Surrey · London and the South East
The Sands Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys in The Sands from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys.
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
Chimney survey in The Sands: what you get
Our chimney survey covers the stack and the details that keep water out around it: the pots and cowls, the flaunching on top, the pointing, the brickwork and the flashings where it meets the roof. We also look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access. You get a report with photographs and our recommendations. We survey single stacks on houses and groups of stacks on bigger buildings. If you’ve noticed unused flues sealed without airflow and signs that a stack is leaning, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
Older buildings in small places like The Sands may be listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
The report is written in plain words, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Each point is backed by a photograph where possible, and recommendations are put with the most urgent first where relevant.
- Where
- The Sands (GU10)
- Region
- Surrey
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What you can safely check yourself
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
A lot can be seen from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
Your questions about chimney surveys in The Sands
Does a conservation area affect roof work in The Sands?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you’re planning to re-roof in a different material.
Is The Sands within the area you cover?
Yes, The Sands is covered. We cover the whole of London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. Shared stacks are common on terraced and semi-detached houses. We record the stack as far as we can see it and flag anything on the neighbour’s side.
Do you look in the roof space?
Yes, where the survey calls for it and there is safe access. We look for staining, damp, daylight and signs of movement.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We inspect from wherever is safe: from the ground, windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there’s access. Our Premium Survey includes a drone inspection where it applies. If part of a stack can’t be seen, the report says so.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
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.
Is it a problem to have an unused chimney?
There’s no single answer. We record how the stack is doing and whether it’s capped with ventilation. If you’re thinking of removing it, check with the council first in a conservation area or on a listed building.
Places near The Sands
Also in The Sands
How it works
The aim of the visit is simple: to look at the chimney stack as closely as is safe and record what we find. Notes and photos go into the written report. It normally takes an hour or two at most homes, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Around The Sands, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Preparing for the visit
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with whoever owns or manages the building
Arrange a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email when you are ready.
Related advice
Do you need a chimney survey in The Sands?
TV aerials, satellite dishes and their brackets are often fixed to chimneys. The extra load in wind can work bricks and joints loose. We check fixings on the stack as part of the survey.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
Take a building like South Farnham School: large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Questions to ask before you book
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Is VAT included in the price?
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
What happens if roof problems are left?
Damp in a chimney breast typically gets worse while the cause is left. It can stain walls and damage plaster. Finding the cause means the right work can be planned. Around The Sands, older homes frequently have old roof timbers, where water from a failed roof can cause rot if it is left.
We offer three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Why book us in The Sands
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- 20+ years’ experience
- An independent view of the roof
See what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
Roof by roof
Chimney breasts and the loft
In the loft, staining around the stack often shows where water is getting in. We record what we see with photos.
Brick stacks
Frost can damage bricks that have soaked up water, making the faces flake away. Any spalling is noted with photos.
Chimney surveys around The Sands
Many older homes in Surrey have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls. A few of Surrey’s oldest buildings have heavy Horsham stone slab roofs. Whatever the covering, it’s often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. Historic houses such as Farnham Castle, about 2.8 miles west, show how far back building in the area around The Sands goes. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead.
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near The Church of the Good Shepherd, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. If you live near a park like Crooksbury Hill, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
The Sands is about 2 miles east of Farnham, in Surrey. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in The Sands can all book chimney surveys. Across Surrey, we cover The Sands and the places around it. For surveys nearby, see our Guildford page.
Every address in GU10 is within our area for chimney surveys. That includes homes and businesses on The Green, Binton Lane and Botany Hill and the roads around them. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Runfold (1 mile west), Sandy Cross (1 mile north), Compton (1 mile west), Seale (1 mile north-east) and Tongham (2 miles north). Further out, we also cover Guildford (8 miles east), Woking (10 miles north-east), Camberley (9 miles north), Frimley (7 miles north), Haslemere (9 miles south) and Cranleigh (12 miles south-east).
What’s near The Sands
Around The Sands, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Crooksbury Hill and the streets around them. The closest station to The Sands is Farnham station, about 2.3 miles west. Other landmarks nearby include Milford Hospital (5.7 miles south-east) and Farnham Castle (2.8 miles west). Open spaces near The Sands include Culverswell Hill and Runfold Wood.
What we can’t see
Some things cannot be seen without opening up the roof, and that sets some limits:
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Hidden damage within the stack
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts