West Berkshire · London and the South East
Thatcham Chimney Survey
An experienced roof surveyor for chimney surveys in Thatcham. Over 5,000 surveys and 20+ years behind us across London and the South East.
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Worn or missing pointing
- Bricks with flaking faces
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Thatcham
A chimney survey is about the outside of the stack and the roof around it. It is not a flue inspection, a sweep or a gas safety check. For the flue itself, you’ll need a sweep or, for gas appliances, a Gas Safe registered engineer. We’ll tell you if we see anything that suggests they should take a look. If you’ve noticed redundant stacks capped without ventilation and eroded joints in the brickwork, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Around Thatcham, semis and terraces share chimneys, gutters and roof lines with the house next door. When a stack or gutter is shared, the problem may not be on your side alone. Shared parts are looked at as far as they can be seen safely from the property we’re surveying. It helps to mention any shared stacks or gutters as you book.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the coverings down to the gutters. It records what’s sound as well as what is not.
- Location
- Thatcham (RG19, RG18)
- Wider area
- West Berkshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we do, step by step
We photograph the roof as we go, so you can see in the report what we found and where. We take close-ups from wherever is safe. A typical visit takes between one and two hours at most homes, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. A typical visit in Thatcham begins with the street side of the roof and then moves round the building. Rear gardens and side paths often give the best view of extensions and back slopes. Then, if it can be reached safely, we look in the loft.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Keep pets in another room
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Arrange a survey
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price before booking.
Advice
Surveys for landlords and agents in Thatcham
Where a roof is shared: we need access agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Let us know about it as you book and we’ll plan the visit with that in mind.
With a portfolio of properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the addresses.
What a survey costs
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- Roof area
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
Prices start from £150, with VAT included, for a Basic Survey. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400. We confirm the price for your survey before booking.
Getting in touch
There is no need for technical words. It is enough to tell us:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and the days you’d prefer.
What you can safely check yourself
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Places near Thatcham
What else we do in Thatcham
Common questions in Thatcham
Do you carry out roof surveys in Thatcham?
Yes. Our area covers London and South East England, and Thatcham is part of that. Just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and let us know about the property, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Is my home in Thatcham listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
What’s the best way to book?
It’s easiest to phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. Let us know the address and a little about the roof. We survey on any day of the week.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Not necessarily. If we only need the outside, we can agree that ahead of time, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
Which parts of the chimney do you look at?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. You get a written report with photos.
What if it rains on the day?
A survey can usually go ahead in light rain, and it can even help show where water is getting in. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so we’ll agree a new date if the weather is not suitable.
Are you insured?
We’re covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
What we are asked to look at in Thatcham
Some owners book because a chimney breast has been removed below and they want to know about the stack above. We record what we can see in the loft and outside, and the report recommends a structural engineer if support is a concern.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Worn or missing pointing
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
Anyone responsible for a site like Spurcroft Primary School will know that long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
What to check before booking
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- What the survey won’t cover
- What exactly goes into their report
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
What a chimney survey looks like in Thatcham
The wider area around Thatcham has a long history of building, with Shaw House about 2.7 miles west. 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. 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. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
For landlords with property near Thatcham station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let. For an older house near a landmark such as United Reformed Church, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Thatcham is about 12 miles north-west of Basingstoke, in West Berkshire. From houses to flats and shops in Thatcham, the roof can be surveyed on a weekday or at the weekend. We cover towns and villages across West Berkshire, from the larger towns to small villages. For surveys nearby, see our Reading page.
Chimney surveys in RG19 and RG18 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Streets in the area include High Street, Station Road and Flagstaff Square, and we cover them all. You will find Thatcham on the A4, which makes it straightforward to reach. Other places close to Thatcham include Benham Hill (1 mile west), Ashmore Green (2 miles north-west), Cold Ash (2 miles north), Upper Bucklebury (2 miles north-east) and Stone Copse (2 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Newbury (3 miles west), Burghfield Common (8 miles east), Speenhamland (3 miles west), Hungerford (11 miles west), Spencers Wood (12 miles east) and Calcot (9 miles east). Thatcham is among the bigger towns we cover in West Berkshire.
What’s near Thatcham
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Kennet School and The Old Chequers Public House. The closest station to Thatcham is Thatcham station, roughly 0.9 miles south-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Old Chapel Textile Centre (2.2 miles south-west) and West Berkshire Community Hospital (1.5 miles west). Open spaces near Thatcham include Nature Discovery Centre.
When you need someone else
Before booking, it’s worth knowing what a survey will not do:
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you before booking. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls