Buckinghamshire · London and the South East
Horn Hill Chimney Survey
Get a clear view of the chimney stack at a property in Horn Hill. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
How the survey works
A survey visit follows a simple order: we hear what you’ve seen, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, photograph what we find and record our findings for the written report. It normally takes between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Older roofs in small places like Horn Hill can have low, tight loft spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. We only go where it’s safe.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- You get a written report with photos and our recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
Arrange a survey
Booking is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email, let us know about the property and we will recommend the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
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Chimney survey in Horn Hill
Our chimney survey covers the stack and the details that keep water out around it: the pots and cowls, the flaunching on top, the pointing, the brickwork and the flashings where it meets the roof. We also look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access. You get a written report with photos and our recommendations. It suits a single stack on a house as well as several on a larger building. We survey chimney breasts, shared and party-wall stacks and brick chimney stacks, and common reasons people get in touch are redundant stacks capped without ventilation and damp patches on chimney breasts.
Somewhere as small as Horn Hill, 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 frequently old. We report on what can safely be seen, and thatch is a specialist material. On older roofs, it is normally the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Horn Hill (SL9)
- Region
- Buckinghamshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips from our surveys
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Tips:
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Check unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
You get the report by email and can pass it to whoever does the work. We use plain English and a photo for each defect so anyone reading it can see what we saw.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Horn Hill
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, and the report can go to both. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
Landlords, agents and building managers in Horn Hill and across Buckinghamshire can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
How the survey changes by roof type
Chimney pots and cowls
On redundant flues, we check how the pots are capped. Poor capping can lead to damp inside the stack.
Flaunching
Flaunching is the mortar on top of a stack that holds the pots and sheds water. Cracks in it let water into the stack.
Horn Hill: your questions answered
I let a flat near Chorleywood station. Can you check the roof?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. Just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Do you cover smaller places like Horn Hill?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Do you need to get into the loft?
If there is a loft and safe access to it, yes. The roof space can show things the outside cannot, such as damp timbers, staining or daylight.
Will you photograph what you find?
Yes. Photos are taken throughout the survey, and they go into the written report alongside our recommendations.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. We inspect what can safely be seen and what you give us access to. Where a problem appears to be on next door’s side, we note it and you can raise it with them.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. We check the parts we’re given access to.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. This is a survey of the roof only, so it’s not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It can sit alongside a RICS survey if you want both.
What a chimney survey does not cover
This isn’t a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before you book. These are the things that affect it:
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Which survey package you book
- The roof’s overall size
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we’ll tell you which fits.
Getting in touch
Here’s what helps us most when you get in touch:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Access details, like a loft hatch or a shared roof
To get a price for chimney surveys in Horn Hill, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. Some details about the property and the roof help us give you an accurate price.
Chimney surveys around Horn Hill
A number of Buckinghamshire villages keep thatched roofs on their older buildings. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. About 3.6 miles north lies Chenies Manor House, a reminder of how long the area around Horn Hill has been built on. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters.
If you let a flat or house near Chorleywood station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints. For an older house near a landmark such as St Paul's, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. Anyone responsible for a site like Maple Cross Junior Mixed Infant and Nursery School will know that long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Horn Hill is about 3 miles south-west of Rickmansworth, in Buckinghamshire. Anywhere in Horn Hill, we can come and survey your property. We cover towns and villages across Buckinghamshire. You can also see our page for London.
We survey roofs across the SL9 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Shire Lane, Rickmansworth Lane and Roberts Lane or a nearby road, we can survey it. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Maple Cross (1 mile east), Chalfont Common (1 mile west), West Hyde (1 mile south-east), Heronsgate (1 mile north) and Chalfont St Peter (2 miles south-west). We also work in nearby towns such as High Wycombe (9 miles west), Chesham (7 miles north-west), Marlow (11 miles west), Amersham (5 miles north-west), Beaconsfield (5 miles west) and Princes Risborough (15 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Horn Hill
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Dumb Bell pub. The closest station to Horn Hill is Chorleywood station, roughly 2.3 miles north of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Chiltern Open Air Museum (1.1 miles north-west) and Chalfonts and Gerrards Cross Hospital (1.7 miles south-west). Open spaces near Horn Hill include Pynesfield Lake and Northmoor Hill Wood.