Reading · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Littlestead Green
Need a chimney survey in Littlestead Green? We can help, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
About our chimney survey in Littlestead Green
Redundant chimneys are common, especially where fires have been replaced by central heating. Even when it isn’t used, a stack has to stay weathertight. Capping a stack without ventilation can trap moisture and lead to damp inside. We check how redundant stacks have been capped and look for damp in the chimney breasts. The report sets out what we found and what we recommend. If you’ve noticed staining on walls around the chimney and cracked or missing flaunching, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
In a village or hamlet like Littlestead Green, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. 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 often need the most attention.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Littlestead Green (RG4)
- Region
- Reading
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What you can safely check yourself
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we check the roof.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Useful tips for Littlestead Green property owners
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Photograph damp patches with the date
The report is emailed to you, ready to share with a roofer or builder. We use plain English and a photo for each defect so anyone reading it can see what we saw.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. Early signs are easier to trace.
How the survey works
We work from the outside in: outside views come first, then the loft space if there’s safe access. In total, it takes between one and two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Around Littlestead Green, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so it’s useful to know whether there’s a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Where there’s safe access, we look at the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Before we arrive
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
Getting a price
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, and you can call 07833 053749 or email us to find out.
Related advice
Towns and villages near Littlestead Green
More services for Littlestead Green
Questions from Littlestead Green
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Reading station?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. Just call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Is my home in Littlestead Green listed or in a conservation area?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case.
How do I book a survey in Littlestead Green?
To book, ring 07833 053749 or email us and let us know the address and what you need to know. We’ll confirm the price and agree a day with you.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where applicable and safe. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. It is included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where applicable, the Premium Survey.
Are you insured?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
How long does the survey take?
Time on site depends on the roof, but most surveys take about 1–2 hours at most homes, and more on a big or complicated roof. The report is sent afterwards by email.
Can you survey in bad weather?
It depends on the weather and the survey. In strong wind or heavy rain, a drone cannot fly and access may not be safe, so we’d move the date with you.
Honest limits
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- Hidden damage within the stack
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
What we are asked to look at in Littlestead Green
Where a chimney meets the roof, lead flashings keep water out. They can lift in wind, crack with age or pull out of the mortar joints. When flashings fail, water frequently shows up in the loft or on the chimney breast. Lead is also a target for theft.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Cracked or missing flaunching
Take a building like St Martin's Catholic Primary School: its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- What the survey will not cover
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
How we price chimney surveys
Survey packages start from £150, with VAT included. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- House, block, shop or office
- The roof’s overall size
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, with VAT included, and we will tell you which fits.
What we need to know
A little information up front helps. It’s useful to include:
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
Booking is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or email us and give us some details about the property and we will explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Littlestead Green
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. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. Mapledurham House, about 3.9 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Littlestead Green. If your home is one of the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof.
Take an older house close to All Saints Church: its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. Homes near green spaces such as Ali's Pond Local Nature Reserve can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching.
Littlestead Green is about 1 mile north-east of Caversham, in Reading. Anywhere in Littlestead Green, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. We cover towns and villages across Reading, from the larger towns to small villages.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: RG4. Whether your property is on Row Lane and Foxhill Lane or anywhere close by, we can help. Other places close to Littlestead Green include Dunsden Green (1 mile east), Caversham Park Village (1 mile south-west), Emmer Green (1 mile south-west), Play Hatch (1 mile south-east) and Caversham (1 mile south-west). Larger places within reach include Norcot (4 miles south-west), West Reading (3 miles south-west), Tilehurst Within (4 miles south-west), Shinfield (6 miles south), Arborfield Garrison (8 miles south) and Horncastle (5 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Littlestead Green
In Littlestead Green, that means homes and buildings near The Crown Public House, Ali's Pond Local Nature Reserve and Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre. Littlestead Green’s nearest station is Reading station, about 2.3 miles south-west. Nearby you will also find Berkshire Medical Heritage Centre Museum (2.6 miles south) and Broad Street Mall (2.7 miles south-west). The countryside around Littlestead Green includes Alder Moors and South Lake.