Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Bankside
We carry out chimney surveys in Bankside and the rest of Greater London. Surveys run seven days a week.
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Signs that a stack is leaning
Chimney survey in Bankside
We inspect chimneys from wherever they can be seen safely: from ground level, from windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there’s access. A drone inspection is part of our Premium Survey where it applies. If we cannot see part of the stack, the report makes that clear. Each defect is recorded with a photo and a plain description. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, brick chimney stacks and chimney pots and cowls, and people most often book us about redundant stacks capped without ventilation and cracked or missing flaunching.
Victorian and Edwardian terraces are found right across London, many with Welsh slate roofs, shared chimney stacks and parapet or valley gutters. Good slates can last over a hundred years, yet the nails often give out first and let slates slip. In Bankside, as across London, that is why a roof needs a close look rather than a glance from the street. Lead flashings and shared chimney stacks on these houses need a close look too.
What you get is a clear record of the chimney stack on the day we saw it. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, for example when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Where
- Bankside (SE1, EC4Y, EC4V)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Local roofs in Bankside
About 0.6 miles north-east lies Mansion House, a reminder of how long the area around Bankside has been built on. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years. Inner London’s Victorian and Edwardian terraces often have Welsh slate roofs. Many have butterfly roofs draining to a central valley gutter, with parapet walls and gutters hidden behind them. Shared chimney stacks, party-wall upstands and lead work come with this kind of house. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
The streets around a church such as St Mary Mounthaw are often among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs. Anyone responsible for a site like London Nautical School will know that its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Bankside is about 1 mile north of London, in Greater London. We cover Bankside and the rest of Greater London. Bankside is one of the towns and villages in Greater London we cover for chimney surveys.
We survey roofs across the SE1, EC4Y and EC4V postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. That includes homes and businesses on Bear Lane, Bush Lane and Swan Lane. Bankside is on the A201 and A300, so it’s easy for us to get to. We also cover Blackfriars (1 mile north-west), Temple (1 mile north-west), Temple Bar (1 mile north-west), Waterloo (1 mile south-west) and Smithfield (1 mile north). Larger places within reach include Kensington (4 miles west), Walthamstow (6 miles north-east), Hampstead (5 miles north-west), Ruislip (14 miles west), Brompton (3 miles west) and Stockwell (3 miles south).
What’s near Bankside
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to St Mary-at-Hill, Bernie Spain Gardens and St Andrew's and St John's Church of England Primary School, among other places. Other local landmarks include Barts Health Archives (0.6 miles north), The Cathedral School of St Saviour and St Mary Overy (0.5 miles south-east) and Founders Arms (less than half a mile west). There is a railway station in Bankside itself: London Blackfriars station. A little further out are Royal Waterloo Hospital for Children and Women (0.6 miles west) and Gabriel's Wharf (under half a mile west). Not far away are Ludgate Hill and Barnsbury Wood.
Common roof problems in Bankside
Years of fires can affect the mortar inside a stack. Mortar can deteriorate unevenly from flue gases and moisture, which can make a stack lean.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Worn or missing pointing
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
If you own a rental within reach of London Blackfriars station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
Questions to ask before you book
- What experience they bring
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
Places near Bankside
Other services in Bankside
Before and after the survey
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Don’t use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
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. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24 to 48 hours and Premium reports the same day.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.
FAQs for Bankside
Is parking a problem for a survey in Bankside?
Usually it is manageable with a little notice. Let us know the parking rules on your street and we will work around them.
How do I find out if my home in Bankside is listed?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning. Mention it when you get in touch and we’ll explain what’s needed.
Are you insured?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
Will you check the loft?
If the survey needs it and the loft space can be reached safely, yes. Please clear anything stored under the hatch.
Do you inspect the flue?
No. Our survey covers the outside of the stack and the roof around it. The flue should be checked by a sweep, or by a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Light rain is normally fine; heavy rain and wind are different. In high wind or heavy rain, a drone cannot fly and access may not be safe, and we’d agree another day.
Roof by roof
Brick stacks
Most chimney stacks are built of brick, with mortar joints that wear over time. We check the bricks for spalling and the joints for erosion.
Rendered stacks
A rendered stack can mask problems in the bricks below. The survey checks for cracking, bulging and staining in the render.
For landlords and managing agents
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, with the report sent to whoever needs it. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work around your tenants.
What we do, step by step
We photograph the roof as we go, so you can see in the report what we found and where. We take close-ups from wherever is safe. A typical visit takes between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In converted houses and mansion blocks, the loft hatch is often on a shared landing. Where that is the case, access needs agreeing with whoever controls that landing. Otherwise, the visit in Bankside runs like any other.
- You tell us how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- The stacks are looked at from the ground, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Where there is safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
Before the survey
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Arrange a survey
We survey roofs on any day of the week. To find a date that works for you, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Read more
What happens if roof problems are left?
A small amount of repointing or new flaunching is typically a modest job. Leave it, and frost can work the stack loose and the job gets bigger. Behind a London parapet, a blocked gutter can sit full of water without anyone seeing it. When the stain finally shows, the damage underneath is often older than it looks.
We offer three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, all inc. VAT. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Why us?
- Surveys seven days a week
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- 98% customer satisfaction
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
Read what a roof survey costs and two real surveys.