Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Pimlico, Hertfordshire
Find out what’s going on with the chimney stack before you decide what to do next. Chimney surveys in Pimlico.
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Signs that a stack is leaning
What happens on the day
You do not need to do much on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, such as stains, drips or loose pieces, and we will get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes an hour or two on an ordinary house, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. In a small place like Pimlico, access is normally the main thing to plan. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
How to prepare
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Check we can get to the back of the property
How to book
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just ring 07833 053749 or email us when you are ready.
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About our chimney survey in Pimlico
On terraced and semi-detached houses, a chimney stack is often shared with next door. We inspect the parts we can see safely and the parts the owner gives us access to. If a defect appears to be on the neighbour’s side, we note it and you can then discuss it with them. You get a written report with photos and our recommendations. If you’ve noticed bricks with flaking faces and unused flues sealed without airflow, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Older buildings in small places like Pimlico may be listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Place
- Pimlico (HP3)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
DIY checks: what’s safe
Keep a simple record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry and it will help the survey.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Towns and villages near Pimlico
More services for Pimlico
Surveys for landlords and agents in Pimlico
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, from shops and offices to industrial units. Larger roofs take longer, and they’re priced for the size.
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, with the report sent to whoever needs it. Access is agreed with the tenant beforehand.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Pimlico
High Elms Manor, about 2.2 miles south-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Pimlico. 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 any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles, and flat-roofed additions turn up almost everywhere. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
The streets around a church such as Church of the Ascension are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs. For businesses in and around places such as Village Arcade St Albans, a roof report helps plan work around trading rather than after a leak. Landlords with a home close to Kings Langley station may find that a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Pimlico is about 2 miles south-east of Hemel Hempstead, in Hertfordshire. Pimlico gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful look at whatever is safely visible, photos and a clear written report. Pimlico is one of the places in Hertfordshire we cover. We also survey roofs in London.
All of HP3 is within our area for chimney surveys. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Bedmond Road and Hyde Lane or a nearby road, we can survey it. Other places close to Pimlico include Bedmond (1 mile south), Westwick Row (1 mile north), Nash Mills (2 miles west), Leverstock Green (2 miles north-west) and Bennetts End (2 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Watford (5 miles south), St Albans (4 miles east), Welwyn Garden City (11 miles north-east), Harpenden (7 miles north-east), Hatfield (8 miles east) and Hertford (15 miles east).
Landmarks near Pimlico
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Swan Public House and Longdean School and the streets around them. Pimlico’s nearest station is Kings Langley station, about 1.9 miles south-west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Village Arcade St Albans (3.5 miles north-east) and Hypocaust Museum (2.9 miles north-east). The countryside around Pimlico includes Verulamium Lake and Longspring Wood.
Useful tips for Pimlico property owners
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They apply to most roofs:
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
You get the report by email and can pass it to whoever does the work. We use plain English and a photo for each defect so anyone reading it can see what we saw.
Have aerial and dish brackets on the stack checked, and moved if they’re working it loose. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
Pimlico: your questions answered
Will you come out to Pimlico?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and the South East, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Kings Langley station?
Of course. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
How long is the visit?
Expect it to take an hour or two for most houses, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. You’ll then get the report by email, on the timescale of your package.
My chimney looks like it is leaning. What should I do?
It’s worth having a leaning stack checked. Our survey notes how it looks and the condition of the bricks and joints, and recommend a structural engineer where it may be a structural concern.
How can you see the top of the stack?
Each stack is viewed from the safest viewpoints: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the roof space. A drone inspection is included in our Premium Survey where it applies. If part of a stack cannot be seen, the report says so.
What do I do with the report?
The report comes by email, and you decide the next step: use it with a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. This is a survey of the roof only, and it isn’t a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. Many buyers have both.
Why get it checked now?
A damp chimney breast seldom dries out until the cause is found. It can stain walls and damage plaster. Finding the cause means the right work can be planned. For an older or listed building in a place like Pimlico, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so leaving a defect until it’s urgent leaves less time to plan.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. You will know the figure before booking.
Why us?
- An independent look at the roof
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- Packages from £150, inc. VAT
See our cost guide or our case studies.
When you need someone else
This isn’t a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will point you to the right survey. What a survey covers and does not.
Roof types and parts we check
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings