Surrey · London and the South East
Shortfield Common Chimney Survey
Get a clear view of the chimney stack at a property in Shortfield Common. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
Chimney survey in Shortfield Common: what you get
For buyers, a chimney survey before exchange can flag work you may want to raise. On older stacks, we frequently find cracked flaunching, loose flashings and worn pointing. Our report gives you specific points to raise with the seller or agent. It works alongside a RICS home survey, not instead of one. We survey chimney pots and cowls, lead flashings and flaunching, and people most frequently book us about cracked or missing flaunching and gaps where the stack meets the roof.
In a small place like Shortfield Common, many roofs stand in the open, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent, whichever applies.
- Place
- Shortfield Common (GU10)
- Region
- Surrey
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Why act early in Shortfield Common
Chimneys are easy to forget because you rarely see the top of them. Problems frequently go unnoticed until damp appears inside. A survey gives you a clear picture before that happens. Outbuildings and barns around Shortfield Common are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. It’s worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Why book with us
- Surveys seven days a week
- 20+ years’ experience
- A written report with photos
- Package prices that include VAT
Read what a roof survey costs and two real surveys.
Shortfield Common homes and their roofs
Older houses across Surrey often have handmade clay tiles, and many have tile-hanging. A few of Surrey’s oldest buildings have heavy Horsham stone slab roofs. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look. With Farnham Castle about 3 miles north, Shortfield Common sits in an area with a long building history. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of St Mary the Virgin, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. Homes near green spaces such as Underdown nature reserve can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Shortfield Common is about 2 miles south of Farnham, in Surrey. We visit Shortfield Common as part of our work across Surrey, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. We cover towns and villages across Surrey, from the larger towns to small villages. Guildford is in our area too.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: GU10. We offer chimney surveys to properties on Hamlash Lane, West End Lane and Moons Hill. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Millbridge (1 mile east), Frensham (1 mile south), Lower Bourne (1 mile north), Tilford Reeds (2 miles east) and Crosswater (2 miles south-east). Larger places within reach include Guildford (11 miles north-east), Woking (14 miles north-east), Camberley (11 miles north), Frimley (10 miles north), Haslemere (7 miles south-east) and Cranleigh (14 miles east).
Landmarks near Shortfield Common
In Shortfield Common, that means homes and buildings near Underdown nature reserve, Weydon School and St Mary's CofE Aided Infant School and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Farnham station, about 2.5 miles north of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Museum of Farnham (2.6 miles north) and Chase Community Hospital (5.5 miles south-west). Not far away are Culverswell Hill and Farnham Heath.
What we’re asked to look at in Shortfield Common
Where a chimney meets the roof, lead flashings keep water out. 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.
Problems we come across often include:
- A chimney out of line
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
If you own a rental within reach of Farnham station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Before booking anyone
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
What happens on the day
The visit has one job: to see as much of the chimney stack as can be seen safely and record it clearly. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. The visit normally takes about 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Older roofs in small places like Shortfield Common can have low, tight loft spaces, so it is useful to know whether there is a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. We only go where it is safe.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Getting ready for the survey
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Tell us where we can park nearby
Arrange a survey
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price before you book.
Read more
Places near Shortfield Common
What else we do in Shortfield Common
Tips from our surveys
There’s plenty you can do without going near the roof. Here’s what helps most:
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
If the stack is shared, you can pass the report to your neighbour. It shows what we found and where, as far as we could see.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
Questions from Shortfield Common
Can a landlord with a rental near Farnham station book a roof survey?
Of course. We just need to know who will give access, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
Will you come out to Shortfield Common?
Yes, Shortfield Common is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
What does the report include?
It works through the roof part by part, in writing and with photos, finishing with recommendations. The most urgent items are made clear.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We note visible signs such as sagging or deflection, but we are not structural engineers and do not carry out calculations. If we think you need an engineer, the report says so.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day. Just say which days work for you.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not unless it is safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where it applies, a drone, and anything out of sight is recorded in the report.
How do I arrange a chimney survey in Shortfield Common?
Simply phone 07833 053749 or email us. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way. That is where a survey comes in.
Keep a simple record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry and it will help the survey.
Roof by roof
Rendered stacks
What’s behind the render can’t be seen without removing some, so the report says what can and can’t be judged.
Brick stacks
Spalled bricks, where the face has flaked off, are a sign of water and frost. We record any we can see.