Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Deacon's Hill Chimney Survey
Find out what’s going on with the chimney stack before you spend money on it. Chimney surveys in Deacon's Hill.
- A stack that appears to lean
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Flaunching that has broken away
About our chimney survey in Deacon's Hill
A leaning chimney stack is worth having looked at. A stack may lean because the mortar on one side has weakened, which can happen over many years of use. We record the lean and the condition of the brickwork and pointing. Where it may be a structural concern, we will recommend a structural engineer. If you’re worried about staining on walls around the chimney and flaunching that has broken away, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Village roofs frequently face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A roof report shows what needs attention first. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are often the first to give way.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Where
- Deacon's Hill (WD6)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Signs you need a chimney survey in Deacon's Hill
Flaunching is the mortar bed that holds the pots and throws water off the top. Once it cracks, water gets in and frost makes the cracks bigger. Loose pots can follow.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- A stack that appears to lean
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Bricks with flaking faces
Landlords with a home close to Elstree & Borehamwood station may find that a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
What to check before booking
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Will the report include photos?
- Is VAT included in the price?
Roof by roof
Rendered stacks
Water can get in through cracks and then struggle to dry out. Cracks are photographed and noted.
Chimney pots and cowls
On redundant flues, we look at how the pots are capped. Capping without ventilation can trap moisture.
Places near Deacon's Hill
Also in Deacon's Hill
Useful tips for Deacon's Hill property owners
Small things make a difference. Our tips:
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. Because everyone is pricing the same findings, the quotes are easier to compare.
Look at your chimneys from ground level now and then, particularly after strong winds. With binoculars, you can frequently see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
The survey, step by step
There is not much for you to do on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, such as stains, drips or loose pieces, and we will get on with the inspection. The survey itself takes an hour or two for most houses, and longer for a large or complex roof. In a small place like Deacon's Hill, access is normally the main thing to plan. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- 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.
How to prepare
- Let us know about parking before the day
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
Getting a price
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can ring 07833 053749 or send us an email to find out.
Read more
Prices for chimney surveys in Deacon's Hill
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, inc. VAT.
What we need to know
If you can, have these to hand when you contact us:
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- The address and postcode of the property
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
To book a survey, call 07833 053749 or email us and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. You will know the price before anything is booked.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Deacon's Hill
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed beforehand. Surveys run seven days a week, which helps when tenants work during the week.
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work with less disruption.
Deacon's Hill questions
Is my home in Deacon's Hill listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Can a landlord with a rental near Elstree & Borehamwood station book a roof survey?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. Just call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the details.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing are not part of what we do. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them.
Why is my chimney breast damp?
There are a few common causes: 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.
Do you need to go on the roof to check the chimney?
We look from ground level, from windows and from the loft where it’s safe. Where it applies, our Premium Survey adds a drone inspection for a closer view. The report is clear about anything that couldn’t be seen.
Is Deacon's Hill in your area?
Yes. We survey roofs across London and South East England, and that includes Deacon's Hill.
Does the report include photos?
Yes. We photograph the roof as we go, and the report uses them to show each finding alongside our recommendations.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Deacon's Hill
With Headstone Manor about 4.7 miles south-west, Deacon's Hill sits in an area with a long building history. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile, and flat-roofed additions turn up almost everywhere. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
If you live in an older home near Church of St Nicholas, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. For site and facilities teams at buildings like Summerswood Primary School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Deacon's Hill is about 1 mile south of Borehamwood, in Hertfordshire. In Deacon's Hill, as across Hertfordshire, every roof gets the same careful survey. Deacon's Hill is one of the towns and villages in Hertfordshire we cover for chimney surveys. You can also see our page for London.
We cover every part of WD6 for chimney surveys and the streets around it. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Grange Road, Vale Avenue and Barnet Lane or a nearby road, we can help. Main roads around Deacon's Hill include the A411. If you’re just outside Deacon's Hill, we cover Edgware Bury (1 mile south), Elstree (1 mile west), Borehamwood (1 mile north), Broadfields Estate (1 mile south) and Rowley Green (2 miles north-east). Larger places within reach include Watford (5 miles west), Hemel Hempstead (11 miles north-west), St Albans (8 miles north), Welwyn Garden City (11 miles north), Harpenden (12 miles north) and Hoddesdon (14 miles north-east).
Local landmarks in Deacon's Hill
Typical jobs here are in homes near Yavneh College, Edgwarebury Park and The Crown pub and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Elstree & Borehamwood station, roughly 0.6 miles north. Nearby you will also find Broadwalk Centre (2.2 miles south) and Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (1.4 miles south-west). Not far away are Darland's Lake and Edgware Way Grassland.