Buckinghamshire · London and the South East
Upper Winchendon Chimney Survey
A careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Upper Winchendon, with photos and a written report.
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Mortar washing out of the joints
Chimney survey in Upper Winchendon
On terraced and semi-detached houses, a chimney stack is often shared with next door. We inspect the parts we can see safely and the parts the owner gives us access to. If a defect appears to be on the neighbour’s side, we note it, so you can talk to them. Everything is written up with photos and our recommendations. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, flaunching and chimney breasts, and common reasons people get in touch are gaps where the stack meets the roof and flaunching that has broken away.
Somewhere as small as Upper Winchendon, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, often with chimneys that have stood a long time. We report on whatever is safely visible, and thatch is a specialist material. On older roofs, it’s normally the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
You receive the findings by email, ready to forward to whoever needs them. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Location
- Upper Winchendon (HP18)
- Region
- Buckinghamshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Checking the roof from the ground
It helps to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Towns and villages near Upper Winchendon
Also in Upper Winchendon
What a chimney survey looks like in Upper Winchendon
Historic houses such as Waddesdon Manor, about 1.6 miles north-west, show how far back building in the area around Upper Winchendon goes. If your house is among the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Thatch survives on some older buildings in Buckinghamshire’s villages. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
Take an older house close to Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene: corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs. For landlords with property near Aylesbury Vale Parkway station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Upper Winchendon is about 5 miles west of Aylesbury, in Buckinghamshire. Bookings from Upper Winchendon are handled just like any other: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. We cover towns and villages across Buckinghamshire. There’s also a page for Oxford.
We survey roofs across HP18 for chimney surveys and the streets around it. We offer chimney surveys to properties on School Lane and Main Road and the roads around them. If you’re just outside Upper Winchendon, we cover Wormstone (1 mile north), Nether Winchendon (1 mile south-west), Waddesdon (2 miles north), Westcott (2 miles north-west) and Ashendon (2 miles west). Within a short drive, we also cover Aylesbury (5 miles east), High Wycombe (15 miles south-east), Chesham (15 miles south-east), Buckingham (12 miles north), Elmhurst (5 miles east) and Southcourt (5 miles east).
Around Upper Winchendon
The nearest railway station is Aylesbury Vale Parkway station, roughly 2.7 miles east. Well-known places in the area include St John's Hospital (2.4 miles south-east) and Dinton Castle (2.1 miles south-east). The countryside around Upper Winchendon includes Snakemoor.
Upper Winchendon: your questions answered
Will you come out to Upper Winchendon?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
Is my home in Upper Winchendon listed or in a conservation area?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
Have it checked rather than leaving it. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down. The survey records what we can see, and a structural engineer can assess whether it needs work.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first. Mention it when you contact us and we’ll explain what’s needed.
What insurance do you have?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability, and details are available on request.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Someone needs to let us in if we are looking inside or in the loft. Access is agreed with you when booking.
Do you need to go on the roof to check the chimney?
We inspect from wherever is safe: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the loft space. A drone inspection is included in our Premium Survey where it applies. We note anything we couldn’t see.
What affects the price in Upper Winchendon
We confirm the price for your survey before booking. These are the things that affect it:
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- The shape of the roof and its details
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, how it can safely be seen and which survey you book.
Getting in touch
Here’s what helps us most when you contact us:
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- The property’s address and postcode
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know where you stand. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Tips from our surveys
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
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’s far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
What we do, step by step
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you need to know. After that, we check everything we can see safely, from ground level, from windows, in the roof space and by drone where it applies. Most surveys take about one to two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Older roofs in small places like Upper Winchendon can have low, tight loft spaces, so tell us about the loft hatch and any ladder. We only go where it is safe.
- You tell us whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- 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
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
How to book
Getting a price is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email, let us know about the property and we will explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Advice
Different roofs, different checks
Brick stacks
Older brick stacks often have soft lime mortar. We note where repairs should match the original mortar.
Chimney pots and cowls
Each pot is bedded into the flaunching, frequently with a cowl or cap on top. The survey looks for cracked, loose or missing pots and cowls.
What we’re asked to look at in Upper Winchendon
Flaunching is the mortar bed that holds the pots and throws water off the top. Cracked flaunching lets water in, and each winter makes it worse. Loose pots can follow.
Signs worth acting on include:
- A chimney out of line
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
For site and facilities teams at buildings like Waddesdon Church of England School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Before you book anyone
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- Their insurance cover