Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Blackfriars
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Blackfriars, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photos.
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Blackfriars
Many homes have chimneys that are no longer used. A disused stack still needs looking after. If it has been capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside it. We check how redundant stacks have been capped and look for damp in the chimney breasts. You get photos of each stack and our recommendations. If you’ve noticed flaunching that has broken away and loose, cracked or missing pots, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
London has Victorian and Edwardian terraces in almost every borough, often with slate roofs, chimney stacks shared with neighbours and gutters hidden behind parapets. Slates can last a century or more, but the nails holding them corrode, and slates slip. Homes in Blackfriars are no exception. Shared chimney stacks and the lead around them are just as important to check.
If any part of the chimney stack couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. You’ll know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Place
- Blackfriars (SE1, EC1M, EC1N)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Landlords, agents and block managers in Blackfriars
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed beforehand. Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, which helps when tenants work during the week.
What happens on the day
Once we have finished looking, we write up our findings as a written report with photographs. As for time on site, most surveys take between one and two hours for most houses, and longer for a large or complex roof. In a London area like Blackfriars, the main things to sort out are parking and access: let us know about permits, visitor bays or off-street space, which floor the property is on and how to get into the loft. We then look at everything that’s safely in view from ground level, windows, the loft and, where it’s safe, the roof itself.
- You let us know how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- The stacks are looked at from ground level, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach them.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
Before we arrive
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Getting a price
Booking is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and give us some details about the property and we will recommend the right survey. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Related advice
How the survey changes by roof type
Brick stacks
Many older stacks were built with lime mortar. We note where repairs should match the original mortar.
Rendered stacks
A rendered stack can mask problems in the bricks below. We look for cracks, hollow areas and staining.
Why act early in Blackfriars
If a stack seems to lean, don’t leave it. Our survey records it and says when a structural engineer should look at it, so you can decide what to do next. In Blackfriars, as across London, an overflowing gutter soaks the wall below. A blocked outlet ignored for a winter or two can mean damp walls inside.
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so they’re priced to match. You’ll know the figure before booking.
Why book with us
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- A written report with photographs
- An independent view of the roof
Also near Blackfriars
What else we do in Blackfriars
Local roofs in Blackfriars
The wider area around Blackfriars has a long history of building, with Dr Johnson's House about 0.2 miles north-west. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. 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. Lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are typical of these houses, if yours is one of them. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
Landlords with a home close to London Blackfriars station may find that the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. If you run a business near Gabriel's Wharf, knowing the roof’s condition lets you budget for work rather than pay for emergencies. If you look after a building like Mercers' School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Blackfriars is about 1 mile north-west of London, in Greater London. We cover Blackfriars and the rest of Greater London. Our area takes in places right across Greater London.
Here we cover the SE1, EC1M and EC1N postcode area for chimney surveys. Whether your property is on Oat Lane, Bear Lane and Shoe Lane or a nearby road, we can survey it. Blackfriars sits on or near the A4 and A40, which makes travel easy. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Temple (1 mile west), Temple Bar (1 mile west), Bankside (1 mile south-east), Smithfield (1 mile north) and Clare Market (1 mile west). Within a short drive, we also cover Kensington (4 miles west), Walthamstow (6 miles north-east), Hampstead (4 miles north-west), Ruislip (14 miles west), Brompton (3 miles south-west) and Stockwell (3 miles south).
What’s near Blackfriars
In Blackfriars, that means homes and buildings near Barts Health Archives, St Mary-at-Hill and St Alban's Church of England Primary School. Other local landmarks include Bernie Spain Gardens (under half a mile south-west), London Nautical School (0.5 miles south-west) and The Black Friar pub (under half a mile south-east). Blackfriars has its own railway station: London Blackfriars station. Nearby you’ll also find Montfichet's Tower (under half a mile north-east) and St Brides Crypt Museum (within half a mile north-west). For a walk, there’s Barnsbury Wood and St. James's Park Lake.
What affects the price in Blackfriars
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. That comes down to:
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- Which survey package you book
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- How big the roof is
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, inc. VAT.
What we need to know
When you call or email, these details help:
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
A quick phone call is typically the easiest start: phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form. You will have a price before anything is arranged.
Checking the roof from ground level
A lot can be seen from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
FAQs for Blackfriars
I let a flat near London Blackfriars station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, landlords and agents book with us as well as owners. You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and a few details.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Blackfriars?
It depends on the street. If Blackfriars has controlled parking where you are, a visitor permit is the easiest answer, and a driveway is even better.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
We survey seven days a week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Just let us know the days that suit you.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
How do I book a survey in Blackfriars?
It’s easiest to call 07833 053749 or send us an email. Give us the address and a few details about the roof, and we will take it from there. We survey seven days a week.
Will I get photos?
Yes. Photographs are taken throughout the survey, and they go into the written report alongside our recommendations.
Will you check the loft?
If the survey needs it and the roof space can be reached safely, yes. A clear path to the hatch helps, and if the loft cannot be reached safely, the report says so.