West Berkshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Speen, West Berkshire
Know where you stand with the chimney stack before you spend money on it. We carry out chimney surveys in Speen, with photos and a clear written report.
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
What we can’t see
This is not a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you before booking. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
About our chimney survey in Speen
If you are 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. If you are worried about cracked or missing flaunching and mortar washing out of the joints, we can find out what’s behind it.
Some older homes in villages like Speen 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. Older materials like clay tiles, slate and stone are frequently matched when work is done.
After the visit, you get a written report with photos, emailed to you. It explains the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Place
- Speen (RG14, RG20)
- Wider area
- West Berkshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Questions from Speen
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Speen?
We cannot 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.
Will you come out to Speen?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
There are a few common causes: water getting in at the top, through the brickwork or at the flashings, or moisture trapped in a stack with no ventilation. We check each one and note the most likely cause.
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. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need consent.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it is applicable and safe, yes. We fly a sub-250g drone and we’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where it applies.
How soon will I get the report?
Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24–48 hours and Premium reports on the same day. All of them come by email.
Does the report include photos?
Yes, plenty. Each finding is shown in a picture where possible, so you can see what we mean.
What we look for on each type of roof
Brick stacks
Most chimney stacks are built of brick, with mortar joints that wear over time. The survey looks for crumbling bricks and worn or missing mortar.
Flaunching
We frequently find flaunching that has cracked or broken away. Caught early, it’s frequently a small job.
Practical tips
Small things make a difference. Our tips:
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Photograph damp patches with the date
With a shared stack, the report can help when talking to next door. It shows what we found and where from the viewpoints we used.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. With binoculars, you can often see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
Local roofs in Speen
Benham Park, about 0.9 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Speen. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs. 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. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
The streets around a church like Parish Church of St Mary are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Robert Sandilands Primary School and Nursery, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Speen is about 1 mile north-west of Newbury, in West Berkshire. Wherever you are in Speen, we can come and survey your property. Speen is one of the towns and villages in West Berkshire where we work for chimney surveys. For surveys nearby, see our Reading page.
Chimney surveys in RG14 and RG20 are booked the same way as anywhere else. We cover properties on Bath Road, Pound Lane and Speen Lane. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Bagnor (1 mile north), Speenhamland (1 mile east), Donnington (1 mile north-east), Stockcross (1 mile north-west) and Shaw (1 mile east). Within a short drive, we also cover Thatcham (4 miles east), Burghfield Common (12 miles east), Hungerford (7 miles west), Calcot (13 miles east), Lambourn (11 miles north-west) and Burghfield Hill (13 miles east).
Around Speen
In Speen, that means homes and buildings near Victoria Park, St Bartholomew's School and The Starting Gate pub, among other places. The nearest railway station is Newbury station, roughly 1.2 miles south-east. Well-known places in the area include British Balloon Museum & Library Ltd (1.1 miles east) and Donnington Castle (1.1 miles north). For a walk, there’s Rack Marsh.
Do you need a chimney survey in Speen?
Chimney stacks stand above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Frost works into cracks in the flaunching and pointing, and rain soaks into worn brickwork. Most people book after spotting damp or a loose pot, or before buying.
It’s worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Bricks with flaking faces
If you let a flat or house near Newbury station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
What to check before booking
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- What the survey won’t cover
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
How the survey works
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you need to know. After that, we look at everything we can see safely, from the ground, from windows, in the roof space and by drone where it applies. Most surveys take about 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In a small place like Speen, access is normally the main thing to plan. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- You let us know whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We look at the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
How to prepare
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Book a survey
We survey roofs seven days a week. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Advice
For landlords and managing agents
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait.
Where a roof is shared: we need access agreed with the building owner or managing agent. Tell us about it as you book and we will plan the survey around it.