Reading · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Trench Green
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Trench Green. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Bricks with flaking faces
About our chimney survey in Trench Green
A leaning chimney stack is worth having looked at. A stack may lean because the mortar on one side has weakened, which can happen over many years of use. The survey notes how the stack looks, how far it seems to lean and the state of the bricks and joints. If the stack looks like a structural issue, the report recommends a structural engineer. If you’ve noticed eroded joints in the brickwork and frost-damaged brickwork on the stack, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on lead flashings, flaunching and chimney pots and cowls alike.
Some older homes in villages like Trench Green are 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. Older materials like clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
Most points in the report come with a picture, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Place
- Trench Green (RG4)
- Region
- Reading
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the price in Trench Green
Prices always include VAT. What changes the price is:
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
Every price we give includes VAT. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. You will know the price for the job before booking.
Getting in touch
If you can, have these to hand when you contact us:
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Access details, like a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Towns and villages near Trench Green
Other services in Trench Green
Trench Green: your questions answered
I let a flat near Tilehurst station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, letting agents and landlords book with us as well as owners. Just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and let us know about the building, including who will give access on the day.
Is Trench Green within the area you cover?
Yes, Trench Green is covered. Our area covers London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it’s useful to know about access.
When does the report arrive?
It depends on the package: the Basic Survey report arrives within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey the same day. Reports are sent by email.
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.
Do you need to get into the loft?
Typically, if there is one and it can be reached safely. The loft space can show things the outside cannot, like damp timbers, staining or daylight.
My chimney looks like it is leaning. What should I do?
A leaning stack should be looked at. We record the lean, the brickwork and the pointing, and if it may be a structural issue, we recommend a structural engineer.
Do you inspect the flue?
No. It isn’t a flue, sweep or gas safety inspection. We look at the stack, pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings, and damp inside and flag anything that suggests the flue needs a look.
Checking the roof from ground level
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
It is useful to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us when you book, as it helps us focus the survey.
Practical tips
Nothing here needs a ladder. Our suggestions:
- Check fixings on the stack are secure
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Make sure unused flues are capped with ventilation
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. With the same list in front of each contractor, comparing quotes is simpler.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. It is far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
When to book a survey in Trench Green
Stacks that were used for open fires for many years can weaken from the inside. Mortar can deteriorate unevenly from flue gases and moisture, which is one reason stacks start to lean.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Signs that a stack is leaning
The streets around a church such as Church of St Margaret and Bardolf Aisle are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
What to check before booking
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Their report turnaround times
Chimney surveys in Trench Green: local notes
Mapledurham House, about 1.1 miles south-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Trench Green. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates. Whatever the covering, it’s often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
For landlords with property near Tilehurst station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant. If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for instance near Broad Street Mall, knowing the roof’s condition lets you budget for work rather than pay for emergencies.
Trench Green is about 2 miles north-west of Caversham, in Reading. We provide chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Trench Green. Our area takes in places right across Reading, large and small.
Every address in RG4 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Close by, we survey roofs in Chazey Heath (1 mile east), Mapledurham (1 mile south-west), Purley on Thames (2 miles south-west), Norcot (2 miles south) and Tilehurst (2 miles south). We also work in nearby towns such as West Reading (3 miles south), Shinfield (7 miles south-east), Arborfield Garrison (9 miles south-east), Horncastle (3 miles south), Whitley Wood (6 miles south-east) and Fords Farm (4 miles south).
Near you in Trench Green
Around Trench Green, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Pack Horse Public House and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Tilehurst station, about 1.7 miles south of the centre. A little further out are Royal Berkshire Regiment Museum (2.6 miles south) and Battle Hospital (2.6 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Moor Copse Nature Reserve and Sonning Hill.
How it works
On the day, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that is worrying you. We then inspect everything that can be seen safely, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where applicable. Most surveys take between one and two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Older rural homes like those around Trench Green can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- You let us know how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- The stacks are looked at from the ground, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- Every part we can see is checked: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks 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.
Getting ready for the survey
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Check pets are kept safely away
Booking a survey
To book a survey, call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We will confirm the price before booking.
Read more
Different roofs, different checks
Flaunching
The sloping mortar around the pots is called flaunching. Cracks in it let water into the stack.
Rendered stacks
We cannot see the bricks behind render without it being opened up, so the report says what can and cannot be judged.