Southampton · London and the South East
St Denys Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys in St Denys, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. You get a clear report with photos.
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Lifted or split lead flashings
Different roofs, different checks
Rendered stacks
Water can get in through cracks and then struggle to dry out. We record any cracking and where it is.
Chimney pots and cowls
Pots sit in the flaunching on top of the stack, and cowls or caps sit on the pots. We check that they look secure and undamaged.
About our chimney survey in St Denys
A chimney survey looks at the stack and everything around it: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and the flashings at the roof line. We also look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. You get a report with photos and our recommendations. It suits a single stack on a house as well as several on a larger building. Typical surveys look at damp on a chimney breast inside and spalled or crumbling bricks, across flaunching, chimney breasts and brick chimney stacks.
Trees around homes in smaller places like St Denys drop leaves, twigs and moss onto roofs and into gutters. Blocked gutters overflow and soak the walls below, and moss holds water against tiles. A report spots that kind of slow problem before it becomes damp inside. Plants growing from a gutter or moss on the tiles are signs worth noting from the ground.
Nothing in the report is left vague: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, and where it can wait, that’s said too.
- Location
- St Denys (SO17, SO18, SO14)
- Wider area
- Southampton
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Also near St Denys
What else we do in St Denys
Tips from our surveys
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out:
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Check fixings on the stack are secure
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
Once we’ve been, the findings are written up with photos. It explains the condition of each part of the stack and any damp inside. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. Early signs are easier to trace.
St Denys questions
Do roofs near the sea, like those around St Denys, take more of a battering?
It can do. Within about 3 miles of the sea, as St Denys is, metal fixings wear faster and gales find any loose ridge or slate.
How do I find out if my home in St Denys 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.
How do I arrange a chimney survey in St Denys?
To book, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address, the type of property and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price and agree a day with you.
How long does the survey take?
Most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours for most houses, and more on a big or complicated roof. We will confirm the timing when you book.
Does someone need to be in?
Not always. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Will you go up on the roof?
Only where it’s safe to do so. We inspect what can be seen safely: from the ground, from windows and vantage points, from the roof space, from the roof itself where safe and by drone where it applies. Anything we can’t see is noted in the report.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
Do not ignore it. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down. We record its condition with photographs, and a structural engineer can confirm whether it’s stable.
The survey, step by step
The visit has one job: to look at the chimney stack as closely as is safe and record what we find. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. The visit typically takes an hour or two for most houses, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. A visit to St Denys is planned like any other: the time, the access and where to park are agreed ahead of time. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. If there are outbuildings or garages you want looked at, mention them.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
How to prepare
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
Booking a survey
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, so ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details.
Advice
When you need someone else
No survey can tell you everything, and it is better to know them up front. Bear these in mind:
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Conditions inside walls
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will recommend the right survey. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
Checking the roof from the ground
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
A lot can be seen from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Signs you need a chimney survey in St Denys
Flashings seal the gap where a stack passes through the roof. They can lift in wind, crack with age or pull out of the mortar joints. Failed flashings are one of the most common causes of damp around chimneys. Lead flashings can also be stolen.
People usually book a survey when they’ve noticed something like this:
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
Shop and office owners around Marlands Shopping Centre may find that a dated report on the roof is useful for planning and for any lease discussions.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What follow-up you get after the report
- Their track record with similar roofs
- Is VAT included in the price?
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
St Denys homes and their roofs
The coast is about 3 miles or less from St Denys, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, while gales work at loose ridges, slates and tiles, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. With South Stoneham House about 1 mile north-east, St Denys sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
For an older house near a landmark such as Church of St Denys, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs. If you let a flat or house near St Denys station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
St Denys is about 1 mile north-east of Southampton, in Southampton. Bookings from St Denys are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. St Denys is one of the towns and villages in Southampton we cover for chimney surveys.
Every address in SO17, SO18 and SO14 is covered for chimney surveys. We cover properties on Ivy Road, Lawn Road and Kent Road and the roads around them. With the A335 and A3035 close by, St Denys is simple for us to get to for chimney surveys. We also cover Portswood (1 mile north-west), Bitterne Manor (1 mile south-east), Southampton (1 mile south-west), Bitterne Park (1 mile east) and Inner Avenue (1 mile south-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Maybush (3 miles west), Coxford (3 miles west), Eling (4 miles west), Rownhams (3 miles north-west), Millbrook (3 miles west) and Weston (3 miles south).
What’s near St Denys
Around St Denys, our work takes us to homes and buildings near South Western Arms, Riverside Park and St Mary's Independent School and the streets around them. St Denys has its own railway station: St Denys station. Other landmarks nearby include Royal South Hants Hospital (0.9 miles south-west) and Marlands Shopping Centre (1.5 miles south-west). The countryside around St Denys includes Netley Common.