Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Bexley Riverside, Greater London
Need a chimney survey in Bexley Riverside? We can help, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- A chimney out of line
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
How a chimney survey works in Bexley Riverside
We inspect chimneys from wherever they can safely be seen: from ground level, from windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there is access. With our Premium Survey, a drone inspection is included where it applies. If we cannot see part of the stack, the report makes that clear. Every defect we find is photographed and described in plain words. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, lead flashings and chimney breasts, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are damp patches on chimney breasts and frost-damaged brickwork on the stack.
London has a great many flats in converted houses and purpose-built blocks, where the roof is usually a shared part of the building. 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. With a written report and photographs, everyone can plan from the same facts.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Location
- Bexley Riverside (DA8, DA7, DA1)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey changes by roof type
Chimney breasts and the loft
If a chimney breast has been removed below, we note what we can see of the support above. A structural engineer should confirm whether it is adequate.
Flaunching
We often find flaunching that has cracked or broken away. Caught early, it’s frequently a small job.
When you need someone else
In fairness, there are limits to any roof survey:
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- Conditions inside walls
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
Checking the roof from the ground
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey.
Useful tips for Bexley Riverside property owners
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Check your stacks from ground level after strong winds
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. Because everyone is pricing the same findings, the quotes are easier to compare.
Keep an eye on chimney breasts for new damp patches. Early signs are easier to trace.
Also near Bexley Riverside
More services for Bexley Riverside
Local roofs in Bexley Riverside
The wider area around Bexley Riverside has a long history of building, with Hall Place and Gardens about 1.6 miles south. 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 any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older slate-roofed terraces. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for instance near Broadway Shopping Centre, a dated report on the roof is useful for planning and for any lease discussions. For landlords with property near Barnehurst station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Bexley Riverside is about 3 miles north-west of Dartford, in Greater London. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Bexley Riverside can all book chimney surveys, with a written report and photographs every time. Bexley Riverside is one of the places in Greater London we cover for chimney surveys. Our London page covers surveys nearby.
All of DA8, DA7 and DA1 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We offer chimney surveys to properties on Mill Road, Hurst Road and Bexley Road and the roads around them. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Northumberland Heath (1 mile north-west), Barnehurst (1 mile south), Erith (1 mile north), North End (1 mile east) and Slade Green (1 mile east). Within a short drive, we also cover London (12 miles west), City of Westminster (14 miles west), Marylebone (14 miles west), St Pancras (13 miles west), Shoreditch (11 miles west) and Walthamstow (12 miles north-west).
What’s near Bexley Riverside
Typical jobs here are in homes near Braeburn Park, The Royal Oak pub and Trinity School. The closest station to Bexley Riverside is Barnehurst station, roughly 0.6 miles south-west. Nearby you will also find Broadway Shopping Centre (1.4 miles south-west) and Erith and District Hospital (0.5 miles north). Open spaces near Bexley Riverside include Wansunt Pit.
What we’re asked to look at in Bexley Riverside
Lots of homes have redundant stacks. A stack sealed without ventilation can trap damp. That can lead to damp patches on chimney breasts, even with the roof in good order.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Worn or missing pointing
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
For site and facilities teams at buildings like Normandy Primary School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
- Their track record with similar roofs
- What follow-up you get after the report
- What the survey won’t cover
The survey, step by step
Every visit follows the same pattern: we listen to what’s been worrying you, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, photograph what we find and make notes for the report. Most visits take an hour or two for most houses, and longer for a large or complex roof. In a London conversion, the way into the roof space is often from a communal landing or the top flat. If that applies to your building, it is useful to agree access with the neighbours or the managing agent first. Otherwise, the visit in Bexley Riverside runs like any other.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there is access.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the freeholder or managing agent
Getting a price
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. To book or ask a question, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Advice
FAQs for Bexley Riverside
Is my home in Bexley Riverside listed or in a conservation area?
We can’t 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 parking be an issue for a roof survey in Bexley Riverside?
Sometimes, yes. Where there are permit zones, a visitor permit or nearby pay-and-display bay works well.
What insurance do you have?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Light rain is normally fine; heavy rain and wind are different. High wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, and we’d agree another day.
Do you work in Bexley Riverside?
Yes. We cover Bexley Riverside and the rest of Greater London, as part of our work across London and South East England. To book, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. Our survey is a roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey of the whole building. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
What does the report include?
It explains what we saw, what it means and what we’d suggest, backed by photographs. Anything we couldn’t see safely is noted too, so you know exactly what was covered.