Surrey · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Dorking, Surrey
An experienced roof surveyor for chimney surveys in Dorking. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Worn or missing pointing
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
Useful tips for Dorking property owners
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
With a shared stack, the report can help when talking to next door. It shows what we found and where, as far as we could see.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Dorking
A damp patch on a chimney breast does not always come from the same place. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. Condensation inside an unventilated stack is another common cause. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. You then know where to start. Typical surveys look at damaged chimney pots and cowls and unused flues sealed without airflow, on shared and party-wall stacks, lead flashings and chimney pots and cowls.
Around Dorking, semis and terraces share chimneys, gutters and roof lines with the house next door. A shared chimney stack or a gutter run across two houses means a defect may sit partly on someone else’s property. We can only inspect what we have access to, so shared parts are reported as far as they can be seen safely. It is useful to mention any shared stacks or gutters as you book.
Nothing in the report is left vague: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, and where it can wait, that is said too.
- Place
- Dorking (RH4, RH5)
- Region
- Surrey
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens if roof problems are left?
Chimneys are easy to forget because you rarely see the top of them. Defects tend to go unseen until there’s a stain. A survey gives you a clear picture before that happens. A defect spotted early can be planned and budgeted for, while one found after water comes through typically has to be dealt with in a hurry.
One thing that affects the price is the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all inc. VAT. The roof’s size, height and access matter as well.
Why book us in Dorking
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Every finding written up with photos
Read how roof surveys are priced and what we found on two real jobs.
How the survey changes by roof type
Rendered stacks
What’s behind the render can’t be seen without removing some, so the report explains what we could and couldn’t assess.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Inside, chimney breasts can show damp when water gets into the stack. We check them and at the stack in the loft where there’s safe access.
What happens on the day
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photos, sent to you by email. On timing, most surveys take about one to two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. A visit in Dorking runs most smoothly with the loft hatch clear, side gates open and a parking spot in mind. Someone needs to let us in, so tell us who that will be.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Where there is safe access, we look at the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Before the survey
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Leave side gates unlocked
Getting a price
We survey roofs on any day of the week. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Read more
Nearby places to Dorking
Other services in Dorking
DIY checks: what’s safe
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Share it with us when you book, as it helps us focus the survey.
Chimney surveys in Dorking: local notes
In Surrey, older roofs are often handmade clay tile, with tile-hanging on many upper walls. A few of Surrey’s oldest buildings have heavy Horsham stone slab roofs. Whatever the covering, it’s often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. With Polesden Lacey about 2.7 miles north-west, Dorking sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Church of St Paul, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first. For site and facilities teams at buildings like St Paul's CofE (Aided) Primary School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Dorking is about 10 miles north-west of Crawley, in Surrey. Surveys in Dorking work the same way as everywhere we cover: a careful inspection, photos and a written report. Across Surrey, we cover Dorking. There’s also a page for Crawley.
Every address in RH4 and RH5 is covered for chimney surveys. We cover properties on High Street, Station Road and London Road. With the A24 and A25 close by, Dorking is easy for us to reach. We also cover Pixham (1 mile north-east), North Holmwood (1 mile south), Westhumble (2 miles north), Westcott (2 miles west) and Blackbrook (2 miles south-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Guildford (11 miles west), Woking (12 miles north-west), Epsom (8 miles north), Horley (8 miles south-east), Redhill (7 miles east) and Ewell (9 miles north).
Local landmarks in Dorking
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Wheatsheaf Public House, The Ashcombe School and Deepdene Terrace. Also close by are The Ashcombe School (0.6 miles north) and Pippbrook House (0.5 miles north). Dorking’s nearest station is Dorking Deepdene station, roughly 0.6 miles north. Well-known places in the area include Mesolithic Museum (3.9 miles south-west) and Headley Court (4.8 miles north-east). Open spaces near Dorking include Reigate Heath and Box Hill.
Common roof problems in Dorking
Stacks that were used for open fires for many years can weaken from the inside. Mortar can deteriorate unevenly from flue gases and moisture, which is one reason stacks start to lean.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
Homes near green spaces such as Deepdene Terrace can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Are they insured for the work?
- What they will not be able to tell you
- How soon the report will arrive
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
FAQs for Dorking
How do I find out if my home in Dorking is listed?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Can a landlord with a rental near Dorking Deepdene station book a roof survey?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and what you need, and we will talk through which survey suits.
Does the report include photographs?
Yes, every report has them. Each finding is shown in a picture where possible, which makes the report easy to follow.
Is it a problem to have an unused chimney?
It depends on its condition and your plans. We record how the stack is doing and whether it is capped with ventilation. If you’re thinking of removing it, check with the council first in a conservation area or on a listed building.
My chimney looks like it’s leaning. What should I do?
It is worth having a leaning stack checked. We record the lean, the brickwork and the pointing, and if it may be a structural issue, we recommend a structural engineer.
Does someone need to be in?
Not always. If we only need the outside, we can agree that ahead of time, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We inspect from wherever is safe: from ground level, windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there’s access. A drone inspection is included in our Premium Survey where it applies. If part of a stack can’t be seen, the report says so.