West Berkshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Newbury, West Berkshire
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching across Newbury, using drones and thermal imaging where it applies. Call or email for a price.
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
Why act early in Newbury
If you are buying, find out about the stacks before you exchange. After that, any work is yours to arrange and pay for. A report gives you something specific to put to the seller. Extensions and dormers on homes around Newbury often hide the first signs of trouble at their joints with the main roof. Left for a few seasons, it can spoil plaster, skirting and flooring inside.
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package you pick makes a difference too. The price is always agreed first.
What you get with us
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- An independent view of the roof
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Newbury
A chimney survey is about the outside of the stack and the roof around it. It is not a flue inspection, a chimney sweep or a gas safety inspection. If you use a fire or a gas appliance, the flue should be checked by a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer as appropriate. We will tell you if we see anything that suggests they should take a look. Common reasons to book are damp on a chimney breast inside and damaged chimney pots and cowls, on shared and party-wall stacks, chimney pots and cowls and lead flashings.
In a town like Newbury, most homes are houses whose owners look after their own roofs. Small faults, such as a cracked ridge, a slipped tile or a blocked gutter, are cheaper to deal with early. The report sets out what needs attention, prioritised by urgency where relevant, whether you live in the house or let it. Photographs show you exactly what was seen, even on parts you can’t reach yourself.
What you get is a clear record of the chimney stack on the day we saw it. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, for instance when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Location
- Newbury (RG14, RG19, RG18, RG20)
- Wider area
- West Berkshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Chimney surveys around Newbury
Older houses in the South East frequently 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. Historic houses such as Shaw House, about 1 mile north, show how far back building in the area around Newbury goes. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
If you look after a building like St Nicolas C.E. Junior School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. Take an older house close to St Nicolas Church: the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. If you let a flat or house near Newbury station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Newbury is about 15 miles west of Reading, in West Berkshire. In Newbury, as across West Berkshire, every roof gets the same careful survey. Newbury is one of the towns and villages in West Berkshire we cover. Reading is in our area too.
We cover every part of RG14, RG19, RG18 and RG20 for chimney surveys and the streets around it. We offer chimney surveys to properties on Market Street, London Road and Donnington Square and the roads around them. Being close to the A4 and A339, Newbury is easy for us to reach for chimney surveys. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Greenham (1 mile south-east), Sandleford (1 mile south), Skinners Green (2 miles south-west), Wash Common (2 miles south-west) and Enborne (2 miles west). Further out, we also cover Thatcham (3 miles east), Burghfield Common (11 miles east), Hungerford (8 miles west), Spencers Wood (15 miles east), Calcot (12 miles east) and Lambourn (12 miles north-west). Being one of West Berkshire’s larger places, Newbury has every kind of building, from houses and flats to offices.
Around Newbury
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Victoria Park, The Diamond Tap and St Bartholomew's School, among other places. Newbury has its own railway station: Newbury station. Well-known places in the area include Donnington Castle (1.6 miles north-west) and West Berkshire Community Hospital (1.5 miles east). For a walk, there is Audrey's Meadow.
What this survey cannot tell you
Before booking, it is worth knowing what a survey will not do:
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Parts of the stack that cannot be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we can’t access
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we look at
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
Nearby places to Newbury
Also in Newbury
Practical tips
Small things make a difference, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Our tips:
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Check unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
After the visit, we write up the report with photos of each stack. It explains the condition of each part of the stack and any damp inside. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Have aerial and dish brackets on the stack checked and taken off if they’re no longer needed. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
The survey, step by step
Photos are taken throughout the visit, so the report shows exactly what we saw. We take close-ups from wherever is safe, including by drone where it is applicable and the weather allows. A typical visit takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Most visits in a town like Newbury start at the front of the house and work round to the back. The back garden is frequently where extensions, dormers and rear slopes are best seen, so unlocked gates help. Then, if it can be reached safely, we look in the loft.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- The stacks are looked at from ground level, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Before we arrive
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
Getting a price
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, and you can call 07833 053749 or send us an email to find out.
Advice
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
Our packages start from £150, including VAT. The price for your roof depends on:
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
There are three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Booking your survey
To price your survey accurately, we’ll ask about:
- The property’s address and postcode
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Dates you’re working to, such as exchange
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
We survey roofs on any day of the week. To arrange a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Your questions about chimney surveys in Newbury
Is Newbury in the area you cover?
Yes, Newbury is within the area we cover. Our area covers London and the South East. You can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and a few details, and we will talk through which survey suits.
Is my home in Newbury listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. For the rest of the building, a RICS home survey is a separate job.
What do I do with the report?
The report comes by email, and what you do next is up to you: use it with a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
Damp on a chimney breast usually means water is getting into the stack, or moisture is trapped inside it. We check the stack, the flashings and how unused flues are capped and records the likely cause.
How can you see the top of the stack?
We inspect from wherever is safe: from ground level, windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there’s access. Our Premium Survey includes a drone inspection where it applies. We note anything we couldn’t see.
How much does a chimney survey cost in Newbury?
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Our three packages are Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included.
How the survey changes by roof type
Lead flashings
Where the chimney meets the roof slopes, lead flashings keep water out. The survey looks at whether the lead is tight, sound and well fixed.
Flaunching
Cracked flaunching is one of the most common chimney defects we record. It is typically a modest repair when it is caught early.