Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Hoddesdon
We take a careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Hoddesdon, with photographs and a written report.
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
Tips that help
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner:
- Check your stacks from ground level after strong winds
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
You get the report by email and can pass it to whoever does the work. Each defect is described in plain words and shown in a photo, so it’s easy to follow.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. It’s far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
Chimney survey in Hoddesdon: what you get
A chimney survey is about the outside of the stack and the roof around it. It is not a flue inspection, a sweep or a gas safety check. For the flue itself, you will need a sweep or, for gas appliances, a Gas Safe registered engineer. If something we see points to the flue, we will say so. We survey brick chimney stacks, chimney pots and cowls and flaunching, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are lifted or split lead flashings and gaps in the mortar around the pots.
In a town like Hoddesdon, older houses with slate or clay tile roofs normally sit alongside later estates with concrete tiles. Older homes often keep chimney stacks long after the fireplaces went, and their flashings and pointing still matter. Newer homes have fewer chimneys but their own weak points at ridges, verges and gutters.
It isn’t only a list of defects. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend.
- Place
- Hoddesdon (EN11, EN10, EN8, SG12)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Why get it checked now?
Chimneys are easy to forget because you rarely see the top of them. Defects tend to go unseen until there is a stain. Surveying the stack now can catch problems first. Blocked gutters and downpipes on homes in Hoddesdon overflow onto walls, and damp follows inside. At roof level, a loose tile or tired flashing does the same. Left alone, both only get worse.
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where it applies, which starts from £400, with VAT included. We’ll tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Why book us in Hoddesdon
- Plain-English reports with photos
- An independent look at the roof
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- 98% customer satisfaction
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced or two real surveys.
Places near Hoddesdon
Other services in Hoddesdon
Honest limits
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Hoddesdon
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
Landlords, agents and block managers in Hoddesdon
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps when budgeting.
Landlords, agents and building managers in Hoddesdon and across Hertfordshire can book any of our surveys. To discuss a property or a block, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Common questions in Hoddesdon
Can a landlord with a rental near Broxbourne station book a roof survey?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. Just call 07833 053749 or send us an email and let us know about the building.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Hoddesdon?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Can you survey in bad weather?
It can, depending on the survey. Drone flights need calm, dry weather, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. We will rearrange with you if the weather isn’t right.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime, which suits people who work during the week. Let us know your preferred days when you book.
What does a chimney survey cover?
The whole stack, as far as it can safely be seen: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. Leaning, unused stacks and damp on chimney breasts are recorded too.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling are not something we do. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
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.
Chimney surveys around Hoddesdon
Before planning roof work on an older home, find out whether it is listed or in a conservation area. 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. Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates, with flat-roofed extensions, dormers and garages common everywhere. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
Anyone responsible for a site like Sheredes School will know that its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. Trees in and around Barclay Park shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
Hoddesdon is about 13 miles south-east of Stevenage, in Hertfordshire. We cover Hoddesdon and the rest of Hertfordshire. Our Hertfordshire coverage includes Hoddesdon. London is in our area too.
Chimney surveys in EN11, EN10, EN8 and SG12 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Local streets include High Street, Station Road and London Road, and we cover them all. Hoddesdon sits on or near the A10 and B176. Other places close to Hoddesdon include Broxbourne (1 mile south-west), High Leigh (1 mile north-west), Woollensbrook (1 mile north-west), Goose Green (1 mile north-west) and Wormley (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Stevenage (13 miles north-west), St Albans (13 miles west), Bishop's Stortford (11 miles north-east), Welwyn Garden City (8 miles west), Harpenden (15 miles west) and Cheshunt (3 miles south-west). Hoddesdon is among the bigger towns we cover in Hertfordshire.
Local landmarks in Hoddesdon
In Hoddesdon, that means homes and buildings near Barclay Park, The Golden Lion Inn and St Cross Catholic Primary School, among other places. The nearest railway station is Broxbourne station, roughly 0.6 miles south-east of the centre. Nearby you will also find Hertford County Hospital (4.2 miles north-west) and Barrowfield (3.4 miles north-west). Not far away are Danemead and Cheshunt Lake.
How it works
We look at the roof from outside and, where it’s relevant and there’s safe access, from inside the loft space too. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement. The whole visit typically takes about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In Hoddesdon, many roofs join a neighbour’s, so we check what can be seen of the shared parts from your side. Let us know about any known leaks, past repairs or building work when you book, so time on site goes where it is needed.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can be seen safely.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Before we arrive
- Keep pets in another room
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Getting a price
Unsure which package suits your roof? It’s easiest to call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
Advice
Signs you need a chimney survey in Hoddesdon
Aerials and dishes are frequently fixed to stacks. Their weight and the wind on them can loosen bricks and pointing. Any fixings on the stack are checked and recorded.
We’re often asked to look at:
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
If you let a flat or house near Broxbourne station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
Before booking anyone
- What insurance they carry
- When you’ll get the report
- Their track record with similar roofs
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely