Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Whitwell, Hertfordshire
An experienced roof surveyor for chimney surveys in Whitwell. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Whitwell
Many homes have chimneys that are no longer used. Even when it isn’t used, a stack has to stay weathertight. If it has been capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside it. Our survey looks at how each unused stack has been capped and checks the breasts for damp. You get photos of each stack and our recommendations. If you’ve noticed damp on a chimney breast inside and redundant stacks capped without ventilation, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Somewhere as small as Whitwell, 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 everything that’s safely in view, and thatch is a specialist material. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
We keep jargon out of it: if work is needed, the report says so clearly.
- Place
- Whitwell (SG4)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
How we price chimney surveys
Prices always include VAT. What changes the price is:
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- The shape of the roof and its details
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- How big the roof is
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how safely it can be seen. Our price is from £150, including VAT.
Booking your survey
A little information up front helps. It helps to include:
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Access details, like a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just call 07833 053749 or send us an email when you’re ready.
Chimney surveys in Whitwell: local notes
In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile, with flat-roofed extensions, dormers and garages common everywhere. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. With Shaw's Corner about 2.9 miles south, Whitwell sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
If you live in an older home near All Saints Church, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. If you let a flat or house near Stevenage station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Whitwell is about 5 miles north-east of Harpenden, in Hertfordshire. We survey roofs in Whitwell and the surrounding area as part of our work across London and South East England. Whitwell is one of the towns and villages in Hertfordshire where we work for chimney surveys. Milton Keynes is in our area too.
We survey roofs across SG4 for chimney surveys and the streets around it. Whether your property is on High Street, Horn Hill and King George's Way or a nearby road, we can help. If you’re just outside Whitwell, we cover St Paul's Walden (1 mile north-east), Kimpton (2 miles south), Langley Bottom (2 miles north-east), Langley (2 miles east) and Rush Green (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Watford (15 miles south), Hemel Hempstead (11 miles south-west), Stevenage (5 miles north-east), St Albans (9 miles south), Welwyn Garden City (7 miles south-east) and Harpenden (5 miles south-west).
Near you in Whitwell
We work in homes and buildings around Eagle And Child Public House. For rail, the closest station is Stevenage station, about 3.8 miles north-east. Well-known places in the area include Lister Hospital (4.6 miles north-east). Not far away are Stocking Springs Wood.
What happens on the day
Before we start, tell us why you’ve booked: 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 about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Somewhere like Whitwell needs a little journey planning: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. On the day, we inspect what can safely be seen, inside and out.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Getting ready for the survey
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Book a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from the ground or a window; never climb up to get a better view. To send them or to book, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Read more
Leave it or get it looked at?
For a buyer, the best time to learn about a chimney is before exchange. Once you’ve exchanged, the work is down to you. A report gives you something specific to put to the seller. Outbuildings and barns around Whitwell are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. It is worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
One thing that affects the price is the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, inc. VAT. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
What you get with us
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Surveys on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
Read what a roof survey costs or two real surveys.
Nearby places to Whitwell
Also in Whitwell
Roof by roof
Flaunching
Flaunching takes the worst of the weather. We look for cracks, gaps around the pots and missing pieces.
Lead flashings
Some older stacks have mortar fillets instead of lead. They crack with age, and we check them too.
What a chimney survey does not cover
A survey is a close look at the chimney stack, but it can’t do everything. Its limits include:
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Parts of the stack that can’t be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we can’t access
- Conditions inside walls
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you before you book. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
FAQs for Whitwell
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Whitwell?
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. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Stevenage station?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. Just ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the details.
How long will you be at the property?
Time on site depends on the roof; most visits take roughly 1–2 hours for a house, or half a day or so for a commercial building. The written report follows by email.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey is a roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey of the whole building. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
How can you see the top of the stack?
Each stack is viewed from the safest viewpoints: from the ground, windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there is access. Our Premium Survey includes a drone inspection where it applies. If part of a stack cannot be seen, the report says so.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We do not carry out asbestos surveys or testing. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
What if it rains on the day?
It can, depending on the survey. Drones cannot fly safely in high wind or heavy rain, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. We will rearrange with you if the weather isn’t right.
Common roof problems in Whitwell
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. In time, the pots can become loose.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as St Paul's Walden Primary School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Questions to ask before you book
- Is VAT included in the price?
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Their insurance cover
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA