Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in How Wood
Get a clear view of the chimney stack at a property in How Wood from an independent roof surveyor. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
Useful tips for How Wood property owners
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Some pointers:
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
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.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. With binoculars, you can often see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
Chimney survey in How Wood
If a chimney looks out of line, it’s worth getting it checked. A stack may lean because the mortar on one side has weakened, which can happen over many years of use. 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 are often asked to look into redundant stacks capped without ventilation and spalled or crumbling bricks, on shared and party-wall stacks, brick chimney stacks and flaunching.
Around How Wood, older cottages sit alongside bungalows and newer houses. Coverings range from slate and clay tiles on older homes to concrete tiles on many later ones. On older homes, chimney stacks, valleys and gutters are usually where the work is, and the fixings under the coverings matter too. Nails and battens under older coverings often give out before the slates or tiles themselves.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets, with a note and a photo for each point. You will see the good as well as the bad.
- Location
- How Wood (AL2)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What a chimney survey looks like in How Wood
In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look. The wider area around How Wood has a long history of building, with High Elms Manor about 2.2 miles south-west. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If you look after a building such as How Wood Primary and Nursery School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. Landlords with a home close to How Wood station may find that a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
How Wood is about 2 miles south-west of St Albans, in Hertfordshire. We carry out chimney surveys for homes and businesses in How Wood and nearby. Our area takes in places right across Hertfordshire, large and small. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
Every address in AL2 is covered for chimney surveys. We offer chimney surveys to properties on Ringway Road, Alder Close and How Wood and the roads around them. Close by, we survey roofs in Park Street (1 mile north-east), Chiswell Green (1 mile north-west), Frogmore (1 mile east), Bricket Wood (1 mile south-west) and Colney Street (1 mile south-east). Larger places within reach include Watford (4 miles south-west), Hemel Hempstead (5 miles north-west), Stevenage (15 miles north-east), Welwyn Garden City (9 miles north-east), Harpenden (7 miles north) and Hoddesdon (15 miles east).
Around How Wood
Around How Wood, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Marlborough Science Academy and The Falcon pub, among other places. There’s a railway station in How Wood itself: How Wood station. Well-known places in the area include Hilfield Castle (4.6 miles south) and Hypocaust Museum (2.1 miles north). For a walk, there is Broad Colney Lakes and Verulamium Lake.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Landlords and agents in How Wood book surveys as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photos.
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord. Access is agreed with the tenant beforehand.
How it works
Every roof is different, but as a rough guide the survey takes roughly 1–2 hours for most houses, or half a day or so for a commercial building. You’re welcome to ask questions while we are there. Being in a smaller place like How Wood does not change how the visit works: outside, inside and from any safe vantage point, in that order. It helps to show us anything you’ve already noticed.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Preparing for the visit
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the freeholder or managing agent
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
Arrange a survey
Photos help, if you have them. Take them safely from the ground or a window. To get started, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Advice
How the survey changes by roof type
Chimney pots and cowls
On redundant flues, we look at how the pots are capped. Poor capping can lead to damp inside the stack.
Flaunching
We often find flaunching that has cracked or broken away. It is normally a modest repair when it’s caught early.
When you need someone else
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Conditions inside walls
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll suggest the right survey. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
How Wood questions
Is How Wood within the area you cover?
Yes, How Wood is covered. Our area covers London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
I let a flat near How Wood station. Can you check the roof?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you need, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
What does a roof survey cost?
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Our three packages are Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, including VAT.
Do I need to be at home?
Not always. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
What do I do with the report?
The report arrives by email. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation, and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation, so you can talk the findings through.
Is a chimney survey the same as a flue inspection?
No. Our survey covers the outside of the stack and the roof around it. For the flue, you will need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not unless it’s safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where applicable, a drone, and the report notes anything we couldn’t see.
Do you need a chimney survey in How Wood?
Lots of homes have redundant stacks. If a stack is capped or blocked without ventilation, moisture can build up inside. Damp patches can appear on chimney breasts even when nothing is leaking.
We’re frequently asked to look at:
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
Shop and office owners around Village Arcade St Albans may find that a written record of the roof’s condition helps you plan maintenance rather than react to leaks.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Is VAT included in the price?
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Their insurance cover
- Their drone registration, if they fly one