Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Lemsford
Chimney surveys across Lemsford, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. You get a clear report with photos.
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
What we cannot see
No survey can tell you everything, and it is better to know them up front. Bear these in mind:
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Flue inspections or sweeping
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. What our survey covers.
What we check
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Lemsford
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. It might come in at the top, through worn pointing or porous bricks, or where the flashings meet the roof. Condensation inside an unventilated stack is another common cause. We look at each possibility and record what we find. That points the work in the right direction. If you are worried about flaunching that has broken away and a chimney out of line, we can find out what’s behind it.
In a village or hamlet like Lemsford, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few 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. On older roofs, it’s normally the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Place
- Lemsford (AL8)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before booking. This is what makes a difference:
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) come with the Premium Survey, from £400 inc. VAT. We will tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Booking your survey
A little information up front helps. Please include:
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
If you’re buying, it is useful to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form when you are ready.
FAQs for Lemsford
Is my home in Lemsford listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you’re planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do you cover smaller places like Lemsford?
Yes, Lemsford is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
How experienced are you?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys, across London and South East England.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, once access has been agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is frequently shared, so we need permission from whoever owns or manages the building. We can only inspect what we’re given access to.
What does a chimney survey cover?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. We also check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach. Everything is written up with photographs.
How long is the visit?
It usually takes an hour or two at most homes, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. The report follows by email.
Can you survey in bad weather?
It depends on the weather and the survey. Strong wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, and we’d agree another day.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Lemsford
Historic houses like Digswell House, about 1.9 miles north-east, show how far back building in the area around Lemsford goes. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
If you live in an older home near Church of St John the Evangelist, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs. Anyone responsible for a site like Applecroft School will know that long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Lemsford is about 2 miles west of Welwyn Garden City, in Hertfordshire. Anywhere in Lemsford, we can come and survey your property. Lemsford is one of the places in Hertfordshire where we work for chimney surveys. There is also a page for London.
Surveys in AL8 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Mill Close, Lemsford Village and Great North Road or anywhere close by, we can help. We also cover the places around Lemsford: Stanborough (1 mile south), Coleman Green (2 miles west), Cooper's Green (2 miles south-west), Hatfield (2 miles south) and Smallford (3 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Watford (12 miles south-west), Hemel Hempstead (10 miles west), Stevenage (8 miles north), St Albans (5 miles south-west), Harpenden (5 miles west) and Hitchin (11 miles north).
Around Lemsford
Around Lemsford, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Stanborough Park, Stanborough School and The Sun Inn. For rail, the closest station is Welwyn Garden City station, about 1.2 miles east. A little further out are Queen Elizabeth II Hospital (2.1 miles south-east) and The Bunker at Hatfield Police Station (2.1 miles south). Open spaces near Lemsford include Lemsford Springs.
Nearby places to Lemsford
Other services in Lemsford
Checking the roof from the ground
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we look at the roof.
Keep a simple record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry and it will help the survey.
For landlords and managing agents
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, with the most urgent items set out first.
With a portfolio of properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To discuss a number of properties, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Signs you need a chimney survey in Lemsford
The flaunching on top of a stack holds the pots in place and sheds water. Cracked flaunching lets water in, and each winter makes it worse. In time, the pots can become loose.
Common reasons to book include:
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Signs that a stack is leaning
Homes near green spaces such as Stanborough Park can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching.
What to check before booking
- Their report turnaround times
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- What exactly goes into their report
- Are they insured for the work?
What we do, step by step
Once we’ve finished looking, we write up our findings as a photo-illustrated written report, emailed to you. On timing, most surveys take about one to two hours on an ordinary house, and longer for a large or complex roof. Older rural homes like those around Lemsford can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there is access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
How to prepare
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Let us know about parking near the property
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
Booking a survey
For a price for chimney surveys in Lemsford, call 07833 053749 or send us an email. A few details about the property and the roof help us price the survey accurately.