Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Hanscombe End, Hertfordshire
An experienced roof surveyor for chimney surveys in Hanscombe End. Over 5,000 surveys and 20+ years behind us.
- A stack that appears to lean
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
Common roof problems in Hanscombe End
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 can make a stack lean.
People normally book a survey when they’ve noticed something like this:
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
Trees in and around Wrest Park shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters.
Questions to ask before booking
- What insurance they carry
- Which limits apply to the survey
- How soon the report will arrive
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
Chimney survey in Hanscombe End: what you get
Chimney stacks take more weather than almost any other part of a house. In time, flaunching cracks, mortar washes out and flashings come loose. Water then gets into the stack and can show as damp on a chimney breast or a stain in the loft. We record what we find with photos and recommendations. We survey chimney pots and cowls, lead flashings and brick chimney stacks, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are frost-damaged brickwork on the stack and lifted or split lead flashings.
Some older homes in villages like Hanscombe End are listed or in a conservation area. If yours is, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so the council is the place to check. A roof report helps you plan work with that in mind. Older materials such as clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
We keep jargon out of it: if work is needed, the report says so clearly.
- Location
- Hanscombe End (SG5)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
Survey packages start from £150, inc. VAT. The price for your roof depends on:
- The roof’s overall size
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
Price depends partly on the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, inc. VAT. The roof’s size, height and access matter as well.
What we need to know
Before you get in touch, it helps to have:
- The property’s address and postcode
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
- What’s prompted the survey
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to phone 07833 053749 or email us and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
Places near Hanscombe End
Other services in Hanscombe End
For landlords and managing agents
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too. Larger roofs take longer.
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants. Surveys run seven days a week, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Hanscombe End homes and their roofs
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. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. Older buildings may be listed or sit in a conservation area. To find out, check Historic England’s list and ask the council about conservation areas. Re-roofing in different materials may need permission there.
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of All Saints, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs. Take a building like Shillington Lower School: a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Hanscombe End is about 5 miles north-west of Hitchin, in Hertfordshire. We carry out chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Hanscombe End and nearby. Hanscombe End is one of the places in Hertfordshire we cover. Our Milton Keynes page covers surveys nearby.
We cover every part of the SG5 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. We also cover Apsley End (1 mile south), Shillington (1 mile east), Hexton (2 miles south), Pirton (2 miles south-east) and Pegsdon (2 miles south). We also work in nearby towns like Stevenage (10 miles south-east), Welwyn Garden City (15 miles south-east), Harpenden (12 miles south), Hitchin (5 miles south-east), Letchworth (6 miles east) and Letchworth Garden City (6 miles east).
Local landmarks in Hanscombe End
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Five Bells Public House and Wrest Park and the streets around them. Well-known places in the area include Keech Hospice Care (5.2 miles south-west) and Stondon Motor Museum (2.6 miles east). Open spaces near Hanscombe End include Barton Gravel Pit and Cain Hill.
When you need someone else
Some things cannot be seen without opening up the roof, and that sets some limits:
- Hidden damage within the stack
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- Whether the flue is safe to use
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we look at
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
Different roofs, different checks
Brick stacks
Frost can damage bricks that have soaked up water, making the faces flake away. Any spalling is noted with photos.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Stains on timbers or brickwork around the stack can point to a leak. What we find is photographed and described.
What we do, 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. Older rural homes like those around Hanscombe End can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Getting ready for the survey
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Getting a price
To get a price for chimney surveys in Hanscombe End, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. Some details about the property and the roof help us price the survey accurately.
Advice
Hanscombe End: your questions answered
Do you carry out roof surveys in Hanscombe End?
Yes, Hanscombe End is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Hanscombe End as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Hanscombe End?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Let us know which days suit you when booking.
How much does a chimney survey cost in Hanscombe End?
Our price is from £150, including VAT. We confirm the price for the job before you book. To get a price, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. It’s a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof and can sit alongside a RICS survey.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not always. Some roofs are too steep or fragile to walk on safely. Safe viewpoints, the loft and a drone where it applies let us see the rest, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
Can you find out why my chimney breast is damp?
It can come from several places: cracked flaunching, worn pointing, failed flashings, uncapped pots, or damp trapped in an unventilated stack. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause.