Milton Keynes · London and the South East
Tongwell Chimney Survey
Find out what’s going on with the chimney stack before you decide what to do next. Chimney surveys in Tongwell, with photographs and a clear written report.
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
About our chimney survey in Tongwell
Many terraced and semi-detached homes share their chimney stacks with a neighbour. We check what can be seen safely and what the owner gives us access to. If a defect appears to be on the neighbour’s side, we note it and you can then discuss it with them. You get a written report with photos and our recommendations. Common reasons to book are a chimney out of line and damaged chimney pots and cowls, across brick chimney stacks, chimney pots and cowls and shared and party-wall stacks.
In a small place like Tongwell, 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 roof report shows what needs attention first. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are frequently the first to give way.
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.
- Where
- Tongwell (MK15, MK14, MK16)
- Wider area
- Milton Keynes
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What this survey cannot tell you
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- Parts of the stack that can’t be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we cannot access
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Flue inspections or sweeping
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
Questions from Tongwell
How do I find out if my home in Tongwell is listed?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It is worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
I let a flat near Milton Keynes Central station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, that’s a common request. We just need to know who will give access, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
What does a chimney survey cover?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access. You get a written report with photos.
How quickly is the report sent?
Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24–48 hours and Premium reports on the same day. All of them come by email, ready to forward.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. We’re experienced roof surveyors, and our survey covers the roof rather than the whole building. If you need a full building survey, you’ll need a RICS survey as well.
How experienced are you?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have completed over 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
Do you work in Tongwell?
Yes. Our area covers London and South East England, Tongwell included.
Roof by roof
Chimney pots and cowls
On redundant flues, we check how the pots are capped. Poor capping can lead to damp inside the stack.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Damp patches on chimney breasts often point to a problem above. We check them and at the stack in the loft where there is safe access.
Places near Tongwell
What else we do in Tongwell
What you can safely check yourself
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground.
Chimney surveys around Tongwell
Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. Whatever the covering, it is often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. Historic houses such as Linford Manor, about 1.2 miles west, show how far back building in the area around Tongwell goes. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters.
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Church of St Mary Magdalene, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first. If you run a business near Midsummer Place, a written record of the roof’s condition helps you plan maintenance rather than react to leaks. Anyone responsible for a site like Willen Primary School will know that long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Tongwell is about 1 mile south of Newport Pagnell, in Milton Keynes. Anywhere in Tongwell, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Our Milton Keynes coverage includes Tongwell and the places around it.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: MK15, MK14 and MK16. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Maryland Road, Hooper Gate and Redvers Gate or anywhere close by, we can survey it. If you are just outside Tongwell, we cover Caldecote (1 mile north-east), Willen (1 mile south-east), Newport Pagnell (1 mile north), Great Linford (1 mile west) and Woolstone (2 miles south). Larger places within reach include Milton Keynes (3 miles south-west), Bletchley (5 miles south), Bletchley and Fenny Stratford (5 miles south), Furzton (5 miles south), Whitehouse (4 miles south-west) and Fenny Stratford (5 miles south).
Landmarks near Tongwell
Around Tongwell, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Gyosei International School UK, Giffard Park pub and Ousedale School. The nearest railway station is Milton Keynes Central station, roughly 3 miles south-west. Well-known places in the area include Milton Keynes University Hospital (2.9 miles south) and Newport Pagnell Historical Society Museum (1.3 miles north). The countryside around Tongwell includes Tongwell Lake and Little Linford Wood.
What a survey costs
To price your survey, we look at:
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- The roof’s overall size
For a price for your roof in Tongwell, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and a few details. We will confirm the figure before booking.
Helping us price your survey
What helps most when you contact us:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- What made you get in touch
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
A quick phone call is usually the easiest start: call 07833 053749 or email us, and we’ll ask about the building and what you need. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.
How the survey works
The visit has one job: to see as much of the chimney stack as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Notes and photos go into the written report. It typically takes roughly 1–2 hours for a house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Around Tongwell, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so it’s useful to know whether there’s a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. We only go where it is safe.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- We look at the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Preparing for the visit
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
How to book
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Related advice
Practical tips
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Some pointers:
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. Because everyone is pricing the same findings, the quotes are easier to compare.
Have aerial and dish brackets on the stack checked, and moved if they’re working it loose. Less load on the stack means less strain in wind.