Surrey · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in West Byfleet
Chimney surveys in West Byfleet and the rest of Surrey. Surveys run on any day of the week.
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
What a chimney survey looks like in West Byfleet
Older houses across Surrey often have handmade clay tiles, and many have tile-hanging. A few of Surrey’s oldest buildings have heavy Horsham stone slab roofs. Whatever the covering, it is frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. About 1.8 miles east lies Byfleet Manor, a reminder of how long the area around West Byfleet has been built on. If yours is one of the older homes, 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.
Trees in and around Manor Farm shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching. If you look after a building such as The Marist Catholic Primary School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
West Byfleet is about 3 miles north-east of Woking, in Surrey. We cover West Byfleet and the rest of Surrey. We cover towns and villages across Surrey, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Guildford.
We survey roofs across the KT14 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. That includes homes and businesses on Station Road, Station Approach and The Close and the roads around them. We also cover Woodham (1 mile north-west), Pyrford (1 mile south-west), Sheerwater (1 mile west), Pyrford Village (2 miles south) and Row Town (2 miles north). Further out, we also cover Guildford (7 miles south-west), Woking (3 miles south-west), Camberley (10 miles west), Epsom (10 miles east), Farnham (15 miles south-west) and Ewell (11 miles east).
Near you in West Byfleet
Typical jobs here are in homes near Fullbrook School, The Bishop David Brown School and Manor Farm and the streets around them. West Byfleet has its own railway station: West Byfleet station. Well-known places in the area include The Hockey Museum (2.6 miles south-west) and The Peacocks (2.7 miles south-west). Not far away are St Ann's Hill and Boldermere Lake.
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in West Byfleet
A chimney survey is about the outside of the stack and the roof around it. It’s not a flue inspection, a chimney sweep or a gas safety inspection. If you use a fire or a gas appliance, the flue should be checked by a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer as appropriate. We will tell you if we see anything that suggests they should take a look. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, flaunching and chimney pots and cowls, and the problems we are asked to look at most are gaps in the mortar around the pots and gaps where the stack meets the roof.
Trees around homes in smaller places like West Byfleet drop leaves, twigs and moss onto roofs and into gutters. Once gutters and outlets block, water spills over and soaks the walls. It’s the kind of slow problem a roof report picks up early. Moss on the roof and weeds in the gutter are both easy to spot from the ground.
The report is written in plain words, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Each point is backed by a photograph where possible, with the urgent items made clear.
- Place
- West Byfleet (KT14)
- Wider area
- Surrey
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Nearby places to West Byfleet
What else we do in West Byfleet
How it works
We do not take risks to get a closer look. Everything that can be seen safely is inspected, and anything we can’t see is noted in the report. The survey typically takes about 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In a smaller place like West Byfleet, as anywhere, the forecast plays a part: drone flights and thermal imaging need the right conditions, while a look from ground level and the loft can go ahead in most weather.
- You tell us how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- Every part we can see is checked: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access.
- You get a written report with photos and our recommendations.
Before we arrive
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Let us know about parking near the property
Book a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from ground level or a window. To get started, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Advice
Questions from West Byfleet
Is my home in West Byfleet listed or in a conservation area?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it’s in a conservation area. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Do you cover smaller places like West Byfleet?
Yes, we do. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it’s useful to know about access.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We use safe viewpoints rather than climbing onto the stack. Where it applies, our Premium Survey adds a drone inspection for a closer view. Any area we couldn’t view is noted.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We are 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.
What do you check on a chimney?
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.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We do not sample or test for asbestos. Where a material might contain it, like old cement sheets on a building from before 2000, the report flags it, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it is disturbed.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years.
Why it’s worth a survey now in West Byfleet
A leaning stack should be looked at sooner rather than later. Our survey records it and says when a structural engineer should look at it, so you can decide what to do next. Around West Byfleet, a leak in an older house can soak into timbers and plaster, which is far harder to put right than the roof fault itself.
Price depends partly on the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all inc. VAT. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
Why book us in West Byfleet
- Packages from £150, with VAT included
- An independent look at the roof
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Visits on any day of the week
Take a look at our cost guide and our case studies.
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney pots and cowls
On redundant flues, we check how the pots are capped. Capping without ventilation can trap moisture.
Flaunching
Sitting at the very top, flaunching is fully exposed. We look for cracks, gaps around the pots and missing pieces.
Common roof problems in West Byfleet
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.
A survey can pick up problems such as:
- Worn or missing pointing
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- A stack that appears to lean
- Staining on walls around the chimney
Landlords with a home close to West Byfleet station may find that a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
What to check before booking
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- How soon the report will arrive
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
What we can’t see
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Parts of the stack that cannot be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we cannot access
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
What we check
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
Checking the roof from the ground
A lot can be seen from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.