Greater London · London and the South East
Barbican Estate Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys in Barbican Estate, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Worn or missing pointing
Chimney survey in Barbican Estate: what you get
Many terraced and semi-detached homes share their chimney stacks with a neighbour. We inspect the parts we can see safely and the parts the owner gives us access to. Where a problem seems to involve a neighbour’s side, the report records it and you can then discuss it with them. Everything is written up with photos and what we recommend. We survey lead flashings, shared and party-wall stacks and flaunching, and people most often book us about worn or missing pointing and pots or cowls that look unsafe.
London has a great many flats in converted houses and 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.
You receive the findings by email, ready to forward to whoever needs them. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24–48 hours and Premium on the day.
- Where
- Barbican Estate (EC1V, EC2A, EC1Y)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips from our surveys
Getting the most from a chimney survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
If anything in the report isn’t clear, just ask us. Standard Surveys come with a follow-up consultation, and Premium Surveys with an in-person one.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
Barbican Estate questions
Can a landlord with a rental near Moorgate station book a roof survey?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you need, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Is parking a problem for a survey in Barbican Estate?
London parking needs a little planning, so let us know about permits, bays or a driveway when booking. That way the visit can be planned around it.
What should I do with a chimney I don’t use?
There’s no single answer. The survey shows its condition and how it’s been capped. If you are thinking of removing it, check with the council first in a conservation area or on a listed building.
What does a roof survey cost?
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on its size, height, access and the package, and it’s agreed before booking.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
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. We check each one and note the most likely cause.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. We check the roof, not the whole building, and it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. Many buyers have both.
Do you need to go on the roof to check the chimney?
Each stack is viewed from the safest viewpoints: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the loft space. Our Premium Survey includes a drone inspection where it applies. We note anything we couldn’t see.
Chimney surveys around Barbican Estate
Inner London’s Victorian and Edwardian terraces often have Welsh slate roofs. Behind many of their parapets sit butterfly roofs and valley gutters that cannot be seen from the pavement. In a house like that, shared stacks, party-wall upstands and lead flashings all need looking at as far as they can be seen. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. Mansion House, about 0.5 miles south-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Barbican Estate. 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, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If you look after a building such as Prior Weston Primary School and Children's Centre, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near St Giles-without-Cripplegate, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Barbican Estate is about 1 mile north of London, in Greater London. From houses to flats and shops in Barbican Estate, the roof can be surveyed on a weekday or at the weekend. Our Greater London coverage includes Barbican Estate and the places around it.
Surveys in EC1V, EC2A and EC1Y work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Streets in the area include Oat Lane, Shoe Lane and Long Lane. Barbican Estate is on the A1 and A40, which makes it straightforward to reach. We also cover the places around Barbican Estate: Finsbury (1 mile north), City of London (1 mile south), St Luke's (1 mile north), Bishopsgate (1 mile east) and Aldgate (1 mile south-east). We also work in nearby towns like City of Westminster (3 miles west), Kensington (5 miles west), Walthamstow (6 miles north-east), Hampstead (4 miles north-west), Ruislip (14 miles west) and Brompton (3 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Barbican Estate
We work in homes and buildings around Barbican Conservatory, Central Foundation Boys' School and Barts Health Archives, among other places. Also close by are Charterhouse Square School (under half a mile north-west), St Mary-at-Hill (0.8 miles south-east) and The Jugged Hare pub (within half a mile north-east). Barbican Estate has its own railway station: Moorgate station. Other landmarks nearby include St Luke's Hospital for Lunatics (0.5 miles north-east) and Gabriel's Wharf (1 mile south-west). For a walk, there’s Barnsbury Wood and St. James's Park Lake.
Prices for chimney surveys in Barbican Estate
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before you book. These are the things that affect it:
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- Building height and the viewpoints available
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how safely it can be seen. Prices start from £150, including VAT.
What we need to know
A little information up front helps. It helps to include:
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- What made you get in touch
Photos help, if you have them. Take them safely from ground level or a window, and please don’t climb up for a closer look. To get started, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
What we do, step by step
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the roof space is checked as well as the outside. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement, as far as the space allows. All in, the survey usually takes roughly 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Many London properties are flats or terraces with no side access, so rear slopes are viewed from windows, the loft or, where a flight is allowed, by drone. If the building has a managing agent or access rules, tell us when you book.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- We check every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there is access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Before the survey
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- Check we can get to the back of the property
Arrange a survey
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Related advice
Why it is worth a survey now in Barbican Estate
Most people never get a careful look at their chimney stacks. Problems frequently go unnoticed until damp appears inside. A survey gives you a clear picture before that happens. A hidden valley or parapet gutter on a London house can hold water for weeks before anyone notices. By the time a ceiling stains, the timbers underneath may have been wet for a while.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Our price is from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Why book us in Barbican Estate
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- 20+ years’ experience
- 98% of clients satisfied
What we’re asked to look at in Barbican Estate
Stacks that were used for open fires for many years can weaken from the inside. Flue gases and damp can break down the mortar, sometimes more on one side than the other, which can make a stack lean.
A survey can pick up problems such as:
- Worn or missing pointing
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
If you own a rental within reach of Moorgate station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
What to check before booking
- When you will get the report
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- What insurance they carry
Can I check my roof myself?
Keep a simple record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry, as it helps us focus the survey.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.