you call or email, these details help:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- Anything about access we should know
- When you need the report by
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
Once you know what you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date.
Before and after the survey
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
Where another specialist is needed, such as a structural engineer or sweep, we explain why. That helps you brief them.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. It is far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
What you can safely check yourself
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Common roof problems in Chazey Heath
Chimney stacks stand above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Frost opens up cracks in the mortar, and rain gets into worn bricks and joints. Most people book after spotting damp or a loose pot, or before buying.
Signs worth acting on include:
- A stack that appears to lean
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
The streets around a church such as Church of St John the Baptist are often among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
What to check before booking
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- What they will not be able to tell you
What we do, step by step
Every visit follows the same pattern: we hear what you’ve seen, inspect the roof from every safe viewpoint, photograph what we find 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. Somewhere as small as Chazey Heath, 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.
- The stacks are looked at from ground level, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Where there is safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
How to prepare
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
Getting a price
For a price for chimney surveys in Chazey Heath, ring 07833 053749 or email us. The address, the type of property and what you’d like to know help us give you an accurate price.
Advice
Common questions in Chazey Heath
Is my home in Chazey Heath listed or in a conservation area?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
I let a flat near Tilehurst 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.
Our stack is shared. Can you still survey it?
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.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
Typically it is water getting in from outside, or condensation in a sealed stack. The survey looks at the stack, the flashings and the capping, and record what we find.
How many surveys have you done?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys, across London and South East England.
Do you use drones?
Yes, where applicable and safe. We are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. It is included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where applicable, the Premium Survey.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we are allowed to reach.