Hertfordshire · London and the South East
St Albans Chimney Survey
An experienced roof surveyor for chimney surveys in St Albans. Over 5,000 surveys and 20+ years behind us across London and South East England.
- A chimney out of line
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
Useful tips for St Albans property owners
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Some tips:
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
The report is emailed to you, ready to share with a roofer or builder. Each defect is described in plain words and shown in a photo so anyone reading it can see what we saw.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. Early signs are easier to trace.
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in St Albans
For buyers, a chimney survey before exchange can flag work you may want to raise. Cracked flaunching, failed flashings and worn pointing are common findings on older stacks. You get photos and findings you can take back to the seller or agent. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it. Common reasons to book are gaps in the mortar around the pots and signs that a stack is leaning, on chimney breasts, chimney pots and cowls and brick chimney stacks.
Trees in streets, gardens and parks drop leaves into gutters across places like St Albans, and once a gutter blocks, water spills down the wall. Valley and parapet gutters can overflow inside the building. It’s one reason a roof is worth looking at as a whole, not just the obvious problem. Late autumn, once the leaves are down, is a sensible time to check gutters and outlets.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Where
- St Albans (AL1, AL3, AL4)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Common questions in St Albans
Is St Albans in the area you cover?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs.
How do I find out if my home in St Albans is listed?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Do you use drones?
Where it’s applicable and safe, yes. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. It is included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where it applies, the Premium Survey.
Will I get photos?
Yes. We photograph the roof as we go, and they go into the written report alongside our recommendations.
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’ll need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not unless it’s safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where applicable, a drone.
What does the report include?
It sets out what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, backed by photos. It also says if any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely, so you know exactly what was covered.
How it works
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photographs, emailed to you. On timing, it usually takes between one and two hours at a typical home, or half a day or so for a commercial building. In a place the size of St Albans, the building you want surveyed may be a house, a flat above a shop or a whole block. Let us know the type of building and who can let us in, so the right access is in place on the day.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Preparing for the visit
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
Getting a price
Unsure which package suits your roof? It’s easiest to call 07833 053749 or email us and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
Related advice
Places near St Albans
More services for St Albans
What we’re asked to look at in St Albans
Removing a chimney breast inside can leave questions about how the stack is supported. We note what’s visible in the roof space and outside, and the report recommends a structural engineer if support is a concern.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
For landlords with property near St Albans station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
- Whether VAT is added on top
- Will the report include photos?
Why act early in St Albans
If you’re thinking of removing or reducing a stack, it’s useful to know its condition first. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need permission from the council and the council can advise. In a place with as many rented homes as St Albans, small roof faults often turn into tenant complaints. Finding it early, between tenancies if possible, is simpler than dealing with it mid-let.
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so they’re priced to match. You will know the figure before booking.
Why us?
- Over 20 years’ experience
- An independent view of the roof
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- 98% of clients satisfied
Read what a roof survey costs or our case studies.
What you can safely check yourself
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Share it with us as you book and it will help the survey.
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in St Albans
In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile, and flat-roofed additions turn up almost everywhere. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look. Historic houses such as Batchwood Hall, about 1.5 miles north-west, show how far back building in the area around St Albans goes. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Loreto College, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for instance near The Maltings, a roof report helps plan work around trading rather than after a leak.
St Albans is about 20 miles north-west of London, in Hertfordshire. If you’re in St Albans, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. We cover towns and villages across Hertfordshire. We also survey roofs in London.
Surveys in AL1, AL3 and AL4 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We offer chimney surveys to properties on Gabriel Square, Jubilee Square and Old London Road. Main roads around St Albans include the A414 and B651, which makes travel easy. If you are just outside St Albans, we cover Bernards Heath (1 mile north), Sopwell (1 mile south), St Stephens (1 mile south-west), Marshalswick (1 mile north-east) and Park Street (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Watford (7 miles south-west), Hemel Hempstead (6 miles west), Stevenage (13 miles north-east), Welwyn Garden City (7 miles north-east), Harpenden (5 miles north) and Hitchin (14 miles north). Being one of Hertfordshire’s larger places, St Albans has every kind of building, from houses and flats to offices.
Around St Albans
Around St Albans, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Alban City School, The Horn pub and Verulam School, among other places. St Albans has its own railway station: St Albans station. Well-known places in the area include St Albans Musical Museum (0.5 miles north-east) and The Maltings (less than half a mile west). Open spaces near St Albans include The Wick Local Nature Reserve and Verulamium Lake.
Different roofs, different checks
Lead flashings
Mortar fillets are sometimes used where lead would normally be. They crack with age, and we check them too.
Flaunching
Sitting at the very top, flaunching is fully exposed. The survey checks for cracking and gaps around each pot.