Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Kimpton, Hertfordshire
Chimney surveys around Kimpton, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Cracked or missing flaunching
Chimney survey in Kimpton
Chimney stacks take more weather than almost any other part of a house. Over the years, the flaunching cracks, the pointing wears and flashings lift. Water then gets into the stack and can show as damp on a chimney breast or a stain in the loft. A survey finds these problems and records them with photographs. Common reasons to book are unused flues sealed without airflow and eroded joints in the brickwork, across chimney breasts, chimney pots and cowls and brick chimney stacks.
Somewhere as small as Kimpton, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, often with chimneys that have stood a long time. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs frequently need the most attention.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent.
- Place
- Kimpton (SG4)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Signs you need a chimney survey in Kimpton
TV aerials, satellite dishes and their brackets are often fixed to chimneys. The extra load in wind can work bricks and joints loose. Any fixings on the stack are checked and recorded.
It’s worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Worn or missing pointing
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Staining on walls around the chimney
For landlords with property near Harpenden station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Questions to ask before you book
- What experience they bring
- Are they insured for the work?
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Towns and villages near Kimpton
Also in Kimpton
What we do, step by step
The visit has one job: to see as much of the chimney stack as can be seen safely and record it clearly. Notes and photographs go into the written report. It typically takes about 1–2 hours for a house, and more on a big or complicated roof. In a hamlet or village like Kimpton, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We check every stack from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Before we arrive
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
Booking a survey
A quick phone call is normally the easiest start: call 07833 053749 or drop us an email, and we’ll ask about the building and what you need. You will have a price before anything is arranged.
Advice
Landlord and commercial surveys in Kimpton
We survey roofs for landlords and letting agents as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photographs, useful for planning maintenance.
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work with less disruption.
Local roofs in Kimpton
Older houses in the South East frequently have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. About 1.8 miles south-east lies Shaw's Corner, a reminder of how long the area around Kimpton has been built on. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters.
Take an older house close to Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul: the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Kimpton Primary School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Kimpton is about 3 miles north-east of Harpenden, in Hertfordshire. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Kimpton can all book chimney surveys. We cover towns and villages across Hertfordshire, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Milton Keynes.
Chimney surveys in SG4 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Streets in the area include High Street, Hampden and Wheelwrights, and we cover them all. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Gustard Wood (2 miles south), Whitwell (2 miles north), Ayot St Lawrence (2 miles south-east), Codicote Bottom (2 miles east) and Codicote (3 miles east). Within a short drive, we also cover Watford (14 miles south), Hemel Hempstead (10 miles south-west), Stevenage (6 miles north-east), St Albans (7 miles south), Welwyn Garden City (6 miles south-east) and Harpenden (3 miles south-west).
What’s near Kimpton
Around Kimpton, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Boot pub and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Harpenden station, roughly 3.4 miles south-west. Well-known places in the area include Harpenden Museum (3.6 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include Stocking Springs Wood.
Common questions in Kimpton
I let a flat near Harpenden station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. Just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and tell us about the building.
Is Kimpton within the area you cover?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. For the rest of the building, a RICS home survey is a separate job.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning. Let us know about it as you book and we will explain what’s needed.
What happens after the survey?
The report comes by email, and you decide the next step: use it with a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We use safe viewpoints rather than climbing onto the stack. Where it applies, our Premium Survey adds a drone inspection for a closer view. Any area we couldn’t view is noted.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We note visible signs such as sagging or deflection, but we’re not structural engineers and do not carry out calculations. Where an engineer is needed, we say so in the report.
Leave it or get it looked at?
If a stack seems to lean, do not leave it. We record its condition and recommend a structural engineer where needed, so you can decide what to do next. For an older or listed building in a place like Kimpton, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so leaving a defect until it is urgent leaves less time to plan.
All our prices include VAT. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. You will know the price for the job before you book.
Why book with us
- Clear package prices, inc. VAT
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- A report with photos
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
How the survey changes by roof type
Rendered stacks
Some stacks are rendered, which can hide the condition of the brickwork beneath. We look for cracks, hollow areas and staining.
Brick stacks
Older brick stacks often have soft lime mortar. We note where repairs should match the original mortar.
What a survey costs
Our packages start from £150, inc. VAT. The price for your roof depends on:
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- The shape of the roof and its details
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
- The roof’s overall size
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package matters as well. The price is always agreed first.
Booking your survey
You don’t need to know any roofing terms. It is enough to tell us:
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- Any deadline, like an exchange date
- The address and postcode of the property
Every survey is priced before it’s booked, so you know where you stand. Prices start from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.