London and the South East

Chimney Survey in Greater London

From the largest town to the smallest village in Greater London, our roof surveyors can carry out chimney surveys. Clear prices including VAT, and surveys on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Need a chimney survey in Greater London?

Call 07833 053749

Book a survey

Chimney survey across Greater London

What it covers: a survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching. Choose your town from the list to see local details. You can also book straight away on 07833 053749.

Largest places

More services in Greater London

Postcode districts

How a chimney survey works in Greater London

On terraced and semi-detached houses, a chimney stack is frequently 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 chimney breasts, brick chimney stacks and chimney pots and cowls, and people most frequently book us about mortar washing out of the joints and staining on walls around the chimney.

We check the roof from outside and, where it is relevant and there’s safe access, from inside the roof space too. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging, as far as the space allows. All in, the survey normally takes an hour or two for a house, or half a day or so for a commercial building.

You let us know whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.

What you will pay

Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so the price reflects that. The price is confirmed before booking.

What you get with us

Package prices that include VAT
An independent look at the roof
Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID

Booking a survey

For a price for chimney surveys in Greater London, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form. The address, the type of property and what you need to know help us give you an accurate price.

Near you in London

Typical jobs here are in homes near St Mary-at-Hill, St George the Martyr and The BFI Reuben Library. Nearby too are Trinity Arms Public House (less than half a mile south-east), Ark Globe Academy (under half a mile south), Charles Dickens Primary School (under half a mile north-west) and Newington Gardens (within half a mile south). There’s a railway station in London itself: Elephant & Castle station. Other landmarks nearby include Surrey Dispensary (less than half a mile south-east) and Baynard's Castle (0.9 miles north). Open spaces near London include Bellenden Road Nature Garden and St. James's Park Lake.

Nearby schools include London School of Musical Theatre (less than half a mile west)

Roofs, chimneys and gutters across Greater London

Older homes across Greater London often keep chimney stacks long after the fires went out, and their flashings and pointing need checking like any other part of the roof. Gutters, valleys and fixings come next.

Our area covers London and South East England, including Greater London. Housing here runs from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to post-war new towns and modern estates.

London: With Mansion House about 1 mile north, the area around London has a long history. Older roofs nearby often mix original materials with later repairs, and the survey shows where each one is. If you own a rental within reach of Elephant & Castle station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.

Before and after the survey

There’s plenty you can do without going near the roof. Here’s what helps most:

Have brackets on the chimney checked
Use the report as a baseline for future checks
Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
Book a sweep for flues that are in use

Once we have been, the findings are written up with photos. It explains the condition of each part of the stack and any damp inside. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.

Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.

What we’re asked to look at in Greater London

Where a chimney meets the roof, lead flashings keep water out. With age they can lift, split or come away from the joints. Failed flashings are one of the most common causes of damp around chimneys. Lead flashings can also be stolen.

Typical things we’re asked to look at include:

Spalled or crumbling bricks
Loose, cracked or missing pots
Unused flues sealed without airflow
A chimney out of line

Can I check my roof myself?

Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry, as it helps us focus the survey.

What you can’t do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and a fall can be serious. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.

How the survey changes by roof type

Rendered stacks

We can’t see the bricks behind render without it being opened up, so the report says what can and cannot be judged.

Chimney breasts and the loft

Stains on timbers or brickwork around the stack can point to a leak. We record what we see with photographs.

When you need someone else

Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:

Flue inspections or sweeping
Areas we can’t view from safe positions
Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds

Greater London: your questions answered

Do I have to be there for the survey?

It depends on what we need to see. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in, while outside access can be discussed as you book.

Why is my chimney breast damp?

There are a few common causes: water getting in at the top, through the brickwork or at the flashings, or moisture trapped in a stack with no ventilation. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause.

Which parts of the chimney do you look at?

We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. Everything is written up with photos.

Does the weather affect the survey?

Light rain does not normally stop a survey. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so if conditions are not right we’ll arrange another day with you.

What’s in the survey report?

It explains what we saw, what it means and what we’d suggest, backed by photos. Anything we couldn’t see safely is noted too.

Does the report include photographs?

Yes. We photograph the roof as we go, and they go into the written report alongside our recommendations.

Will you check the chimney is safe to use with a fire?

No. We survey the stack and its weathering, not the flue. The flue should be checked by a sweep, or by a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances.