Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Arkley, Greater London
Chimney surveys in Arkley, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- Worn or missing pointing
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
Surveys for landlords and agents in Arkley
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants. We survey seven days a week, which can make access easier.
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. Recommendations are set out in order of urgency where relevant, which helps with budgets and planning.
Chimney survey in Arkley
Each stack is looked at from the safest viewpoints available: from the ground, from windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there is access. With our Premium Survey, a drone inspection is included where applicable. If we can’t see part of the stack, the report makes that clear. Each defect is recorded with a photo and a plain description. If you’re worried about frost-damaged brickwork on the stack and a stack that appears to lean, we can find out what’s behind it.
Many London terraces have a butterfly roof, with two slopes meeting in a central valley gutter that drains to the rear. From the street you see only a parapet wall, so blocked outlets and split linings go unnoticed until water comes through a ceiling. If your home in Arkley has one, it needs checking from somewhere that can actually see it.
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.
- Where
- Arkley (EN5, NW7)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Before and after the survey
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner:
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Do not use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
If the report recommends a structural engineer, a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer, it will say why. That helps you brief them.
Keep an eye on chimney breasts for new damp patches. The sooner damp is spotted, the easier the cause is to find.
What affects the price in Arkley
Survey packages start from £150, inc. VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with VAT included. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400. You’ll know the price for your roof before booking.
What to let us know when you contact us
Getting the details right at the start saves time. Please include:
- Anything about access we should know
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- The property’s address and postcode
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
If you’re buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form whenever suits you.
Your questions about chimney surveys in Arkley
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Arkley?
It can be, so it’s useful to tell us about permits, visitor bays or off-street space when booking. The visit is then planned around what’s available.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Arkley?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Will you go up on the roof?
Not unless it’s safe. Safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where it applies cover most of what’s needed.
What if it rains on the day?
It depends on the weather and the survey. High wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, and we’d agree another day.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
Don’t ignore it. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down. We record its condition with photographs, and a structural engineer can confirm whether it’s stable.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have completed more than 5,000 surveys, over more than 20 years, with 98% customer satisfaction.
What does the report include?
Written findings with photographs, covering the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check, and the Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
Chimney surveys in Arkley: local notes
Outer London has a good many Victorian and Edwardian terraces with slate roofs, but also a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. Whatever the covering, it is often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. The wider area around Arkley has a long history of building, with Wyllyotts Manor about 3.7 miles north-east. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs.
Homes near green spaces such as Whitings Hill Open Space can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall. If your house is among the older ones in the streets near St Peter's Church, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs. Landlords with a home close to Elstree & Borehamwood station may find that a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
Arkley is about 2 miles west of Barnet, in Greater London. We provide chimney surveys for householders, landlords and businesses in Arkley. Arkley is one of the towns and villages in Greater London we cover. London is in our area too.
Here we cover the EN5 and NW7 postcode area for chimney surveys. Local streets include Well Road, Glebe Lane and Brett Road. Being close to the A411, Arkley is simple for us to get to. Other places close to Arkley include Rowley Green (1 mile north-west), High Barnet (1 mile north-east), Hadley (1 mile north-east), Totteridge (2 miles south-east) and Well End (2 miles north-west). Larger places within reach include London (12 miles south-east), City of Westminster (10 miles south), Marylebone (10 miles south), Kensington (10 miles south), St Pancras (10 miles south-east) and Shoreditch (11 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Arkley
Typical jobs here are in homes near Susi Earnshaw Theatre School, Whitings Hill Open Space and Queen Elizabeth's School. Arkley’s nearest station is Elstree & Borehamwood station, about 2.1 miles west of the centre. Nearby you will also find Hilfield Castle (4.5 miles west) and Hertfordshire Scout Museum (1.9 miles north-west). Open spaces near Arkley include Glebe Lane Pastures and Darland's Lake.
What happens on the day
Safety comes first on every visit. Everything that can safely be seen is inspected, and if part of the roof cannot be seen, the report says so. The survey typically takes about 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. From the street, a London terrace usually shows only its front slope or parapet, so a visit in Arkley moves between viewpoints: the pavement, upstairs windows, the loft and any safe spot at the back. Shared stairs or a basement flat? Let us know who holds the keys.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the roof space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Preparing for the visit
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
How to book
For a price for chimney surveys in Arkley, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. The address, the type of property and what you need to know help us give you an accurate price.
Advice
What a chimney survey does not cover
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so there are some things a survey can’t cover:
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Whether the flue is safe to use
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer before booking. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
Towns and villages near Arkley
What else we do in Arkley
Checking the roof from the ground
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it.