Hampshire · London and the South East
Colbury Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching across Colbury, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
Chimney survey in Colbury: what you get
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. Water then gets into the stack and can show as damp on a chimney breast or a stain in the loft. A survey finds these problems and records them with photos. We survey chimney pots and cowls, shared and party-wall stacks and brick chimney stacks, and common reasons people get in touch are flaunching that has broken away and a stack that appears to lean.
Somewhere as small as Colbury, homes are frequently older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, often with chimneys that have stood a long time. We report on whatever is safely visible, and thatch is a specialist material. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- Colbury (SO40)
- Wider area
- Hampshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How it works
On the day, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that’s worrying you. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen, from ground level, from windows, in the roof space and by drone where applicable. The survey usually takes about 1–2 hours for most houses, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Cottages and farmhouses around Colbury often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Preparing for the visit
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Let us know about parking near the property
Getting a price
When you are ready to go ahead, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Related advice
What a survey costs
When we price a survey, we consider:
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- How many separate roofs there are, like extensions, dormers and garages
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and the package you choose.
What we need to know
What helps most when you contact us:
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- What made you get in touch
Booking is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and give us a few details about the property and we will explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.
Also near Colbury
Also in Colbury
What a chimney survey doesn’t cover
Before you book, it is worth knowing what a survey won’t do:
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll tell you. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
What we are asked to look at in Colbury
Flaunching is the mortar bed that holds the pots and throws water off the top. Cracked flaunching lets water in, and each winter makes it worse. Loose pots can follow.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
Anyone responsible for a site like Foxhills Infant School will know that a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Questions to ask before booking
- What experience they bring
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Their insurance cover
- Which limits apply to the survey
Common questions in Colbury
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Colbury?
Places near the sea get more wind and more salt in the air than inland, and both are hard on roofs. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
Will you come out to Colbury?
Yes, we do. We survey roofs across London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends. To find a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys or testing. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, like cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. If you need a full building survey, you’ll need a RICS survey as well.
What does the report include?
A photo-illustrated written report, explaining the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our recommendations, with the most urgent first where relevant. Standard adds moisture detection and a structural check; Premium adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. Many houses share stacks with a neighbour. We survey what we can see safely, and note anything that seems to involve next door.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
You can learn a lot from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
Local roofs in Colbury
Colbury lies within about 2 miles of the sea, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Near the sea, metal fixings wear faster and loose pieces on a roof are more likely to lift, while driving rain finds any gap. About 4.3 miles east lies Southampton Tudor House and Garden, a reminder of how long the area around Colbury has been built on. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
The streets around a church like Colbury Christ Church are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first. For landlords with property near Ashurst New Forest station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
Colbury is about 1 mile south of Totton, in Hampshire. We cover Colbury and the rest of Hampshire. Our area takes in places right across Hampshire.
Chimney surveys in SO40 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Other places close to Colbury include Ashurst (1 mile west), Lyndhurst (4 miles south-west), Emery Down (4 miles south-west), Balmerlawn (6 miles south-west) and Brockenhurst (6 miles south-west). We also work in nearby towns like Winchester (14 miles north-east), Eastleigh (8 miles north-east), Fareham (14 miles east), Chandler's Ford (8 miles north-east), Hedge End (9 miles east) and Lymington (10 miles south).
What’s near Colbury
We work in homes and buildings around Hounsdown School and The Forest Inn. Colbury’s nearest station is Ashurst New Forest station, about 1.2 miles south-west. Nearby you’ll also find Ashurst Hospital (1 mile south-west) and National Dairy Museum (less than half a mile south). Green spaces nearby include Testwood Lakes.
Tips from our surveys
You do not need to be a roofer to help. What helps most:
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
If anything in the report isn’t clear, just ask us. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. Early signs are easier to trace.