Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Monkswood Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching for Monkswood, from an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photos.
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- A stack that appears to lean
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Monkswood
For buyers, a chimney survey before exchange can flag work you may want to raise. Cracked flaunching, failed flashings and worn pointing are common findings on older stacks. You get photos and findings you can take back to the seller or agent. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it. If you’ve noticed spalled or crumbling bricks and gaps in the mortar around the pots, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Somewhere as small as Monkswood, homes are frequently older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some 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. On older roofs, it’s typically the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
After the visit, you get a written report with photos, emailed to you. It sets out the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our written recommendations.
- Where
- Monkswood (AL8, AL6, AL7)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Prices for chimney surveys in Monkswood
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. That comes down to:
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- Roof area
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
To find out what your survey will cost, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and a few details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Booking your survey
To price your survey accurately, we’ll ask about:
- What made you get in touch
- The type of building and roof, like pitched or flat
- Anything about access we should know
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
We confirm the price for your roof before booking, so you know where you stand. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. To book, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Common questions in Monkswood
Is Monkswood within the area you cover?
Yes, we do. We survey roofs across London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Monkswood?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Do I need to be at home?
Not always. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Can you survey in bad weather?
A survey can usually go ahead in light rain. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so we’ll agree a new date if the weather is not suitable.
Are you insured?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day, which suits people who work during the week. Just say which days work for you.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first. Let us know about it when you book and we will explain what’s needed.
Nearby places to Monkswood
More services for Monkswood
Checking the roof from the ground
A lot can be seen from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
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.
What we’re asked to look at in Monkswood
The flaunching on top of a stack holds the pots in place and sheds water. Once it cracks, water gets in and frost makes the cracks bigger. In time, the pots can become loose.
Look out for signs like these:
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Lifted or split lead flashings
If your house is among the older ones in the streets near The Parish Church of St John, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Which limits apply to the survey
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- What exactly goes into their report
Chimney surveys around Monkswood
Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. Whatever the covering, it is often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. About 0.1 miles south-west lies Digswell House, a reminder of how long the area around Monkswood has been built on. If your home is one of the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
For businesses in and around places like Howard Centre, a written record of the roof’s condition helps you plan maintenance rather than react to leaks. Take a building like Homerswood Primary and Nursery School: long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Monkswood is about 2 miles north of Welwyn Garden City, in Hertfordshire. We cover Monkswood and the rest of Hertfordshire. Across Hertfordshire, we cover Monkswood and the places around it. We also survey roofs in London.
Every address in AL8, AL6 and AL7 is covered for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We cover properties on Digswell Park Road, Ingles and Uplands. Close by, we survey roofs in Welwyn (1 mile north-west), Ayot Green (1 mile south-west), Ayot St Peter (2 miles west), Pottersheath (2 miles north) and Rableyheath (2 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Watford (14 miles south-west), Hemel Hempstead (12 miles south-west), Stevenage (6 miles north), St Albans (7 miles south-west), Harpenden (6 miles west) and Hitchin (9 miles north).
Landmarks near Monkswood
In Monkswood, that means homes and buildings near Monk's Walk School, Danesbury Park and Hedgehog pub, among other places. Monkswood’s nearest station is Welwyn North station, roughly 0.6 miles north-east. Nearby you will also find Queen Elizabeth II Hospital (2.7 miles south) and Howard Centre (1.3 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Tewin Orchard and Hopkyns Wood.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Monkswood
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, including offices, shops and units. Bigger roofs take more time.
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work around your tenants.
How the survey works
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. The inspection then takes roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. For a village or hamlet like Monkswood, the journey is planned in advance: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect whatever is safely visible, inside and out.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Getting ready for the survey
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Booking a survey
Once you know what you need, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day.
Related advice
How the survey changes by roof type
Lead flashings
Flashings can lift in wind or pull out of their mortar joints. We photograph any we find that look loose or damaged.
Brick stacks
Brick stacks rely on sound pointing to keep water out. The survey looks for crumbling bricks and worn or missing mortar.