West Berkshire · London and the South East
Curridge Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys in Curridge and the rest of West Berkshire. We survey seven days a week.
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Bricks with flaking faces
- A chimney out of line
Local roofs in Curridge
Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles, and flat-roofed additions turn up almost everywhere. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. With Shaw House about 2.5 miles south-west, Curridge sits in an area with a long building history. If yours is one of the older homes, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
If your house is among the older ones in the streets near Holy Trinity, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. Take a building like Curridge Primary School: its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Curridge is about 3 miles north-west of Thatcham, in West Berkshire. In Curridge, as across West Berkshire, every roof gets the same careful survey. Curridge is one of the places in West Berkshire we cover for chimney surveys. Reading is in our area too.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: RG18. Local streets include Chapel Lane, Kiln Drive and Marsh Lane, and we cover them all. Close by, we survey roofs in Longlane (1 mile east), Hermitage (1 mile north-east), Oare (2 miles north-east), Little Hungerford (2 miles north-east) and Wellhouse (2 miles east). We also work in nearby towns like Newbury (3 miles south), Thatcham (3 miles south-east), Burghfield Common (11 miles east), Speenhamland (3 miles south-west), Hungerford (10 miles west) and Spencers Wood (14 miles east).
Near you in Curridge
In Curridge, that means homes and buildings near The Bunk Inn and Trinity School. Curridge’s nearest station is Newbury Racecourse station, roughly 3.2 miles south of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find West Berkshire Community Hospital (2.7 miles south) and Donnington Castle (2.5 miles south-west). Not far away are Snelsmore Common.
About our chimney survey in Curridge
A chimney survey looks at the stack and everything around it: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and the flashings at the roof line. Inside, we check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft where it is safe to reach. The findings come in a written report with photos and 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 mortar washing out of the joints, on chimney breasts, flaunching and brick chimney stacks.
In a small place like Curridge, 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 roof report shows what needs attention first. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are often the first to give way.
You receive the findings by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24–48 hours and Premium on the day.
- Location
- Curridge (RG18)
- Wider area
- West Berkshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Honest limits
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, and that sets some limits:
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will give you a straight answer before booking. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
Curridge questions
Can a landlord with a rental near Newbury Racecourse 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 email us with the details.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Curridge?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It is worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We don’t sample or test for asbestos. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Should a redundant chimney be removed?
A redundant chimney needs looking after like any other. If it’s capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside. We check how it is capped and its condition, so you can decide with a builder what to do.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. Shared stacks are common on terraced and semi-detached houses. 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?
It can come from several places: water getting in at the top, through the brickwork or at the flashings, or moisture trapped in a stack with no ventilation. We look at each one and note the most likely cause.
Does someone need to be in?
It depends on what we need to see. For inside areas and the roof space, someone has to give us access, while outside access can be discussed when you book.
Places near Curridge
Other services in Curridge
Tips from our surveys
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
Questions about the findings are always welcome. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Have aerial and dish brackets on the stack checked, and moved if they’re working it loose. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
What we do, step by step
The visit has one job: to see as much of the chimney stack as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. The visit usually takes between one and two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. For a village or hamlet like Curridge, the journey is planned beforehand: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there is access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Preparing for the visit
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
Book a survey
When you’re ready to go ahead, phone 07833 053749 or email us. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day.
Advice
Prices for chimney surveys in Curridge
Prices always include VAT. What changes the price is:
- House, block, shop or office
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Roof area
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package you pick makes a difference too. The price is always agreed first.
What we need to know
Some details help us suggest the right survey and price. When you contact us, it’s useful to mention:
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- The type of building and roof, like pitched or flat
- The property’s address and postcode
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
If you are buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. Otherwise, simply ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email whenever suits you.
What you can safely check yourself
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
What we’re asked to look at in Curridge
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 is worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- A chimney out of line
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
If you own a rental within reach of Newbury Racecourse station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
What to check before booking
- What follow-up you get after the report
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Will the report include photos?
- Which limits apply to the survey