West Berkshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Silchester, West Berkshire
Need a chimney survey in Silchester? We can help, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- A chimney out of line
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
Chimney survey in Silchester
If you’re buying a home with chimneys, it is worth knowing their condition before you exchange. Cracked flaunching, failed flashings and worn pointing are common findings on older stacks. Our report gives you specific points to raise with the seller or agent. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it. Typical surveys look at mortar washing out of the joints and spalled or crumbling bricks, on chimney breasts, lead flashings and flaunching.
In a village or hamlet like Silchester, older cottages and farmhouses frequently sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. We report on everything that’s safely in view, and thatch is a specialist material. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
The report is written in plain words, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Photos show what each point refers to, with the urgent items made clear.
- Where
- Silchester (RG7)
- Region
- West Berkshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Why get it checked now?
A small amount of repointing or new flaunching is typically a modest job. Left for a few winters, frost and water can loosen pots and bricks and the job gets bigger. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Silchester, driving rain gets into any weakness, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on the size and height of the roof, access and the package you choose.
Why book with us
- Prices that include VAT
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Photographs and a written report every time
Take a look at what a roof survey costs or our case studies.
What we’re asked to look at in Silchester
The flaunching on top of a stack holds the pots in place and sheds water. Once it cracks, water gets in and frost makes the cracks bigger. In time, the pots can become loose.
Typical things we are asked to look at include:
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Signs that a stack is leaning
If you own a rental within reach of Bramley (Hants) station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
Questions to ask before booking
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Whether the price includes VAT
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
Places near Silchester
Other services in Silchester
The survey, step by step
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof, but as a rough guide the survey takes roughly 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. You are welcome to ask questions while we’re there. Older roofs in small places like Silchester can have low, tight loft spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. We only go where it is safe.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the roof space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Before the survey
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
How to book
Once you know what you need, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. From there it is a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.
Read more
Honest limits
Before you book, it’s worth knowing what a survey won’t do:
- Conditions inside walls
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
Landlord and commercial surveys in Silchester
Where a roof is shared: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Tell us about it when you book and we’ll plan the visit with that in mind.
Landlords, agents and building managers in Silchester and across West Berkshire can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Chimney surveys around Silchester
The wider area around Silchester has a long history of building, with The Vyne about 3.3 miles south. If your home is one of the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile, with flat-roofed extensions, dormers and garages common everywhere. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Silchester Church of England Primary School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. Take an older house close to Saint Luke's Church: old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Silchester is about 2 miles east of Tadley, in West Berkshire. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Silchester can all book chimney surveys, with a written report and photographs every time. Our area takes in places right across West Berkshire. We also survey roofs in Reading.
We work across RG7 for chimney surveys. We offer chimney surveys to properties on Little London Road, Romans Field and Dukes Ride and the roads around them. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Pamber Heath (1 mile north-west), Aldermaston Soke (1 mile north-west), Old Warren (2 miles north-west), Little London (2 miles south) and Pamber Green (2 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Newbury (10 miles west), Thatcham (8 miles north-west), Burghfield Common (4 miles north-east), Speenhamland (10 miles west), Spencers Wood (6 miles north-east) and Calcot (6 miles north).
Around Silchester
Typical jobs here are in homes near Padworth Common Local Nature Reserve, among other places. The nearest railway station is Bramley (Hants) station, roughly 2.4 miles south-east. Well-known places in the area include Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital (5.1 miles south) and Calleva Museum (under half a mile north-east). Open spaces near Silchester include Hosehill Lake.
How the survey changes by roof type
Rendered stacks
What’s behind the render cannot be seen without removing some, so the report explains what we could and couldn’t assess.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Where a breast has been taken out, we look at what supports the stack. A structural engineer should confirm whether it is adequate.
Questions from Silchester
Can a landlord with a rental near Bramley (Hants) station book a roof survey?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. You can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you need, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Is my home in Silchester listed or in a conservation area?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is in a conservation area. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
What does a roof survey cost?
Prices start from £150, including VAT. You will know the exact price before booking. For a price, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not always. Safety comes first, and fragile or steep roofs cannot always be walked on. Safe viewpoints, the loft and a drone where applicable let us see the rest, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
Should a redundant chimney be removed?
It depends on its condition and your plans. We record how the stack is doing and whether it is capped with ventilation. If you are thinking of removing it, check with the council first in a conservation area or on a listed building.
How long will you be at the property?
It usually takes an hour or two for a house, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. We will confirm the timing when you book.
How soon will I get the report?
That depends on the survey you book: the Basic Survey report arrives within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey the same day. Reports are sent by email.