West Berkshire · London and the South East
Inkpen Common Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Inkpen Common, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
What a chimney survey looks like in Inkpen Common
With Stargroves about 2.7 miles south-east, Inkpen Common sits in an area with a long building history. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile, with flat-roofed extensions, dormers and garages common everywhere. Whatever the covering, it is often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
For an older house near a landmark like Church of St Laurence, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. If you let a flat or house near Kintbury station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Inkpen Common is about 6 miles west of Newbury, in West Berkshire. We visit Inkpen Common as part of our work across West Berkshire, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. Inkpen Common is one of the towns and villages in West Berkshire we cover. There’s also a page for Reading.
Every address in RG17 and RG20 is covered for chimney surveys. Whether your property is on Heads Lane, Rooksnest Lane and The Firs or a nearby road, we can help. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Hell Corner (1 mile east), Inkpen (1 mile north-west), Upper Green (1 mile south-west), Lower Green (1 mile west) and Kintbury (2 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Newbury (6 miles east), Thatcham (9 miles east), Speenhamland (6 miles east), Hungerford (4 miles north-west), Lambourn (10 miles north) and Shaw (7 miles east).
Around Inkpen Common
Around Inkpen Common, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Crown and Garter pub and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Kintbury station, about 2 miles north. Well-known places in the area include Hamstead Marshall 3 (3.1 miles north-east). The countryside around Inkpen Common includes Kintbury Newt Ponds and Inkpen Hill.
About our chimney survey in Inkpen Common
If you are buying a home with chimneys, it’s worth knowing their condition before you exchange. Cracked flaunching, failed flashings and worn pointing are common findings on older stacks. You get photos and findings you can take back to the seller or agent. It works alongside a RICS home survey, not instead of one. Common reasons to book are staining on walls around the chimney and eroded joints in the brickwork, on chimney breasts, lead flashings and chimney pots and cowls.
Older buildings in small places like Inkpen Common may be listed or in a conservation area. If yours is, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so the council is the place to check. A roof report helps you plan work with that in mind. Older materials such as clay tiles, slate and stone are frequently matched when work is done.
Nothing in the report is left vague: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, along with how urgent it is.
- Where
- Inkpen Common (RG17, RG20)
- Wider area
- West Berkshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What we do, step by step
Safety comes first on every visit. We inspect everything that’s safely in view, and if part of the roof can’t be seen, the report says so. The survey typically takes about one to two hours at a typical home, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. Cottages and farmhouses around Inkpen Common 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 cannot see is noted.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- 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.
How to prepare
- Keep pets in another room
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Book a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from ground level or a window. To send them or to book, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Advice
What a survey costs
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. The main factors are:
- The size of the roof
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
We offer three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Booking your survey
There is no need for technical words. Just let us know:
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
To book a survey, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You will know the price before anything is booked.
Signs you need a chimney survey in Inkpen Common
Chimney stacks stand above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Frost works into cracks in the flaunching and pointing, and rain soaks into worn brickwork. Most people book after spotting damp or a loose pot, or before buying.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
If you look after a building such as Inkpen Primary School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Questions to ask before you book
- Which limits apply to the survey
- Is VAT included in the price?
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- How soon the report will arrive
Landlords, agents and block managers in Inkpen Common
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed ahead of time. We survey seven days a week, which can make access easier.
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords, including offices, shops and units. Bigger roofs take more time, so they’re priced to suit.
Can I check my roof myself?
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way. That’s where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Do not go up yourself.
Common questions in Inkpen Common
Can a landlord with a rental near Kintbury station book a roof survey?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. Just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Will you come out to Inkpen Common?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
Can you survey in bad weather?
A survey can usually go ahead in light rain. High wind or heavy rain can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so we will agree a new date if the weather isn’t suitable.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We do not carry out asbestos surveys or testing. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
What does the report include?
It explains what we saw, what it means and what we’d suggest, with photos throughout. Anything we couldn’t see safely is noted too, so you know exactly what was covered.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Only when it is safe. Some roofs are too steep or fragile to walk on safely. We use safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where applicable, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
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.
Nearby places to Inkpen Common
Also in Inkpen Common
Why get it checked now?
If you’re thinking of removing or reducing a stack, it helps to know its condition first. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need permission from the council, so check with them first. Matching old materials, like handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. That is one more reason to find defects before they become urgent.
All our prices include VAT. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. You will know the price for your roof before you book.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Inkpen Common
- Over 20 years’ experience
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- An independent look at the roof