Surrey · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Merle Common
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Merle Common, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- A stack that appears to lean
Chimney survey in Merle Common: what you get
If a chimney looks out of line, it is worth getting it checked. A stack may lean because the mortar on one side has weakened, which can happen over many years of use. The survey notes how the stack looks, how far it seems to lean and the state of the bricks and joints. If the stack looks like a structural issue, the report recommends a structural engineer. We’re frequently asked to look into eroded joints in the brickwork and disused chimneys trapping moisture, across chimney breasts, lead flashings and brick chimney stacks.
In a small place like Merle Common, many roofs stand in the open, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A roof report shows what needs attention first. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
After the visit, you get a report with photographs, emailed to you. It sets out the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our written recommendations.
- Location
- Merle Common (RH8)
- Wider area
- Surrey
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Can I check my roof myself?
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Do not go up yourself.
A lot can be seen from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Merle Common
With Chartwell about 3.3 miles north-east, Merle Common sits in an area with a long building history. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. Older houses across Surrey often have handmade clay tiles, and many have tile-hanging. Some old buildings in Surrey and Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. Whatever the covering, it’s often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
For landlords with property near Hurst Green station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Merle Common is about 6 miles south-east of Caterham, in Surrey. From houses to flats and shops in Merle Common, the roof can be surveyed. Merle Common is one of the towns and villages in Surrey where we work for chimney surveys. Crawley is in our area too.
All of RH8 is covered for chimney surveys. If you’re just outside Merle Common, we cover Crowhurst (1 mile south-west), Troy Town (2 miles south-east), Hurst Green (2 miles north-west), Pains-Hill (2 miles north) and Crowhurst Lane End (2 miles south-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Epsom (14 miles north-west), Horley (8 miles west), Redhill (8 miles west), Ewell (15 miles north-west), Reigate (9 miles west) and Caterham (6 miles north-west).
What’s near Merle Common
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Oxted School and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Hurst Green station, roughly 1.4 miles north of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Tandridge Priory (2.1 miles north) and Haxted Watermill Museum (2.5 miles south). Open spaces near Merle Common include Botley Hill and Bay Pond.
What we are asked to look at in Merle Common
Flaunching is the mortar bed that holds the pots and throws water off the top. Cracked flaunching lets water in, and each winter makes it worse. In time, the pots can become loose.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Worn or missing pointing
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Signs that a stack is leaning
Anyone responsible for a site like Holland Junior School will know that its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- How soon the report will arrive
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
Nearby places to Merle Common
Also in Merle Common
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
All our prices include VAT. What changes the price is:
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- The roof’s overall size
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how it can be reached and seen safely. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT.
Booking your survey
The more you tell us, the easier it is to price the survey. When you contact us, it helps to mention:
- The address and postcode of the property
- Whether there is a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- What’s prompted the survey
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
We survey roofs seven days a week. To find a date that works for you, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Honest limits
To be straight with you, there are limits to any roof survey:
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- Conditions inside walls
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we will give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
How it works
Before we start, tell us why you’ve booked: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. It helps us focus on what matters most to you. The visit normally takes about 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Older roofs in small places like Merle Common can have low, tight loft spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. 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 safely be seen.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- You get a report with photographs and our recommendations.
How to prepare
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
- Keep pets in another room
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Book a survey
We confirm the price for the job before booking, so you know the cost up front. Prices start from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
Merle Common questions
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Merle Common?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it’s in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Is Merle Common within the area you cover?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
Are you insured?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
How much does a chimney survey cost in Merle Common?
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. You’ll know the price for your roof before booking. To get a price, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Do you look in the loft space?
If there’s a loft and safe access to it, yes. The roof space can show things the outside can’t, such as damp timbers, staining or daylight.
How long is the visit?
Time on site depends on the roof; most visits take between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. The written report follows by email.
Does someone need to be in?
Not always. If we only need the outside, we can agree that in advance, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Merle Common
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in. Surveys run on any day of the week, which can make access easier.
Where a roof is shared: we need access agreed with the building owner or managing agent. Let us know about it as you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.