Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Pottersheath Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Pottersheath, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photographs.
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
Practical tips
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
Where another specialist is needed, like a structural engineer or sweep, we explain why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. With binoculars, you can often see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
Chimney survey in Pottersheath
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. It might come in at the top, through worn pointing or porous bricks, or where the flashings meet the roof. Condensation inside an unventilated stack is another common cause. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. You then know where to start. If you’ve noticed flashings pulling away from the stack and gaps in the mortar around the pots, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Somewhere as small as Pottersheath, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are frequently old. We report on whatever is safely visible, and thatch is a specialist material. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
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.
- Place
- Pottersheath (AL6)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
How we price chimney surveys
All our prices include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- Roof area
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Basic, Standard or Premium
A Basic Survey starts from £150, inc. VAT. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both including VAT. We confirm the price for your survey before you book.
Booking your survey
There’s no need for technical words. Just tell us:
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- The kind of building and roof involved
- The property’s address and postcode
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
A quick phone call is normally the easiest start: ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Honest limits
Before booking, it is worth knowing what a survey won’t do:
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
What happens on the day
Once we have finished looking, we write up our findings in a report with photographs, sent to you by email. On timing, most surveys take between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Older roofs in small places like Pottersheath can have low, tight loft spaces, so tell us about the loft hatch and any ladder. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- You let us know whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We check the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Before we arrive
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
Book a survey
We survey roofs seven days a week. To find a date that works for you, phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and the days you’d prefer.
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Places near Pottersheath
Also in Pottersheath
Chimney surveys in Pottersheath: local notes
Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have 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. Knebworth House, about 1.6 miles north, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Pottersheath. If yours is one of the older homes, 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.
For businesses in and around places such as Howard Centre, a written record of the roof’s condition helps you plan maintenance rather than react to leaks. Landlords with a home close to Knebworth station may find that a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Pottersheath is about 4 miles north of Welwyn Garden City, in Hertfordshire. In Pottersheath, as across Hertfordshire, every roof gets the same careful survey. Pottersheath is one of the towns and villages in Hertfordshire where we work. You can also see our page for London.
Every address in AL6 is within our area for chimney surveys. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Pottersheath Road and Fallow End or a nearby road, we can help. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Rableyheath (1 mile north), Nup End Green (1 mile north-west), Codicote (1 mile west), Old Knebworth (1 mile north) and Driver's End (1 mile north-west). Larger places within reach include Watford (15 miles south-west), Hemel Hempstead (13 miles south-west), Stevenage (4 miles north), St Albans (9 miles south-west), Bishop's Stortford (15 miles east) and Welwyn Garden City (4 miles south).
What’s near Pottersheath
Typical jobs here are in homes near Monk's Walk School, Robin Hood And Little John Public House and Danesbury Park. The closest station to Pottersheath is Knebworth station, roughly 1.3 miles north-east. Nearby you will also find Howard Centre (3.4 miles south) and Datchworth Museum (1.9 miles east). Open spaces near Pottersheath include Mardley Heath.
DIY checks: what’s safe
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Share it with us when you book.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date.
Common roof problems in Pottersheath
Chimney stacks stand above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Frost works into cracks in the flaunching and pointing, and rain soaks into worn brickwork. People normally call us when they notice damp or a problem with the stack, or before a purchase.
Look out for signs like these:
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- A stack that appears to lean
- Flaunching that has broken away
If you look after a building such as Oaklands Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Their track record with similar roofs
Pottersheath: your questions answered
Do you cover smaller places like Pottersheath?
Yes, Pottersheath is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Is my home in Pottersheath listed or in a conservation area?
We can’t confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only if it is safe. We check everything that can safely be seen: from ground level, from windows, from inside the roof space, from the roof where it’s safe and by drone where it applies. Anything we cannot see is noted in the report.
Can you find out why my chimney breast is damp?
It can come from several places: cracked flaunching, worn pointing, failed flashings, uncapped pots, or damp trapped in an unventilated stack. We look at each one and note the most likely cause.
What does a roof survey cost?
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Our three packages are Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included.
What if it rains on the day?
Light rain is typically fine; heavy rain and wind are different. High wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, so we’d move the date with you.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Tell us which days suit you when booking.