Portsmouth · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Kingston, Portsmouth
Not sure what state the chimney stack is in? We carry out chimney surveys in Kingston and across Portsmouth.
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Cracked or missing flaunching
What we can’t see
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Whether the flue is safe to use
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Kingston
A chimney stands up above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. In time, flaunching cracks, mortar washes out and flashings come loose. 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. If you’ve noticed gaps in the mortar around the pots and gaps where the stack meets the roof, we can find out what’s behind it.
Around Kingston, older cottages sit alongside bungalows and newer houses. Older roofs can have slate, clay tiles or other traditional coverings, while many later ones have concrete tiles. On older homes, chimney stacks, valleys and gutters are typically where the work is. Nails and battens under older coverings often give out before the slates or tiles themselves.
If any part of the chimney stack couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. You will know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t.
- Where
- Kingston (PO1, PO3, PO4)
- Wider area
- Portsmouth
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What we do, step by step
We photograph the roof as we go, so the report shows exactly what we saw. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available. Most surveys take between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. For a survey in Kingston, we agree the time, the access and parking before the day. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. Let us know about any garages, outbuildings or extensions you want included.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We check every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- 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.
Before we arrive
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
Booking a survey
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. You will know the price before anything is booked.
Related advice
Checking the roof from the ground
It helps to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Before and after the survey
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Check your stacks from ground level after strong winds
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
If the stack is shared, you can pass the report to your neighbour. The photos show the problem and which side it’s on, as far as we could see.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.
What happens if roof problems are left?
Damp in a chimney breast usually gets worse while the cause is left. It can stain walls and damage plaster. Knowing whether it’s the flaunching, flashings, brickwork or ventilation means the right fix can be planned. In a smaller place like Kingston, wherever a roof is exposed, a loose ridge or flashing doesn’t stay loose for long. Wind gets under it and lifts more.
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how safely it can be seen. Prices start from £150, including VAT.
Why us?
- Visits on any day of the week
- A report with photographs
- An independent look at the roof
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
Kingston: your questions answered
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Kingston?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Kingston?
It can do. Within about 1 mile of the sea, as Kingston is, metal fixings wear faster and gales find any loose ridge or slate.
Which parts of the chimney do you look at?
The survey covers the pots and cowls, the flaunching, the pointing, the bricks and the flashings. Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. Everything is written up with photos.
Do you look in the roof space?
If there’s a loft and safe access to it, yes. The roof space can show things the outside cannot, such as damp timbers, staining or daylight.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. This is a survey of the roof only, and it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. Many buyers have both.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing aren’t part of what we do. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, like cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
How soon will I get the report?
Each package has its own report time. Basic: within 48 hours. Standard: 24 to 48 hours. Premium: the same day. Mention any deadline when booking.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Kingston
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps when budgeting.
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.
Local roofs in Kingston
Kingston is within about 1 mile of the coast, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, while gales work at loose ridges, slates and tiles. Thatch survives on some older buildings in Hampshire’s villages. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. Whatever the covering, it’s often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Miltoncross Academy, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of St Cuthbert, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. For businesses in and around places such as The Bridge Shopping Centre, knowing the roof’s condition lets you budget for work rather than pay for emergencies.
Kingston is about 1 mile south-east of Portsmouth, in Portsmouth. Roofs in Kingston get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Portsmouth. Our Portsmouth coverage includes Kingston.
We survey roofs across the PO1, PO3 and PO4 postcode area for chimney surveys. Whether your property is on Renny Road, Clive Road and Union Road or a nearby road, we can help. Kingston is on the A288, so it’s easy for us to get to. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Fratton (1 mile south-west), Baffins (1 mile north-east), Copnor (1 mile north), Portsmouth (1 mile north-west) and Landport (1 mile west). Further out, we also cover Wymering (3 miles north), Paulsgrove (3 miles north), Cosham (3 miles north), Drayton (3 miles north) and Farlington (3 miles north-east).
Near you in Kingston
We work in homes and buildings around Langstone Infant School, Graham Arms and Alexandra Park and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Fratton station, roughly 0.5 miles south-west. A little further out are Charles Dickens Birthplace Museum (1 mile west) and St Mary's Hospital (less than half a mile south-east). Open spaces near Kingston include Milton Locks and Portsdown Hill.