Isle of Wight · London and the South East
St Helens Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys in St Helens from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys.
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
Chimney survey in St Helens
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 photographs and findings you can take back to the seller or agent. It works alongside a RICS home survey, not instead of one. Typical surveys look at gaps where the stack meets the roof and unused flues sealed without airflow, across chimney breasts, lead flashings and chimney pots and cowls.
In a village or hamlet like St Helens, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, frequently with chimneys that have stood a long time. We report on what can safely be seen, and thatch is a specialist material. On older roofs, it is normally the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
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.
- Place
- St Helens (PO33)
- Wider area
- Isle of Wight
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What we are asked to look at in St Helens
Aerials and dishes are often fixed to stacks. The extra load in wind can work bricks and joints loose. We check fixings on the stack as part of the survey.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Flaunching that has broken away
If you live in an older home near St Catherine-by-the-Green, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Questions to ask before booking
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Their track record with similar roofs
- Is VAT included in the price?
Other services in St Helens
What a chimney survey looks like in St Helens
St Helens is within about 2 miles of the coast, so there’s more wind and more salt in the air than further inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, and strong wind lifts anything already loose on a roof, while driving rain finds any gap. With Yaverland Manor about 2.1 miles south-west, St Helens sits in an area with a long building history. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
For landlords with property near Brading station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak. For site and facilities teams at buildings like St Helens Primary School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
St Helens is about 3 miles south-east of Ryde, in the Isle of Wight. Wherever you are in St Helens, we can come and survey your property. St Helens is one of the places in the Isle of Wight where we work. You can also see our page for Portsmouth.
Chimney surveys in PO33 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Local streets include Station Road, Upper Green Road and Old Chapel Lane. Other places close to St Helens include Gaskins (1 mile south-west), Brading (2 miles south-west), Yarbridge (2 miles south-west), Morton (2 miles south-west) and Yaverland (3 miles south-west). Further out, we also cover Newport (8 miles west), Ryde (3 miles north-west), Cowes (9 miles north-west), Sandown (4 miles south-west), Shanklin (5 miles south-west) and Ventnor (8 miles south-west). For harder-to-reach addresses, a little more planning is needed, so mention it as you book.
Near you in St Helens
We work in homes and buildings around The Vine Inn. The closest station to St Helens is Brading station, roughly 1.8 miles south-west of the centre. Nearby you will also find Cothey Bottom Heritage Centre (1.5 miles north-west) and Sandown Castle (3.2 miles south-west). Not far away are Alan Hersey Nature Reserve and Bembridge Down.
What you can safely check yourself
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. Do not go up yourself.
It helps to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry, as it helps us focus the survey.
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney breasts and the loft
Stains on timbers or brickwork around the stack can point to a leak. We record what we see with photos.
Chimney pots and cowls
On redundant flues, we check how the pots are capped. Capping without ventilation can trap moisture.
What we do, step by step
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, such as when any problem began and what work has been done before. Then the inspection itself takes roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Older rural homes like those around St Helens can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- We check every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there is access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Before the survey
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Booking a survey
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Advice
Surveys for landlords and agents in St Helens
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work around your tenants.
Letting agents frequently book on a landlord’s behalf, and the report can go to both. Access is agreed with the tenant ahead of time.
Questions from St Helens
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Brading station?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you need, and we will talk through which survey suits.
Is the coastal weather around St Helens hard on roofs?
Often, yes. St Helens is within about 2 miles of the sea, and coastal roofs tend to see faster wear on metal parts and more wind lifting loose pieces.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We inspect from wherever is safe: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the loft space. A drone inspection is included in our Premium Survey where applicable. We note anything we couldn’t see.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, over more than 20 years, with 98% customer satisfaction.
How do I book a survey in St Helens?
Simply phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
There are a few common causes: cracked flaunching, worn pointing, failed flashings, uncapped pots, or damp trapped in an unventilated stack. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first, with the freeholder or managing agent. Let us know about it as you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.
Prices for chimney surveys in St Helens
When we price a survey, we consider:
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Roof area
- How many separate roofs there are, like extensions, dormers and garages
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, inc. VAT.
Booking your survey
What helps most when you contact us:
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
For a price for chimney surveys in St Helens, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. The address, the type of property and what you need to know help us price the survey accurately.