Hampshire · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Dunbridge
Not sure what state the chimney stack is in? You can book a chimney survey in Dunbridge and across Hampshire.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Signs that a stack is leaning
Signs you need a chimney survey in Dunbridge
A stack takes the weather from every direction. Frost works into cracks in the flaunching and pointing, and rain soaks into worn brickwork. People normally call us when they notice damp or a problem with the stack, or before a purchase.
We’re often asked to look at:
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- A chimney out of line
For landlords with property near Mottisfont & Dunbridge station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- How soon the report will arrive
- What they will not be able to tell you
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
How a chimney survey works in Dunbridge
On terraced and semi-detached houses, a chimney stack is frequently shared with next door. We look at what can safely be seen and what the owner gives us access to. Where a problem seems to involve a neighbour’s side, the report records it, so you can talk to them. Everything is written up with photos and what we recommend. If you’ve noticed frost-damaged brickwork on the stack and damp patches on chimney breasts, we can find out what’s behind it, on chimney breasts, lead flashings and flaunching alike.
Village roofs often face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, 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. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets. You will see the good as well as the bad.
- Location
- Dunbridge (SO51)
- Region
- Hampshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Honest limits
A survey is a careful look at the chimney stack, but it can’t do everything. The main limits are:
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
- Hidden damage within the stack
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll recommend the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Dunbridge
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
Common questions in Dunbridge
Will you come out to Dunbridge?
Yes, Dunbridge is covered. We work right across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
How do I find out if my home in Dunbridge is listed?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
What do you check on a chimney?
The whole stack, as far as it can safely be seen: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. We also note leaning, redundant stacks and damp inside.
What insurance do you have?
We’re covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
Have it checked rather than leaving it. Leaning frequently comes from mortar breaking down unevenly. We record its condition with photos, and a structural engineer can confirm whether it is stable.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Light rain is usually fine; heavy rain and wind are different. Strong wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, and we’d agree another day.
Will you check the chimney is safe to use with a fire?
No. It isn’t a flue, sweep or gas safety inspection. We look at the stack, pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings, and damp inside, and we will say if anything suggests the flue needs checking.
Checking the roof from the ground
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
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. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Tips that help
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out:
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Photograph damp patches with the date
If the stack is shared, you can pass the report to your neighbour. The photos show the problem and which side it’s on, as far as we could see.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. It’s far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
Nearby places to Dunbridge
Also in Dunbridge
The survey, step by step
Where it is relevant and can be reached safely, the roof space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging, as far as the space allows. The whole visit typically takes about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Somewhere like Dunbridge needs a little journey planning: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- You get a written report with photos and our recommendations.
Preparing for the visit
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Arrange a survey
Booking is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or email us, let us know about the property and we will explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Advice
What a chimney survey looks like in Dunbridge
With Mottisfont Abbey about 0.7 miles north-east, Dunbridge sits in an area with a long building history. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. A number of Hampshire villages keep thatched roofs on their older buildings. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
For an older house near a landmark such as Church of St Andrew, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs. Take a building like Awbridge Primary School: large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Dunbridge is about 4 miles north-west of Romsey, in Hampshire. We cover Dunbridge and the rest of Hampshire, as part of our work across London and South East England. Our Hampshire coverage includes Dunbridge. We also survey roofs in Southampton.
Here we cover the SO51 postcode area for chimney surveys. If you’re just outside Dunbridge, we cover Mottisfont (1 mile north-east), Kimbridge (1 mile south-east), Stonymarsh (1 mile north-east), Carter's Clay (1 mile south-west) and Lockerley (1 mile west). Larger places within reach include Winchester (10 miles east), Eastleigh (10 miles south-east), Andover (13 miles north), Totton (8 miles south), Chandler's Ford (8 miles south-east) and Hedge End (13 miles south-east).
Around Dunbridge
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Bear And Ragged Staff Public House, among other places. There is a railway station in Dunbridge itself: Mottisfont & Dunbridge station. Well-known places in the area include Romsey Community Hospital (3.9 miles south-east) and King Johns House (3.5 miles south-east).
Roof by roof
Flaunching
Cracked flaunching is one of the most common chimney defects we record. Caught early, it’s often a small job.
Lead flashings
Flashings can lift in wind or pull out of their mortar joints. We photograph any we find that look loose or damaged.