Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Bexleyheath, Greater London
Know where you stand with the chimney stack before you decide what to do next. We carry out chimney surveys in Bexleyheath.
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
Chimney survey in Bexleyheath
A chimney stands up above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Over the years, the flaunching cracks, the pointing wears and flashings lift. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the roof space. A survey finds these problems and records them with photographs. If you’ve noticed flashings pulling away from the stack and loose, cracked or missing pots, 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. Hidden behind the parapet, that gutter can block or split without anyone seeing it. For a house in Bexleyheath with this kind of roof, the hidden gutter is one of the first things to check.
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, such as when you want to compare after future work.
- Place
- Bexleyheath (DA7, DA6, DA16)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Local roofs in Bexleyheath
About 0.4 miles south-west lies Red House, a reminder of how long the area around Bexleyheath has been built on. If your house is among the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof. Outer London has a good many Victorian and Edwardian terraces with slate roofs, but also a great many interwar semis, frequently 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. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
Take a building like Upland Primary School: a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time. For businesses in and around places such as Broadway Shopping Centre, a written record of the roof’s condition helps you plan maintenance rather than react to leaks. Living close to Danson Park is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching.
Bexleyheath is about 3 miles south-east of Plumstead, in Greater London. We cover Bexleyheath and the rest of Greater London. Our Greater London coverage includes Bexleyheath. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
We work across the DA7, DA6 and DA16 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Lion Road, Hyde Road and Upton Road or anywhere close by, we can help. We also cover the places around Bexleyheath: Upton (1 mile west), Crook Log (1 mile west), Blendon (1 mile south-west), Bexley (1 mile south) and Welling (1 mile west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (10 miles west), City of Westminster (13 miles west), Marylebone (13 miles west), Kensington (15 miles west), St Pancras (12 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (10 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Bexleyheath
We work in homes and buildings around Danson Park, The Volunteer pub and Bexleyheath Academy, among other places. There is a railway station in Bexleyheath itself: Bexleyheath station. Well-known places in the area include Bexley Hospital (less than half a mile west) and Bexley Museum (1.2 miles south-east). The countryside around Bexleyheath includes Summer Hill and Wansunt Pit.
How the survey works
There is not much for you to do on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, like stains, drips or loose pieces, and we’ll get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In a London conversion, the way into the loft space is frequently from a communal landing or the top flat. If that applies to your building, it helps to agree access with the neighbours or the managing agent first. Everything else is planned around the building, not the postcode.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the roof space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
How to prepare
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
Book a survey
Unsure which package suits your roof? It’s easiest to ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will explain the options and the price.
Advice
What else we do in Bexleyheath
Why get it checked now?
For a buyer, the best time to learn about a chimney is before exchange. After that, any work is yours to arrange and pay for. Our report gives you facts to raise with the seller or agent. Blocked gutters and hoppers on London houses overflow and soak brickwork, which can lead to damp inside. A blocked outlet ignored for a winter or two can mean damp walls inside.
We offer three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Bexleyheath
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- Photographs and a written report every time
Read what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
Questions from Bexleyheath
Is my home in Bexleyheath listed or in a conservation area?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Bexleyheath?
Sometimes, yes. Where there are permit zones, a visitor permit or nearby pay-and-display bay works well, and a driveway is even better.
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. A drone inspection is included in our Premium Survey where applicable. We note anything we couldn’t see.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
Don’t ignore it. Leaning frequently comes from mortar breaking down unevenly. We record its condition with photographs, and a structural engineer can confirm whether it’s stable.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
There are a few common causes: cracked flaunching, worn pointing, failed flashings, uncapped pots, or damp trapped in an unventilated stack. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We’re experienced roof surveyors, and visible signs such as sagging are noted, but we do not provide calculations or an engineer’s opinion. If one is needed, the report says so.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. It is a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
Can I check my roof myself?
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That part is for a survey.
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry and it will help the survey.
Tips from our surveys
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
- 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
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
Many people use the report to get quotes for the work. With the same list in front of each contractor, comparing quotes is simpler.
Make sure redundant flues are capped with ventilation. That helps stop damp building up inside.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Bexleyheath
Letting agents and landlords in Bexleyheath book surveys as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photos, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
Shared roofs need a little more planning: we need access agreed with the freeholder or managing agent. Let us know about it as you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.
How the survey changes by roof type
Lead flashings
Over time, lead can lift or come away from the brickwork. We photograph any we find that look loose or damaged.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Where a breast has been taken out, we check what supports the stack. A structural engineer should confirm whether it is adequate.