Hampshire · London and the South East
Holybourne Chimney Survey
A careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Holybourne, with photos and a written report.
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
What a chimney survey looks like in Holybourne
Thatch survives on some older buildings in Hampshire’s villages. 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. Historic houses like Bentworth Hall, about 4.6 miles west, show how far back building in the area around Holybourne goes. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Take an older house close to Holy Rood Church: the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. Take a building like Andrews' Endowed Church of England Primary School: large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. If you own a rental within reach of Alton station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Holybourne is about 2 miles north-east of Alton, in Hampshire. We cover Holybourne and the rest of Hampshire, as part of our work across London and South East England. We cover towns and villages across Hampshire, large and small. For surveys nearby, see our Guildford page.
Chimney surveys in GU34 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. That includes homes and businesses on London Road, Carpenters Close and Inhams Road. If you’re just outside Holybourne, we cover Neatham (1 mile south-east), Alton (2 miles south-west), Upper Froyle (2 miles north-east), Wyck (2 miles south-east) and East Worldham (2 miles south). Larger places within reach include Basingstoke (10 miles north-west), Farnborough (12 miles north-east), Fleet (9 miles north-east), Aldershot (10 miles north-east), Petersfield (11 miles south) and Yateley (13 miles north).
Local landmarks in Holybourne
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to White Hart pub, Eggar's School and Treloar School, among other places. Holybourne’s nearest station is Alton station, about 1.2 miles south-west. Well-known places in the area include Alton Community Hospital (2.4 miles south-west) and Allen Gallery (1.5 miles south-west). For a walk, there’s Holybourne Hill.
Chimney survey in Holybourne: what you get
For buyers, a chimney survey before exchange can flag work you may want to raise. On older stacks, we often find cracked flaunching, loose flashings and worn pointing. You get photographs and findings you can take back to the seller or agent. It works alongside a RICS home survey, not instead of one. If you’ve noticed signs that a stack is leaning and pots or cowls that look unsafe, we can find out what’s behind it, on chimney pots and cowls, shared and party-wall stacks and flaunching alike.
Older buildings in small places like Holybourne may be listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Where
- Holybourne (GU34)
- Wider area
- Hampshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Before and after the survey
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out:
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
If anything in the report isn’t clear, just ask us. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. It is far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
FAQs for Holybourne
Will you come out to Holybourne?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Is my home in Holybourne listed or in a conservation area?
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 a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. Shared stacks are common on terraced and semi-detached houses. We survey what we can see safely, and note anything that seems to involve next door.
How long will you be at the property?
It normally takes about one to two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. The written report follows by email, on the timescale of your package.
What do I do with the report?
You will receive the report by email, and you decide the next step: raise it with a seller, send it to an insurer, brief a roofer or share it with a managing agent.
Will I get photos?
Yes, every report has them. Pictures sit next to the findings they show, so you can see what we mean.
What’s in the report?
It sets out what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, with photographs throughout. Anything we couldn’t see safely is noted too, so you know exactly what was covered.
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with VAT included. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400. We confirm the exact price before booking.
Helping us price your survey
Here’s what helps us most when you get in touch:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- When you need the report by
For a price for chimney surveys in Holybourne, call 07833 053749 or email us. The address, the type of property and what you’d like to know help us price the survey accurately.
Can I check my roof myself?
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Don’t go up yourself.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
Towns and villages near Holybourne
What else we do in Holybourne
How the survey works
We look at the roof from outside and, where it’s relevant and there’s safe access, from inside the loft space too. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging. All in, the survey typically takes about 1–2 hours for a house, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. Cottages and farmhouses around Holybourne often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- We check the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Before the survey
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Arrange a survey
You can call us seven days a week. For a price or to book, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Related advice
Different roofs, different checks
Flaunching
The sloping mortar around the pots is called flaunching. Once it cracks, water can get straight into the brickwork.
Chimney pots and cowls
Each pot is bedded into the flaunching, often with a cowl or cap on top. We check that they look secure and undamaged.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Holybourne
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on.
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.