Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Potters Bar Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Potters Bar, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
How a chimney survey works in Potters Bar
A leaning chimney stack is worth having looked at. A stack may lean because the mortar on one side has weakened, which can happen over many years of use. We record the lean and the condition of the brickwork and pointing. If the stack looks like a structural issue, the report recommends a structural engineer. Typical surveys look at disused chimneys trapping moisture and a chimney out of line, across chimney breasts, brick chimney stacks and lead flashings.
Potters Bar mixes older houses, often slate or clay tiled, with newer estates, many of them with concrete tiles. Chimneys on older houses may be redundant, capped or leaning, and their lead flashings still need to be sound. Later houses have their own typical faults, from loose ridge tiles to blocked gutters.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Where
- Potters Bar (EN6)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Landlord and commercial surveys in Potters Bar
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To discuss a number of properties, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Landlords, agents and building managers in Potters Bar and across Hertfordshire can book any of our surveys. To discuss a property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Potters Bar homes and their roofs
Wyllyotts Manor, about 0.4 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Potters Bar. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. 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.
Take a building like Ladbrooke Junior Mixed and Infant School: its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. If you run a business near Spires Shopping Centre, a dated report on the roof is useful for planning and for any lease discussions. For an older house near a landmark such as St. Mary's Church, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Potters Bar is about 7 miles north of Finchley, in Hertfordshire. Surveys in Potters Bar work the same way as everywhere we cover: a proper look at what can safely be seen, photographs and a clear written report. We cover towns and villages across Hertfordshire. Our London page covers surveys nearby.
Chimney surveys in EN6 are booked the same way as anywhere else. You will find streets such as High Street, Church Road and The Walk, and we cover them all. Main roads around Potters Bar include the A111 and B156, which makes travel easy. If you are just outside Potters Bar, we cover Bentley Heath (1 mile south-west), Northaw Valley (2 miles east), Hadley Wood (2 miles south), Monken Hadley (2 miles south) and Botany Bay (3 miles south-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Watford (10 miles west), Hemel Hempstead (13 miles west), Stevenage (15 miles north), St Albans (7 miles north-west), Welwyn Garden City (7 miles north) and Harpenden (11 miles north-west).
Around Potters Bar
In Potters Bar, that means homes and buildings near The White Horse Public House and Mount Grace School and the streets around them. There is a railway station in Potters Bar itself: Potters Bar station. Well-known places in the area include Spires Shopping Centre (3 miles south) and Barnet General Hospital (3.4 miles south-west). Not far away are Furzefield Wood and Lower Halfpenny.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Cracked flaunching and worn pointing are often modest repairs when they’re caught early. Leave it, and frost can work the stack loose and the job gets bigger. A defect spotted early can be planned and budgeted for, while one found after water comes through normally has to be dealt with in a hurry.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, with VAT included, and we’ll tell you which fits.
What you get with us
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- 20+ years’ experience
Take a look at our cost guide and two real surveys.
The survey, step by step
Every visit follows the same pattern: we hear what you’ve seen, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photos as we go and record our findings for the written report. It normally takes an hour or two for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In Potters Bar, many roofs join a neighbour’s, so we look at what can be seen of the shared parts from your side. It is useful to know about previous repairs, leaks or recent work, so time on site goes where it’s needed.
- You let us know how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access.
- You get a written report with photos and our recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Note where any stains or damp appear
How to book
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. You will know the price before anything is booked.
Related advice
DIY checks: what’s safe
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That is where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
What this survey can’t tell you
Before booking, it’s worth knowing what a survey will not do:
- Hidden damage within the stack
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer before booking. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Potters Bar
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
How the survey changes by roof type
Lead flashings
Lead flashings seal the joint between the stack and the roof. We check for lifting, splits and gaps in the joints.
Flaunching
Cracked flaunching is one of the most common chimney defects we record. It’s usually a modest repair when it’s caught early.
Common questions in Potters Bar
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Potters Bar station?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. Just phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and let us know about the building.
Is my home in Potters Bar listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It is worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
What will the report tell me?
It works through the roof part by part, in writing and with photos, finishing with recommendations. Points are put by urgency where it matters.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
A leaning stack should be looked at. We record the lean, the brickwork and the pointing, and if it may be a structural issue, we recommend a structural engineer.
What’s the best way to book?
Simply call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day, weekday or weekend.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. We check the roof, not the whole building, and it isn’t a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It can sit alongside a RICS survey if you want both.
Is a chimney survey the same as a flue inspection?
No. It is not a flue, sweep or gas safety inspection. We check the structure and weathering of the stack and any damp, and we’ll say if anything suggests the flue needs checking.