Surrey · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Thorncombe Street, Surrey
Get a clear view of the chimney stack at a property in Thorncombe Street from an independent roof surveyor. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Where a roof is shared: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you get in touch and we will plan the visit with that in mind.
Landlords, agents and building managers in Thorncombe Street and across Surrey can book any of our surveys. To discuss a property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Thorncombe Street
A chimney stands up above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Over the years, the flaunching cracks, the pointing wears and flashings lift. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the roof space. We record what we find with photos and recommendations. We survey brick chimney stacks, flaunching and chimney breasts, and people most frequently book us about signs that a stack is leaning and loose, cracked or missing pots.
In a small place like Thorncombe Street, many roofs stand in the open, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are frequently the first to give way.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent, whichever applies.
- Location
- Thorncombe Street (GU5)
- Wider area
- Surrey
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
We photograph the roof as we go, so you can see in the report what we found and where. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available. A typical visit takes an hour or two for a house; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. Older roofs in small places like Thorncombe Street can have low, tight loft spaces, so it helps to know whether there’s a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. We only go where it is safe.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- The stacks are looked at from ground level, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach them.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
How to prepare
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Note where any stains or damp appear
How to book
If you’re buying, it is useful to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply call 07833 053749 or email us whenever suits you.
Related advice
Common questions in Thorncombe Street
Is my home in Thorncombe Street listed or in a conservation area?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Godalming station?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. Just phone 07833 053749 or email us with the details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We’re roof surveyors, not structural engineers. If we see signs that need an engineer’s opinion, we will recommend one.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys, across London and South East England.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime. Let us know your preferred days when booking.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. For the rest of the building, a RICS home survey is a separate job.
What happens after the survey?
We email you the written report with photos and recommendations. It is yours to share with a seller, insurer, roofer or managing agent, whichever applies.
Honest limits
This is not a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or email us and we will give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
DIY checks: what’s safe
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Share it with us when booking, as it helps us focus the survey.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Do not go up yourself.
Nearby places to Thorncombe Street
What else we do in Thorncombe Street
How the survey changes by roof type
Brick stacks
Many older stacks were built with lime mortar. We note where repairs should match the original mortar.
Flaunching
We frequently find flaunching that has cracked or broken away. Caught early, it’s often a small job.
Practical tips
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They apply to most roofs:
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
The report is emailed to you, ready to share with a roofer or builder. We use plain English and a photo for each defect so anyone reading it can see what we saw.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.
What a chimney survey looks like in Thorncombe Street
Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls are typical of Surrey’s older houses. Some old buildings in Surrey and Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. About 3.4 miles north-west lies Loseley Park, a reminder of how long the area around Thorncombe Street has been built on. 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.
If you own a rental within reach of Godalming station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let. If you look after a building like Godalming College, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Thorncombe Street is about 5 miles south of Guildford, in Surrey. We survey roofs in Thorncombe Street and the rest of Surrey. Our area takes in places right across Surrey.
Chimney surveys in GU5 are booked the same way as anywhere else. That includes homes and businesses on Thorncombe Street and Alldens Hill. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Munstead Heath (1 mile west), Birtley Green (1 mile north-east), Grafham (1 mile east), Hascombe (1 mile south) and Bramley (2 miles north-east). Larger places within reach include Guildford (5 miles north), Woking (10 miles north), Camberley (13 miles north-west), Farnham (10 miles west), Dorking (11 miles east) and Frimley (12 miles north-west).
What’s near Thorncombe Street
For rail, the closest station is Godalming station, roughly 2.3 miles north-west of the centre. Nearby you will also find Milford Hospital (2.4 miles west) and Godalming Museum (2.2 miles north-west). For a walk, there is Farncombe Wood and Hydon's Ball.