Southampton · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Harefield, Southampton
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Harefield, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Flaunching that has broken away
- A chimney out of line
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
Chimney survey in Harefield: what you get
A leaning chimney stack is worth having looked at. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down, often after years of flue gases and damp. The survey notes how the stack looks, how far it seems to lean and the state of the bricks and joints. Where it may be a structural concern, we’ll recommend a structural engineer. We survey lead flashings, brick chimney stacks and chimney pots and cowls, and the problems we are asked to look at most are disused chimneys trapping moisture and flashings pulling away from the stack.
Houses in smaller places like Harefield can face open ground, where wind and driving rain hit the roof harder. Ridge tiles, verges, chimney stacks and flashings take the worst of it. A proper look shows whether anything has started to loosen. A loose ridge tile or slate gives the wind something to catch, and others soon follow.
The report records the chimney stack as we found it on the day. It’s useful straight away, and a good reference for later, for example when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Place
- Harefield (SO18, SO19, SO30)
- Region
- Southampton
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens if roof problems are left?
If you’re thinking of removing or reducing a stack, it’s useful to know its condition first. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need permission from the council and the council can advise. In a smaller place like Harefield, wherever a roof is exposed, a loose ridge or flashing doesn’t stay loose for long. Each storm lifts it a little further, and water follows.
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on how big and how high the roof is, how it can safely be seen and the package you choose.
Why book with us
- Packages from £150, including VAT
- 98% of clients satisfied
- Every finding written up with photos
- Visits on any day of the week
Places near Harefield
What else we do in Harefield
Your questions about chimney surveys in Harefield
Is Harefield within the area you cover?
Yes. Harefield is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We survey roofs across London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there as you book.
I let a flat near Bitterne station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you need, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
What does the report include?
It works through the roof part by part, in writing and with photos, and ends with what we recommend. Points are put with the most urgent first where relevant.
Does someone need to be in?
It depends on what we need to see. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in, while outside access can be discussed when booking.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys, across London and South East England.
Do you inspect the flue?
No. We survey the stack and its weathering, not the flue. For the flue, you will need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Light rain is usually fine; heavy rain and wind are different. In strong wind or a downpour, a drone can’t fly and access may not be safe, and we’d agree another day.
Prices for chimney surveys in Harefield
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- Roof area
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
Prices start from £150, including VAT, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400. We confirm the price for the job before booking.
What to tell us when you get in touch
Before you get in touch, it is useful to have:
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We will confirm the price before booking.
The survey, step by step
The visit usually starts outside and finishes in the loft: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the roof space where it can be reached. In total, it takes about one to two hours at most homes, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. In a smaller place like Harefield, parking is seldom the issue; lanes, gates and long drives are worth mentioning. On bungalows and lower roofs, much can be seen from the ground, with the loft showing the underside, while taller roofs may need other vantage points or the drone where it applies.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Before we arrive
- Tell us where we can park nearby
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
Getting a price
For a price for chimney surveys in Harefield, phone 07833 053749 or email us. The address, the type of property and what you’d like to know help us price the survey accurately.
Related advice
What you can safely check yourself
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date.
Local roofs in Harefield
The coast is about 3 miles or less from Harefield, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, while gales work at loose ridges, slates and tiles, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. South Stoneham House, about 1.9 miles north-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Harefield. 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 any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of St James, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first. If you look after a building like Harefield Primary School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Harefield is about 2 miles east of Southampton, in Southampton. Harefield is part of the area we cover as part of our work across London and South East England. We cover towns and villages across Southampton, from the larger towns to small villages.
We work across the SO18, SO19 and SO30 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. Whether your property is on Dean Road, Marne Road and Keats Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. Harefield is on the A334, so it’s easy for us to get to. We also cover Thornhill (1 mile south), West End (1 mile north), Chartwell Green (1 mile north), Bitterne (1 mile south-west) and Townhill Park (1 mile north-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Shirley (4 miles west), Regents Park (4 miles west), Maybush (5 miles west), Coxford (4 miles west), Freemantle (4 miles west) and Lordswood (4 miles north-west). Harefield is among the bigger towns we cover in Southampton.
Landmarks near Harefield
We work in homes and buildings around The Gregg School, Woodlands Community College and The Red Lion pub. For rail, the closest station is Bitterne station, roughly 1.5 miles west. Other landmarks nearby include Moorgreen Hospital (1.1 miles north-east) and Netley Castle (3 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Netley Common.
What we’re asked to look at in Harefield
Stacks that were used for open fires for many years can weaken from the inside. Flue gases and damp can break down the mortar, sometimes more on one side than the other, which can make a stack lean.
A survey can pick up problems such as:
- A stack that appears to lean
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for instance near Marlands Shopping Centre, a written record of the roof’s condition helps you plan maintenance rather than react to leaks.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Their track record with similar roofs
Different roofs, different checks
Rendered stacks
Some stacks are rendered, which can hide the condition of the brickwork beneath. The survey checks for cracking, bulging and staining in the render.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Damp patches on chimney breasts frequently point to a problem above. We check them and at the stack in the loft where there is safe access.