Hampshire · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Vernham Dean
Chimney surveys in Vernham Dean, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- A chimney out of line
What happens on the day
It’s useful to start with what’s prompted the survey: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. That way we can focus on what matters to you. The visit usually takes roughly 1–2 hours at a typical home, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. Older roofs in small places like Vernham Dean can have low, tight loft spaces, so it’s useful to know whether there is a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there is access.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
Arrange a survey
Once you know what you need, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date.
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Chimney survey in Vernham Dean: what you get
On terraced and semi-detached houses, a chimney stack is frequently shared with next door. We check what can be seen safely and what the owner gives us access to. Where a problem seems to involve a neighbour’s side, the report records it and you can then discuss it with them. You get a written report with photographs and our recommendations. We survey chimney pots and cowls, chimney breasts and brick chimney stacks, and the problems we are asked to look at most are gaps in the mortar around the pots and damp on a chimney breast inside.
Somewhere as small as Vernham Dean, 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. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. On older roofs, it is normally the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent.
- Location
- Vernham Dean (SP11)
- Wider area
- Hampshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Other services in Vernham Dean
When you need someone else
It is useful to know what a survey won’t do before booking:
- Hidden damage within the stack
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll recommend the right survey. What a survey covers and does not.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
Checking the roof from the ground
A lot can be seen from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That part is for a survey.
Before and after the survey
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Our tips:
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- Check your stacks from ground level after strong winds
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
Questions about the findings are always welcome. Standard Surveys come with a follow-up consultation, and Premium Surveys with an in-person one.
Check fixings on the stack are sound and taken off if they’re no longer needed. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Vernham Dean
A number of Hampshire villages keep thatched roofs on their older buildings. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. If your home is older, it is worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before planning roof work. Listed building consent covers changes to a listed building’s special interest, and an Article 4 direction can bring extra controls in a conservation area.
If you live in an older home near Church of St Mary, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. If you look after a building such as Vernham Dean Gillum's Church of England Primary School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Vernham Dean is about 7 miles north of Andover, in Hampshire. Vernham Dean gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a close look at everything that’s safely in view, photographs and a clear written report. We cover towns and villages across Hampshire. For surveys nearby, see our Reading page.
Surveys in SP11 are booked the same way as anywhere else. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Bulpits Hill and Back Lane or a nearby road, we can help. If you’re just outside Vernham Dean, we cover Woodside (1 mile west) and Bagshot (6 miles north). Further out, we also cover Andover (7 miles south), Tidworth (8 miles south-west), Ludgershall (6 miles south-west), Whitchurch (9 miles south-east), East Anton (6 miles south) and Oakley (15 miles east).
Near you in Vernham Dean
We work in homes and buildings around The George Inn and the streets around them. Not far away are Inkpen Hill.
Vernham Dean questions
Is Vernham Dean in the area you cover?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos.
Is Vernham Dean within the area you cover?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Only if it’s safe. We look at everything that can safely be seen: from the ground, from windows and vantage points, from the loft space, from the roof itself where safe and by drone where it applies. Anything we can’t see is noted in the report.
How long is the visit?
It usually takes roughly 1–2 hours for a house, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. You’ll then get the report by email.
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 confirm whether it’s stable.
What happens after the survey?
You’ll receive the report by email, and you decide the next step: raise it with a seller, send it to an insurer, brief a roofer or share it with a managing agent.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing are not part of what we do. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
How we price chimney surveys
Prices always include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- How big the roof is
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
To find out what your survey will cost, ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and some details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Getting in touch
We’ll usually ask about:
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- What made you get in touch
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
To book a survey, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price before booking.
What happens if roof problems are left?
For a buyer, the best time to learn about a chimney is before exchange. After that, any work is yours to arrange and pay for. A report gives you something specific to put to the seller. For older village homes like those around Vernham Dean, the right replacement materials aren’t always easy to find quickly. That’s one more reason to find defects before they become urgent.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Why book with us
- Surveys on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Over 20 years’ experience
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
Take a look at what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.