Buckinghamshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Speen, Buckinghamshire
Independent chimney surveys in Speen. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
How the survey changes by roof type
Chimney breasts and the loft
If a chimney breast has been removed below, we note what we can see of the support above. Confirming the support is a job for a structural engineer.
Chimney pots and cowls
For unused flues, we check whether caps or cowls allow ventilation. Poor capping can lead to damp inside the stack.
How a chimney survey works in Speen
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. We look at each possibility and record what we find. That points the work in the right direction. If you’ve noticed redundant stacks capped without ventilation and loose, cracked or missing pots, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on brick chimney stacks, shared and party-wall stacks and chimney breasts alike.
Somewhere as small as Speen, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. On older roofs, it’s usually the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
What you get is a clear record of the chimney stack on the day we saw it. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later.
- Where
- Speen (HP27)
- Wider area
- Buckinghamshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
When to book a survey in Speen
Years of fires can affect the mortar inside a stack. Mortar can deteriorate unevenly from flue gases and moisture, which can make a stack lean.
Common reasons to book include:
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Mortar washing out of the joints
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Speen Church (Baptist), its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Before you book anyone
- Are they insured for the work?
- When you’ll get the report
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- What happens after the report arrives
Surveys for landlords and agents in Speen
Landlords, agents and building managers in Speen and across Buckinghamshire can book any of our surveys. To discuss a property or a block, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Letting agents frequently book on a landlord’s behalf. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
Nearby places to Speen
More services for Speen
Speen questions
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Speen?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it’s 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.
Is Speen within the area you cover?
Yes, Speen is covered. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
When does the report arrive?
It depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day. The report is emailed to you.
What insurance do you have?
We’re covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Does the weather affect the survey?
It depends on the weather and the survey. In strong wind or a downpour, a drone can’t fly and access may not be safe, so we’d move the date with you.
Will I get photos?
Yes. We photograph the roof as we go, and they go into the written report.
Is a chimney survey the same as a flue inspection?
No. We survey the stack and its weathering, not the flue. For the flue, you will need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
What we cannot see
To be straight with you, a roof survey has limits:
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
How it works
We will ask a few questions first, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. Then the inspection itself takes between one and two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. For a village or hamlet like Speen, the journey is planned ahead of time: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect whatever is safely visible, inside and out.
- 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.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
How to prepare
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
Booking a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Advice
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Speen
With Hughenden Manor about 3.1 miles south, Speen sits in an area with a long building history. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead. Thatch survives on some older buildings in Buckinghamshire’s villages. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Speen CofE VA School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. Landlords with a home close to Saunderton station may find that a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Speen is about 5 miles north of High Wycombe, in Buckinghamshire. Speen gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photos and a written report. Speen is one of the towns and villages in Buckinghamshire where we work for chimney surveys. Our Reading page covers surveys nearby.
Surveys in HP27 are booked the same way as anywhere else. If you need a chimney survey at a property on St Peters Close, Studridge Lane and Chapel Hill or a nearby road, we can survey it. If you’re just outside Speen, we cover Upper North Dean (1 mile south-east), Bryant's Bottom (1 mile east), Walter's Ash (1 mile south), Lower North Dean (1 mile south-east) and Stony Green (1 mile east). We also work in nearby towns such as Aylesbury (9 miles north), High Wycombe (5 miles south), Chesham (8 miles east), Marlow (8 miles south), Amersham (8 miles east) and Beaconsfield (8 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Speen
Typical jobs here are in homes near King William IV Public House and the streets around them. Speen’s nearest station is Saunderton station, roughly 2.1 miles south-west. Nearby you’ll also find Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre (3.4 miles east) and Great Kimble Dial Hill (3.9 miles north). Open spaces near Speen include Beacon Hill and Prestwood Local Nature Reserve.
Useful tips for Speen property owners
There is plenty you can do without going near the roof. Here’s what helps most:
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. Because everyone is pricing the same findings, the quotes are easier to compare.
Have aerial and dish brackets on the stack checked, and moved if they’re working it loose. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.