Surrey · London and the South East
Shere Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching for Shere, from an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photos.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
What we are asked to look at in Shere
Flashings seal the gap where a stack passes through the roof. They can lift in wind, crack with age or pull out of the mortar joints. When flashings fail, water often shows up in the loft or on the chimney breast. Lead flashings can also be stolen.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- A chimney out of line
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
If you live near a park such as Colekitchen Down, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Before booking anyone
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- What happens after the report arrives
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- How long the report takes to arrive
How a chimney survey works in Shere
A chimney stands up above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. In time, flaunching cracks, mortar washes out and flashings come loose. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the loft space. We record what we find with photographs and recommendations. We are frequently asked to look into spalled or crumbling bricks and signs that a stack is leaning, across chimney pots and cowls, chimney breasts and lead flashings.
Village roofs often face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A roof report shows what needs attention first. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are often the first to give way.
The report records the chimney stack as we found it on the day. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, for example when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Location
- Shere (GU5)
- Region
- Surrey
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips that help
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out:
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
If anything in the report is not clear, just ask us. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
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.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
More services for Shere
Chimney surveys around Shere
With Hatchlands Park about 2.6 miles north, Shere sits in an area with a long building history. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. Many older homes in Surrey have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls. Some old buildings in Surrey and Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
For landlords with property near Gomshall station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. If you live in an older home near The Church of St James, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Shere is about 5 miles east of Guildford, in Surrey. We visit Shere as part of our work across Surrey. Across Surrey, we cover Shere and the places around it.
Chimney surveys in GU5 are booked the same way as anywhere else. You will find streets such as Lower Street, Orchard Road and Shere Lane, all of which we cover. Other places close to Shere include Gomshall (1 mile east), Albury Heath (1 mile south-west), Little London (1 mile south-west), Albury (1 mile west) and Abinger Hammer (1 mile east). Further out, we also cover Guildford (5 miles west), Woking (8 miles north-west), Camberley (14 miles north-west), Epsom (12 miles north-east), Horley (13 miles east) and Redhill (13 miles east).
Near you in Shere
We work in homes and buildings around Colekitchen Down and The White Horse Public House and the streets around them. Shere’s nearest station is Gomshall station, about 1.1 miles east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Shere Museum (under half a mile east) and Abinger Castle (2.8 miles south-east). Not far away are Silent Pool and St Martha's Hill.
What happens if roof problems are left?
If a stack seems to lean, don’t leave it. We record its condition and recommend a structural engineer where needed, so you can decide what to do next. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Shere, driving rain gets into any weakness, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how safely it can be seen. Prices start from £150, including VAT.
What you get with us
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Over 20 years’ experience
- Customer satisfaction of 98%
Read how roof surveys are priced and our case studies.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Shere
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on, photos included.
Common questions in Shere
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Gomshall station?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. Just phone 07833 053749 or email us with the details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Do you cover smaller places like Shere?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We work right across London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there as you book.
What do I do with the report?
The report arrives by email. With Standard there is a follow-up consultation; with Premium, an in-person consultation, so you can talk the findings through.
Our stack is shared. Can you still survey it?
Yes. Shared stacks are common on terraced and semi-detached houses. We survey what we can see safely, and note anything that seems to involve next door.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Light rain does not normally stop a survey. Strong wind or heavy rain can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so if conditions are not right we’ll arrange another day with you.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. We are experienced roof surveyors, and our survey covers the roof rather than the whole building. If you need a full building survey, you will need a RICS survey as well.
Is it a problem to have an unused chimney?
There is no single answer. We record how the stack is doing and whether it’s capped with ventilation. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need consent.
What we do, step by step
The visit normally starts outside and finishes in the loft: outside views come first, then the loft space if there’s safe access. All told, expect about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Somewhere as small as Shere, access is often the only tricky part. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- You tell us 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.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Before the survey
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Keep pets in another room
Booking a survey
Once you know what you need, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.