Greater London · London and the South East
Adelphi Chimney Survey
An experienced roof surveyor for chimney surveys in Adelphi. Over 5,000 surveys and 20+ years behind us.
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Bricks with flaking faces
- A stack that appears to lean
Chimney surveys around Adelphi
The wider area around Adelphi has a long history of building, with Benjamin Franklin House about 0.2 miles south-west. If your house is among the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Welsh slate on Victorian and Edwardian terraces is a familiar sight across inner London. Many have butterfly roofs draining to a central valley gutter, with parapet walls and gutters hidden behind them. In a house like that, shared stacks, party-wall upstands and lead flashings all need looking at as far as they can be seen. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
Anyone responsible for a site like St Clement Danes CofE Primary School will know that large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. If your house is among the older ones in the streets near Savoy Chapel, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Adelphi is about 1 mile south-east of Marylebone, in Greater London. We carry out chimney surveys for householders, landlords and businesses in Adelphi and the surrounding area. Our area takes in places right across Greater London.
Here we cover the W1D, W1F and WC2H postcode area for chimney surveys. Local streets include York Road, Drury Lane and Maiden Lane, all of which we cover. Adelphi sits on or near the A301 and A400, so getting to you is simple. Close by, we survey roofs in Covent Garden (1 mile north), Charing Cross (1 mile south-west), Aldwych (1 mile north-east), Seven Dials (1 mile north-west) and West End (1 mile north-west). Larger places within reach include Kensington (3 miles west), Walthamstow (7 miles north-east), Hampstead (4 miles north-west), Ruislip (13 miles west), Stockwell (3 miles south) and Orpington (13 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Adelphi
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The BFI Reuben Library, St Andrew's and St John's Church of England Primary School and London Nautical School, among other places. You will also find Victoria Embankment Gardens (less than half a mile south) and The Theodore Bullfrog pub (within half a mile south-west). There is a railway station in Adelphi itself: London Charing Cross station. Other landmarks nearby include London Museum and Institute of Natural History (within half a mile north-east) and Montfichet's Tower (1 mile east). Green spaces nearby include St. James's Park Lake and Barnsbury Wood.
Chimney survey in Adelphi: what you get
A chimney stands up above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Over the years, the flaunching cracks, the pointing wears and flashings lift. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the roof space. A survey finds these problems and records them with photos. Common reasons to book are gaps in the mortar around the pots and redundant stacks capped without ventilation, across flaunching, shared and party-wall stacks and chimney breasts.
Much of London’s housing is flats, in converted houses or purpose-built blocks, so roofs are often shared between several households. Whoever looks after the building needs a clear picture of the roof, chimneys and gutters. A defect on a shared roof can reach more than one flat. A report gives everyone the same picture to plan from, with photos.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Where
- Adelphi (W1D, W1F, WC2H)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Nearby places to Adelphi
Other services in Adelphi
Adelphi: your questions answered
Is my home in Adelphi listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Adelphi?
It rarely stops a survey, but it is worth planning. Let us know the parking rules on your street and we will work around them.
How long will you be at the property?
It typically takes about 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. You will then get the report by email, on the timescale of your package.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Someone needs to let us in if we’re looking inside or in the loft. Access is agreed with you when you book.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To arrange a date, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys or testing. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings.
Will you check the chimney is safe to use with a fire?
No. We survey the stack and its weathering, not the flue. For the flue, you’ll need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Can I check my roof myself?
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Honest limits
A survey is a proper look at the chimney stack, but it cannot do everything. The main limits are:
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What this survey covers
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
How the survey works
Before we start, let us know why you’ve booked: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. It helps us focus on what matters most to you. Most visits take about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In Adelphi, visits are available on weekdays and at weekends. London parking is often by permit or pay-and-display, so it’s useful to know what’s near you, and to clear a path to the loft hatch. A back bedroom window can be the best vantage point for a rear addition, so we may ask to use one.
- You tell us whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We check the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Before the survey
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Getting a price
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Advice
Common roof problems in Adelphi
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.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- A chimney out of line
If you own a rental within reach of London Charing Cross station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Questions to ask before you book
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Are they insured for the work?
Surveys for landlords and agents in Adelphi
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf, and the report can go to both. Access is agreed with the tenant beforehand.
With a portfolio of properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To discuss a number of properties, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Why act early in Adelphi
Before deciding what to do with a redundant stack, a survey shows how it is doing. Changes to stacks in conservation areas or on listed buildings may need consent, so check with them first. Blocked gutters and hoppers on London houses overflow and soak brickwork. A blocked outlet ignored for a winter or two can mean damp walls inside.
Prices start from £150, with VAT included, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both with VAT included. You will know the price for your roof before booking.
Why book us in Adelphi
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- An independent view of the roof
- Surveys seven days a week
- Customer satisfaction of 98%
See our cost guide or our case studies.