Hampshire · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Portchester
Chimney surveys in Portchester, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. You get a clear report with photographs.
- A stack that appears to lean
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
Tips that help
Small things make a difference. Our tips:
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
With a shared stack, the report can help when talking to next door. It shows what we found and where from the viewpoints we used.
Check fixings on the stack are sound, and moved if they’re working it loose. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
Chimney survey in Portchester
We inspect chimneys from wherever they can be seen safely: from the ground, from windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there is access. A drone inspection is part of our Premium Survey where applicable. If we cannot see part of the stack, the report makes that clear. Each defect is recorded with a photo and a plain description. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, chimney breasts and brick chimney stacks, and the problems we are asked to look at most are spalled or crumbling bricks and redundant stacks capped without ventilation.
Around Portchester, older cottages sit alongside bungalows and newer houses. Older roofs can have slate, clay tiles or other traditional coverings, while many later ones have concrete tiles. Chimneys, valleys and gutters on older homes frequently need the most attention. Nails and battens under older coverings frequently give out before the slates or tiles themselves.
The report does not just list problems. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend, so you can plan your next steps.
- Place
- Portchester (PO16, PO6, PO17)
- Wider area
- Hampshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Places near Portchester
More services for Portchester
What a chimney survey looks like in Portchester
Portchester lies within about 1 mile of the sea, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, so the council is the place to ask.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Castle Primary School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time. If you own a rental within reach of Portchester station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Portchester is about 3 miles north-east of Gosport, in Hampshire. If you are in Portchester, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. Across Hampshire, we cover Portchester and the places around it.
We survey roofs across the PO16, PO6 and PO17 postcode area for chimney surveys. That includes homes and businesses on Cow Lane, Hill Road and Ralph Road and the roads around them. If you are just outside Portchester, we cover Boarhunt (2 miles north-west), Southwick (2 miles north), Elson (2 miles south-west), Wallington (2 miles west) and Priddy's Hard (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Gosport (3 miles south-west), Havant (6 miles east), Eastleigh (13 miles north-west), Fareham (3 miles west), Horndean (7 miles north-east) and Chandler's Ford (15 miles north-west).
Around Portchester
Around Portchester, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Portchester Community School and The Cormorant pub. The nearest railway station is Portchester station, roughly 0.5 miles north-west. Well-known places in the area include Portchester Castle (within half a mile south-east) and Queen Alexandra Hospital (2.3 miles east). Open spaces near Portchester include West of the River Alver and Portsdown Hill.
How it works
We photograph the roof as we go, so the report shows exactly what we saw. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available. Most surveys take about one to two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Homes around Portchester frequently have gardens on more than one side, which gives us room to step back and see the roof. Let us know if any side is fenced off or hard to reach. The loft, where there’s safe access, completes the picture.
- You tell us whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Preparing for the visit
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Leave a clear route to the loft
How to book
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 will confirm the price before booking.
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Portchester: your questions answered
Is Portchester within the area you cover?
Yes, Portchester is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Portchester?
Near the coast, roofs face more wind and more salt than further inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
Do you need to go on the roof to check the chimney?
We look from ground level, from windows and from the loft where it’s safe. A drone inspection is part of the Premium Survey where it applies. The report is clear about anything that couldn’t be seen.
Will you check the loft?
If the survey needs it and the roof space can be reached safely, yes. Please clear anything stored under the hatch, and if the loft cannot be reached safely, the report says so.
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 you check on a chimney?
The survey covers the pots and cowls, the flaunching, the pointing, the bricks and the flashings. We also check chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach. Everything is written up with photos.
Should a redundant chimney be removed?
A redundant chimney needs looking after like any other. If it is capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside. Our survey records its condition and how it’s capped, so you can decide with a builder what to do.
What happens if roof problems are left?
If you’re buying, find out about the stacks before you exchange. After that, any work is yours to arrange and pay for. Our report gives you facts to raise with the seller or agent. On a bungalow or cottage around Portchester, the roof sits close to the rooms below, so water can show inside quickly once it gets past the covering. Catching the cause first saves redecorating as well.
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where applicable, which starts from £400, inc. VAT. We will tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Why book with us
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- Surveys on weekdays and at weekends
- 98% of clients satisfied
- Packages from £150, with VAT included
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced or two real surveys.
Checking the roof from ground level
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.
A lot can be seen from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
Honest limits
Every survey has limits, and we’d rather be clear about that before booking. Bear these in mind:
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- Hidden damage within the stack
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roofs we survey in Portchester
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
Common roof problems in Portchester
Removing a chimney breast inside can leave questions about how the stack is supported. We note what’s visible in the roof space and outside, and the report recommends a structural engineer if support is a concern.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- A stack that appears to lean
For an older house near a landmark such as Church of St Mary, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
What to check before booking
- What experience they bring
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- What’s outside the scope of the survey