Hampshire · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Totton
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Totton, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
Totton homes and their roofs
Totton lies within about 2 miles of the sea, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Near the sea, metal fixings wear faster and loose pieces on a roof are more likely to lift, while driving rain finds any gap. Some Hampshire villages still have thatched roofs. Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
With Southampton Tudor House and Garden about 4.5 miles east, the area around Totton has a long history. Older roofs nearby often mix original materials with later repairs, and the survey shows where each one is. The streets around a church like Church of St Winfred are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. For landlords with property near Totton station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Totton is about 5 miles west of Southampton, in Hampshire. Whether the building in Totton is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, we can survey the roof on a weekday or at the weekend. Across Hampshire, we cover Totton and the places around it.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: SO40. That includes homes and businesses on High Street, Station Road South and Tedder Way. Being close to the A35 and A36, Totton is easy for us to reach for chimney surveys. Close by, we survey roofs in Ashurst Bridge (1 mile south-west), Hounsdown (1 mile south), Netley Marsh (1 mile west), Hillstreet (2 miles north) and Woodlands (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Winchester (13 miles north-east), Eastleigh (8 miles north-east), Fareham (14 miles east), Chandler's Ford (7 miles north-east), Hedge End (9 miles east) and Lymington (11 miles south).
Landmarks near Totton
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Cross Keys Public House and Hounsdown School, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Totton station, about 1 mile east of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Tatchbury Mount Hospital (1.3 miles north-west) and Eling Experience (0.8 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Testwood Lakes.
How a chimney survey works in Totton
If you are buying a home with chimneys, it is worth knowing their condition before you exchange. On older stacks, we often find cracked flaunching, loose flashings and worn pointing. Our report gives you specific points to raise with the seller or agent. It works alongside a RICS home survey, not instead of one. We survey chimney breasts, shared and party-wall stacks and flaunching, and people most often book us about unused flues sealed without airflow and mortar washing out of the joints.
In a town like Totton, older houses with slate or clay tile roofs typically sit alongside later estates with concrete tiles. Older homes frequently keep chimney stacks long after the fireplaces went, and their flashings and pointing still matter. Later houses have their own typical faults, from loose ridge tiles to blocked gutters.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Place
- Totton (SO40)
- Wider area
- Hampshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, which helps when we check the roof.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Do not go up yourself.
What a survey costs
Prices vary from roof to roof, and it comes down to:
- How big the roof is
- House, block, shop or office
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- Height and safe access
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package matters as well. The price is always agreed first.
Booking your survey
We will normally ask about:
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form when you’re ready.
Towns and villages near Totton
Also in Totton
How it works
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. The inspection then takes between one and two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. A survey in Totton needs access inside and out, including the loft hatch and any rooms with damp. If there is a side gate or a rear garden, let us know how to reach it. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- We check 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 side gates unlocked
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
Arrange a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: phone 07833 053749 or email us. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Related advice
For landlords and managing agents
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’ll plan the survey around it.
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To discuss a number of properties, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Questions from Totton
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Totton?
Generally, yes: wind and salt air take more of a toll near the sea. Ridges, verges, flashings and fixings are where it typically shows.
How do I find out if my home in Totton is listed?
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.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. It’s a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof and can sit alongside a RICS survey.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only if it’s safe. We check everything that can be seen safely: from the ground, from windows, from inside the loft space, from the roof where it is safe and by drone where it applies. The report says if anything couldn’t be seen.
Do you need to get into the loft?
Yes, where the survey calls for it and there’s safe access. We look for staining, damp, daylight and signs of movement, as far as the space allows.
What’s in the survey report?
It works through the roof part by part, in writing and with photos. The most urgent items are made clear.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We inspect from wherever is safe: from ground level, windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there’s access. A drone inspection is included in our Premium Survey where applicable. If part of a stack can’t be seen, the report says so.
How the survey changes by roof type
Chimney pots and cowls
On redundant flues, we look at how the pots are capped. Capping without ventilation can trap moisture.
Brick stacks
Many older stacks were built with lime mortar. We note where repairs should match the original mortar.
Tips that help
Nothing here needs a ladder. A few suggestions:
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
If anything in the report is not clear, just ask us. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.