Hampshire · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Otterbourne
Chimney surveys across Otterbourne, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. You get a clear report with photographs.
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
How a chimney survey works in Otterbourne
If you are buying a home with chimneys, it’s worth knowing their condition before you exchange. On older stacks, we often find cracked flaunching, loose flashings and worn pointing. Our report gives you specific points to raise with the seller or agent. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it. Typical surveys look at flashings pulling away from the stack and eroded joints in the brickwork, on shared and party-wall stacks, lead flashings and chimney pots and cowls.
Village roofs often face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
You receive the findings by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24–48 hours and Premium on the day.
- Location
- Otterbourne (SO21)
- Region
- Hampshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Checking the roof from the ground
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That’s where a survey comes in.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Don’t go up yourself.
Local roofs in Otterbourne
Thatch survives on some older buildings in Hampshire’s villages. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. Older buildings may be listed or sit in a conservation area. Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the council can say whether a street is in a conservation area. In either case, a change of roofing material may need consent.
Landlords with a home close to Shawford station may find that knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints. If you look after a building such as Otterbourne Church of England Primary School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Otterbourne is about 3 miles north-east of Chandler's Ford, in Hampshire. We carry out chimney surveys in Otterbourne for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings, with a written report and photographs every time. We cover towns and villages across Hampshire, large and small. There’s also a page for Southampton.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: SO21. You will find streets such as Oakwood Avenue, Meadowcroft Close and Brooklyn Close, all of which we cover. Close by, we survey roofs in South Down (1 mile north-east), Compton (1 mile north), Shawford (1 mile north-east), Twyford (1 mile north-east) and Ladwell (2 miles west). Further out, we also cover Winchester (4 miles north), Eastleigh (3 miles south), Fareham (13 miles south-east), Andover (15 miles north-west), Totton (9 miles south-west) and Chandler's Ford (3 miles south-west).
Near you in Otterbourne
Around Otterbourne, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Thornden School, The White Horse Public House and Thornden School and the streets around them. The closest station to Otterbourne is Shawford station, roughly 1.1 miles north-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Eastleigh Museum (2.9 miles south) and Wolvesey Castle (3.8 miles north). For a walk, there’s Twyford Down and Shawford Down.
Towns and villages near Otterbourne
What else we do in Otterbourne
What a survey costs
Prices vary from roof to roof, and it comes down to:
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- The roof’s overall size
- Building height and the viewpoints available
To find out what your survey will cost, phone 07833 053749 or email us and let us know about the roof. We’ll confirm the figure before booking.
What we need to know
A little information up front helps. It is useful to include:
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
What this survey can’t tell you
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll suggest the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
Otterbourne: your questions answered
Is my home in Otterbourne listed or in a conservation area?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
I let a flat near Shawford station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, landlords and letting agents book with us as well as owners. You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and some details, including who will give access on the day.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. This is a survey of the roof only, so it’s not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It can sit alongside a RICS survey if you want both.
What’s the best way to book?
Simply call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We’re experienced roof surveyors, and visible signs such as sagging are noted, but calculations and an engineer’s opinion are outside what we do. If one is needed, the report says so.
Will you go up on the roof?
Only if it is safe. We inspect everything that’s safely in view: from ground level, from windows, from inside the loft space, from the roof where it is safe and by drone where it applies. Anything we cannot see is noted in the report.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. We check the parts we can see safely and the parts you can give us access to. If a defect seems to be on your neighbour’s side, the report records it and you can raise it with them.
Signs you need a chimney survey in Otterbourne
A stack takes the weather from every direction. Frost opens up cracks in the mortar, and rain gets into worn bricks and joints. People typically call us when they notice damp or a problem with the stack, or before a purchase.
We’re often asked to look at:
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Worn or missing pointing
If you live in an older home near Church of St Matthew, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Before you book anyone
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
Why get it checked now?
Chimneys are easy to forget because you rarely see the top of them. Defects tend to go unseen until there is a stain. Surveying the stack now can catch problems first. Outbuildings and barns around Otterbourne are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. It is worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
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 you get with us
- A photo-illustrated written report
- Visits on any day of the week
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Packages from £150, including VAT
Read how roof surveys are priced and what we found on two real jobs.
What we do, step by step
It helps to start with what’s prompted the survey: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. That way we can focus on what matters to you. The visit usually takes about one to two hours for a house, and longer for a large or complex roof. In a hamlet or village like Otterbourne, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, so a few directions are welcome. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- You tell us whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We look at the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
How to prepare
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
Booking a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email when you’re ready.