Wokingham · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Finchampstead, Wokingham
An experienced roof surveyor for chimney surveys in Finchampstead. Over 5,000 surveys and 20+ years behind us across London and the South East.
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
What happens if roof problems are left?
A loose pot or brick can fall from height. A survey picks them out so they can be made safe by a roofer. In a small place like Finchampstead, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where applicable) come with the Premium Survey, from £400 with VAT included. We can help you choose the package that fits what you’d like to know.
What you get with us
- Visits on any day of the week
- A written report with photographs
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
Read what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
About our chimney survey in Finchampstead
Chimney stacks take more weather than almost any other part of a house. In time, flaunching cracks, mortar washes out and flashings come loose. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the loft space. A survey finds these problems and records them with photographs. If you are worried about loose, cracked or missing pots and flaunching that has broken away, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Somewhere as small as Finchampstead, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. We report on what can be seen safely, and thatch is a specialist material. On older roofs, it’s usually the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
After the visit, you get a written report with photos, emailed to you. It explains the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Location
- Finchampstead (RG40)
- Wider area
- Wokingham
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Chimney surveys around Finchampstead
In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. If your home is older, it is worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before planning roof work. Changes that affect a listed building’s special interest need listed building consent, and councils can also use Article 4 directions to control changes in conservation areas.
The streets around a church like Church of St James are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. If you own a rental within reach of Crowthorne station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
Finchampstead is about 2 miles north-west of Yateley, in Wokingham. From houses to flats and shops in Finchampstead, we can survey the roof. Our area takes in places right across Wokingham, from the larger towns to small villages. Reading is in our area too.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: RG40. Streets in the area include The Village, Manor Barns Lane and Longwater Lane, and we cover them all. Close by, we survey roofs in Eversley Centre (1 mile south-west), Eversley Cross (1 mile south), California (1 mile north-west), Eversley (1 mile west) and Lower Common (2 miles west). Further out, we also cover Reading (8 miles north-west), Wokingham (3 miles north), Woodley (7 miles north), Earley (6 miles north-west), Crowthorne (3 miles east) and Lower Earley (5 miles north-west).
Near you in Finchampstead
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Queen's Oak pub, Shepperlands Farm Nature Reserve and Yateley School, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Crowthorne station, about 1.7 miles east of the centre. A little further out are Pinewood Hospital (3.2 miles north-east). For a walk, there is Wildmoor Heath and Horseshoe Lake.
Common roof problems in Finchampstead
Some owners book because a chimney breast has been removed below and they want to know about the stack above. We note what’s visible in the loft space and outside, and the report recommends a structural engineer if support is a concern.
It’s worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Worn or missing pointing
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Finchampstead CofE VA Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Questions to ask before you book
- Their report turnaround times
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
Nearby places to Finchampstead
What else we do in Finchampstead
FAQs for Finchampstead
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Finchampstead?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
I let a flat near Crowthorne station. Can you check the roof?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you need, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
What does a roof survey cost?
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Our Basic Survey starts from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all inc. VAT.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We are roof surveyors, not structural engineers, and it doesn’t include calculations. If we see signs that need an engineer’s opinion, we’ll recommend one.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it’s applicable. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, and we check for restrictions near airports before flying. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID.
Are you insured?
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance cover our surveys. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
What happens after the survey?
The report arrives by email. With Standard there’s a follow-up consultation; with Premium, an in-person consultation.
The survey, step by step
We will ask a few questions first, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. Then the inspection itself takes about one to two hours for a house; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. Somewhere like Finchampstead needs a little journey planning: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect what can be seen safely, inside and out.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can safely be seen.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, we 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.
Before we arrive
- Check pets are kept safely away
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Arrange a survey
To get a price for chimney surveys in Finchampstead, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. The address, the type of property and what you’d like to know help us give you an accurate price.
Advice
Tips that help
Getting the most from a chimney survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- 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 is on from the viewpoints we used.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. That helps stop damp building up inside.
Different roofs, different checks
Brick stacks
Older brick stacks often have soft lime mortar. Repairs should suit the original materials, which we mention where relevant.
Chimney pots and cowls
Damaged pots are a safety concern as well as a leak risk. We photograph each pot and note any damage.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Finchampstead
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. Recommendations are set out by urgency where it matters, which helps when budgeting.
Where a roof is shared: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you get in touch and we’ll plan the survey around it.