West Berkshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Skinners Green, West Berkshire
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Skinners Green. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- A chimney out of line
- Flaunching that has broken away
What we look for on each type of roof
Lead flashings
Where the chimney meets the roof slopes, lead flashings keep water out. The survey looks at whether the lead is tight, sound and well fixed.
Chimney pots and cowls
Pots sit in the flaunching on top of the stack, and cowls or caps sit on the pots. The survey looks for cracked, loose or missing pots and cowls.
Chimney survey in Skinners Green
A chimney survey looks at the stack and everything around it: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and the flashings at the roof line. Inside, we check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft where it’s safe to reach. You get a written report with photographs and our recommendations. It suits a single stack on a house as well as several on a larger building. We survey lead flashings, shared and party-wall stacks and flaunching, and people most often book us about damp on a chimney breast inside and frost-damaged brickwork on the stack.
Some older homes in villages like Skinners Green are listed or in a conservation area. If yours is, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so the council is the place to check. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Location
- Skinners Green (RG14)
- Region
- West Berkshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What a chimney survey doesn’t cover
Our survey isn’t a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Parts of the stack that can’t be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we cannot access
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll tell you before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What this survey covers
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
Your questions about chimney surveys in Skinners Green
Do you cover smaller places like Skinners Green?
Yes, Skinners Green is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Skinners Green?
We can’t confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Does someone need to be in?
That depends on the survey. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in; we’ll agree the details when you book.
Is a chimney survey the same as a flue inspection?
No. It isn’t a flue, sweep or gas safety inspection. We check the structure and weathering of the stack and any damp and flag anything that suggests the flue needs a look.
How can you see the top of the stack?
Each stack is viewed from the safest viewpoints: from ground level, windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there is access. A drone inspection is included in our Premium Survey where it applies. If part of a stack cannot be seen, the report says so.
Do you need to get into the loft?
If there’s a loft and safe access to it, yes. The roof space can show things the outside can’t, such as damp timbers, staining or daylight.
Will I get photos?
Yes, every report has them. Pictures sit next to the findings they show, which makes the report easy to follow.
How it works
The visit has one job: to look at the chimney stack as closely as is safe and record what we find. Notes and photographs go into the written report. The visit usually takes about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Cottages and farmhouses around Skinners Green often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
How to prepare
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
Booking a survey
For a price for chimney surveys in Skinners Green, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. The address, the type of property and what you’d like to know help us give you an accurate price.
Advice
Tips from our surveys
Getting the most from a chimney survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Tips:
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
Where another specialist is needed, such as a structural engineer or sweep, we explain why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Skinners Green
The wider area around Skinners Green has a long history of building, with Benham Park about 1.4 miles north. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs. Older houses in the South East frequently 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.
If you look after a building like John Rankin Infant and Nursery School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. Landlords with a home close to Newbury station may find that the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Parish Church of St Michael, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Skinners Green is about 2 miles south-west of Newbury, in West Berkshire. In Skinners Green, as across West Berkshire, every roof gets the same careful survey. Across West Berkshire, we cover Skinners Green. For surveys nearby, see our Reading page.
All of RG14 is covered for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Enborne (1 mile west), Wash Common (1 mile south-east), Crockham Heath (1 mile south-west), Enborne Row (1 mile south) and Wash Water (2 miles south). We also work in nearby towns such as Thatcham (4 miles east), Burghfield Common (13 miles east), Hungerford (7 miles west), Calcot (14 miles east), Lambourn (11 miles north-west) and Burghfield Hill (13 miles east).
What’s near Skinners Green
In Skinners Green, that means homes and buildings near Park House School, St Bartholomew's School and The Gun pub, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Newbury station, roughly 1.6 miles north-east. Other landmarks nearby include West Berkshire Community Hospital (3.1 miles north-east) and British Balloon Museum & Library Ltd (1.8 miles north-east). Not far away are Rack Marsh and Pilot Hill.
DIY checks: what’s safe
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Don’t go up yourself.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Skinners Green
Landlords, agents and building managers in Skinners Green and across West Berkshire can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.