Surrey · London and the South East
North Holmwood Chimney Survey
We carry out chimney surveys in North Holmwood and the rest of Surrey. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
Chimney survey in North Holmwood: what you get
Our chimney survey covers the stack and the details that keep water out around it: the pots and cowls, the flaunching on top, the pointing, the brickwork and the flashings where it meets the roof. Inside, we check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft where it is safe to reach. The findings come in a written report with photos and recommendations. We survey single stacks on houses and groups of stacks on bigger buildings. If you’ve noticed flashings pulling away from the stack and pots or cowls that look unsafe, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
In a smaller place like North Holmwood, homes range from older cottages to bungalows and newer houses. Coverings range from slate and clay tiles on older homes to concrete tiles on many later ones. Chimneys, valleys and gutters on older homes often need the most attention, and the fixings under the coverings matter too. The fixings under an older roof often fail before good slates or tiles do.
Most points in the report come with a picture, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Where
- North Holmwood (RH5, RH4)
- Wider area
- Surrey
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Before and after the survey
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They apply to most roofs:
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Check your stacks from ground level after strong winds
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
If the stack is shared, you can pass the report to your neighbour. It shows what we found and where from the viewpoints we used.
Make sure redundant flues are capped with ventilation. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
Towns and villages near North Holmwood
What else we do in North Holmwood
What we are asked to look at in North Holmwood
Stacks that were used for open fires for many years can weaken from the inside. Flue gases and damp can break down the mortar, sometimes more on one side than the other, which is one reason stacks start to lean.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
Anyone responsible for a site like St John's Church of England Primary School will know that a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- When you’ll get the report
- What they won’t be able to tell you
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
How the survey changes by roof type
Chimney breasts and the loft
Stains on timbers or brickwork around the stack can point to a leak. What we find is photographed and described.
Flaunching
Cracked flaunching is one of the most common chimney defects we record. Caught early, it is often a small job.
The survey, step by step
We work from the outside in: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the loft space where it can be reached. In total, it takes about 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In a smaller place like North Holmwood, parking is seldom the issue; lanes, gates and long drives are worth mentioning. Low roofs on bungalows can frequently be seen well from ground level, and the loft shows the rest.
- You tell us how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- 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 written report with photos and our recommendations.
How to prepare
- Keep pets in another room
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
Booking a survey
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Related advice
North Holmwood questions
Is my home in North Holmwood listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Do you cover smaller places like North Holmwood?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
How long does the survey take?
That depends on the size and shape of the roof; most visits take roughly 1–2 hours at a typical home; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. The report is sent afterwards by email.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys or testing. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them.
Why is my chimney breast damp?
It can come from several places: water getting in at the top, through the brickwork or at the flashings, or moisture trapped in a stack with no ventilation. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause.
What should I do with a chimney I do not use?
It depends on its condition and your plans. The survey shows its condition and how it’s been capped. If you’re thinking of removing it, check with the council first in a conservation area or on a listed building.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys run seven days a week. To arrange a date, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
How we price chimney surveys
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. That comes down to:
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- The size of the roof
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
What we need to know
Before you get in touch, it is useful to have:
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- What made you get in touch
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
To book a survey, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We’ll confirm the price before you book.
Chimney surveys around North Holmwood
The wider area around North Holmwood has a long history of building, with Polesden Lacey about 3.8 miles north-west. 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. In Surrey, older roofs are often handmade clay tile, with tile-hanging on many upper walls. A few of Surrey’s oldest buildings have heavy Horsham stone slab roofs. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
Landlords with a home close to Dorking West station may find that the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. If you live near a park like Inholms Clay Pit, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
North Holmwood is about 1 mile south of Dorking, in Surrey. We carry out chimney surveys in North Holmwood for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings, with a written report and photographs every time. Our area takes in places right across Surrey. You can also see our page for Crawley.
All of RH5 and RH4 is covered for chimney surveys. We cover properties on Howard Road, Horsham Road and Inholms Lane and the roads around them. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Blackbrook (1 mile south-east), Mid Holmwood (1 mile south-west), Dorking (1 mile north), Pixham (2 miles north) and Westcott (2 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Guildford (11 miles west), Woking (13 miles north-west), Epsom (9 miles north), Horley (7 miles east), Redhill (7 miles east) and Ewell (10 miles north).
Near you in North Holmwood
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Inholms Clay Pit, The Priory CofE Voluntary Aided School and Royal Oak pub, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Dorking West station, about 1.8 miles north-west. Well-known places in the area include Mesolithic Museum (3.7 miles west) and Headley Court (5.9 miles north). The countryside around North Holmwood includes Reigate Heath and Box Hill.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Landlords, agents and building managers in North Holmwood and across Surrey can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps when budgeting.