Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Colney Street Chimney Survey
We take a careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Colney Street, with photographs and a written report.
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
About our chimney survey in Colney Street
A chimney survey looks at the stack and everything around it: the pots and cowls, the flaunching on top, the pointing, the brickwork and the flashings where it meets the roof. 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. It suits a single stack on a house as well as several on a larger building. Typical surveys look at redundant stacks capped without ventilation and flaunching that has broken away, across chimney pots and cowls, brick chimney stacks and lead flashings.
In a village or hamlet like Colney Street, older cottages and farmhouses frequently sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are frequently old. We report on what can safely be seen, and thatch is a specialist material. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
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.
- Location
- Colney Street (AL2, WD7)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Do not go up yourself.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date.
Also near Colney Street
Also in Colney Street
Colney Street: your questions answered
Is my home in Colney Street listed or in a conservation area?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is in a conservation area. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Is Colney Street within the area you cover?
Yes, Colney Street is covered. Our area covers London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it’s useful to know about access.
Is a chimney survey the same as a flue inspection?
No. Our survey covers the outside of the stack and the roof around it. For the flue, you will need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
How can you see the top of the stack?
Each stack is viewed from the safest viewpoints: from ground level, windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there is access. Our Premium Survey includes a drone inspection where it applies. If part of a stack can’t be seen, the report says so.
Will you photograph what you find?
Yes. The report includes photographs of what we found, so you can see exactly what each finding refers to.
What’s in the report?
Written findings with photos, explaining the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our recommendations, with the most urgent first where relevant. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check, and the Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys or testing. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
How the survey changes by roof type
Chimney pots and cowls
For unused flues, we check whether caps or cowls allow ventilation. Poor capping can lead to damp inside the stack.
Rendered stacks
What’s behind the render cannot be seen without removing some, so the report says what can and cannot be judged.
How the survey works
The visit normally starts outside and finishes in the loft: outside views come first, then the roof space if there is safe access. All told, expect roughly 1–2 hours for a house; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. Older rural homes like those around Colney Street can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Before the survey
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- Find any records of previous roof work
Arrange a survey
To book a survey, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
Advice
Landlord and commercial surveys in Colney Street
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, with the report sent to whoever needs it. Access is agreed with the tenant beforehand.
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the addresses.
What we’re asked to look at in Colney Street
The flaunching on top of a stack holds the pots in place and sheds water. Once it cracks, water gets in and frost makes the cracks bigger. Loose pots can follow.
It’s worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Flaunching that has broken away
Landlords with a home close to How Wood station may find that a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What happens after the report arrives
- What insurance they carry
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
How we price chimney surveys
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. That comes down to:
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- Height and safe access
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package you pick makes a difference too. We will give you the figure before anything is booked.
What to tell us when you get in touch
The more you let us know, the easier it is to price the survey. When you get in touch, it helps to mention:
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- The property’s address and postcode
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Dates you are working to, like exchange
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from ground level or a window, and please do not climb up for a closer look. To get started, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Colney Street homes and their roofs
Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. With High Elms Manor about 2.9 miles west, Colney Street 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 any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
If you look after a building such as Park Street Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. For an older house near a landmark like Church of the Holy Trinity, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Colney Street is about 3 miles south of St Albans, in Hertfordshire. We provide chimney surveys for homeowners, landlords and businesses in Colney Street. Colney Street is one of the places in Hertfordshire we cover for chimney surveys. There’s also a page for London.
Surveys in AL2 and WD7 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Whether your property is on Old Parkbury Lane, Ventura Park and Radlett Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. If you are just outside Colney Street, we cover Frogmore (1 mile north-west), Park Street (1 mile north-west), How Wood (1 mile north-west), Bricket Wood (2 miles west) and Chiswell Green (2 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Watford (4 miles south-west), Hemel Hempstead (6 miles north-west), Stevenage (15 miles north-east), St Albans (3 miles north), Welwyn Garden City (8 miles north-east) and Harpenden (8 miles north).
Local landmarks in Colney Street
Typical jobs here are in homes near The George and Dragon Public House and Samuel Ryder Academy and the streets around them. The closest station to Colney Street is How Wood station, about 1 mile north-west of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Kingsley Green (1 mile east) and The Maltings (2.9 miles north). Not far away are Verulamium Lake and Broad Colney Lakes.