Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Shephall
Wondering about the chimney stack at a property in Shephall? You can book a chimney survey in Shephall and across Hertfordshire, with plain-English findings.
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
Chimney survey in Shephall
Our chimney survey covers the stack and the details that keep water out around it: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and the flashings at the roof line. We also look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access. The findings come in a written report with photos and recommendations. It suits a single stack on a house as well as several on a larger building. We survey chimney breasts, brick chimney stacks and shared and party-wall stacks, and people most often book us about gaps where the stack meets the roof and bricks with flaking faces.
Around Shephall, 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, and the fixings under the coverings matter too. The fixings under an older roof often fail before good slates or tiles do.
We write the report in plain English, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Each point is backed by a photograph where possible.
- Location
- Shephall (SG2, SG1)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Roof by roof
Rendered stacks
Water can get in through cracks and then struggle to dry out. Cracks are photographed and noted.
Flaunching
We often find flaunching that has cracked or broken away. It’s normally a modest repair when it is caught early.
Nearby places to Shephall
More services for Shephall
Leave it or get it looked at?
Damp in a chimney breast normally gets worse while the cause is left. It can spoil decoration and plaster. Knowing whether it’s the flaunching, flashings, brickwork or ventilation means the right fix can be planned. Homes in smaller places like Shephall can face more weather, so a loose ridge or verge soon lets rain in. Each storm lifts it a little further, and water follows.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. You will know the figure before booking.
What you get with us
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- Every finding written up with photos
- Prices that include VAT
Common questions in Shephall
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Shephall?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
I let a flat near Stevenage station. Can you check the roof?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. Just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details, and we will talk through which survey suits.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
How experienced are you?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
Do you inspect shared chimneys?
Yes. We inspect whatever is safely visible and what you give us access to. Where a problem appears to be on next door’s side, we note it and you can raise it with them.
What’s the best way to book?
The quickest way is to phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. Give us the address and a few details about the roof, and we’ll recommend the right survey. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends.
How long is the visit?
Most surveys take about 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. The report follows by email.
What a survey costs
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
- Roof area
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where applicable) come with the Premium Survey, which starts from £400, including VAT. We’ll tell you which package suits the questions you have.
What to tell us when you get in touch
Here’s what helps us most when you get in touch:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- The property’s address and postcode
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Local roofs in Shephall
Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates, 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. Stevenage, which Shephall is part of, is one of England’s post-war new towns. Many homes in the new towns date from the post-war decades, with concrete interlocking tiles, low-pitched roofs and flat-roofed garages and porches. Low-pitched roofs shed water more slowly, and older concrete tiles, felt and gutters on these homes may be nearing the end of their life.
If you live in an older home near Church of Saint Mary, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs. Take a building like Peartree Spring Primary School: its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Shephall is about 1 mile south of Stevenage, in Hertfordshire. We survey roofs in Shephall and the surrounding area as part of our work across London and South East England. Shephall is one of the towns and villages in Hertfordshire we cover. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
Here we cover the SG2 and SG1 postcode area for chimney surveys. We cover properties on Unwin Road, Oxleys Road and Burwell Road and the roads around them. If you’re just outside Shephall, we cover Aston (1 mile east), Bragbury End (1 mile south-east), Knebworth (2 miles south), Hook's Cross (2 miles south-east) and Woolmer Green (3 miles south). Further out, we also cover Hemel Hempstead (15 miles south-west), St Albans (12 miles south-west), Bishop's Stortford (14 miles east), Welwyn Garden City (6 miles south), Harpenden (9 miles south-west) and Hitchin (6 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Shephall
Around Shephall, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Coopers Inn, The Heathcote School and Barnwell School, among other places. The closest station to Shephall is Stevenage station, about 1.4 miles north-west. Other landmarks nearby include Benington Castle (2.6 miles east) and Lister Hospital (2.7 miles north-west). For a walk, there is Ridlins Mire.
What we are asked to look at in Shephall
TV aerials, satellite dishes and their brackets are often fixed to chimneys. Their weight and the wind on them can loosen bricks and pointing. Any fixings on the stack are checked and recorded.
Common reasons to book include:
- A chimney out of line
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Worn or missing pointing
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
If you own a rental within reach of Stevenage station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Their report turnaround times
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
How the survey works
After the inspection, everything we found is written up as a report with photos, emailed to you. On timing, it typically takes an hour or two for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. A visit to Shephall is planned like any other: the time, the access and where to park are agreed beforehand. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. If there are outbuildings or garages you want looked at, mention them.
- You tell us how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- The stacks are looked at from ground level, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- Every part we can see is checked: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Where there is safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
Preparing for the visit
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
Book a survey
Not sure which survey you need? It is easiest to call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We will explain the options and the price.
Read more
DIY checks: what’s safe
You can learn a lot from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Share it with us when booking.