Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Brockley, Greater London
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Brockley. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Staining on walls around the chimney
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Brockley
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. It might come in at the top, through worn pointing or porous bricks, or where the flashings meet the roof. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. That points the work in the right direction. If you’ve noticed redundant stacks capped without ventilation and flaunching that has broken away, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
London has Victorian and Edwardian terraces in almost every borough, frequently with slate roofs, chimney stacks shared with neighbours and gutters hidden behind parapets. Good slates can last over a hundred years, yet the nails often give out first and let slates slip. In Brockley, as across London, that’s why a roof needs a close look rather than a glance from the street. Shared chimney stacks and the lead around them are just as important to check.
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.
- Location
- Brockley (SE4, SE23, SE6)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What we look for on each type of roof
Lead flashings
Mortar fillets are sometimes used where lead would typically be. They tend to crack, so we check them closely.
Brick stacks
Brick stacks rely on sound pointing to keep water out. We check the bricks for spalling and the joints for erosion.
Your questions about chimney surveys in Brockley
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Crofton Park station?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. Just phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the details, and we will talk through which survey suits.
Is parking a problem for a survey in Brockley?
London parking needs a little planning, so let us know about permits, bays or a driveway when you book. That way the visit can be planned around it.
How soon will I get the report?
Report times are set by the package. Basic: within 48 hours. Standard: 24 to 48 hours. Premium: the same day. Mention any deadline when you book.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys or testing. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them.
How much does a chimney survey cost in Brockley?
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. We confirm the price for your survey before you book, based on the roof’s size, access and package. To get a price, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
How can you see the top of the stack?
We look from the ground, from windows and from the loft where it’s safe. Where applicable, our Premium Survey adds a drone inspection for a closer view. The report is clear about anything that couldn’t be seen.
Do you look in the roof space?
If the survey needs it and the loft space can be reached safely, yes. A clear path to the hatch helps.
Chimney surveys around Brockley
With Queen's House about 2.4 miles north-east, Brockley sits in an area with a long building history. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. Many homes in inner London are Victorian and Edwardian terraces, often with 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. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
If you live near a park such as Blythe Hill Fields, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall. If you look after a building such as Beecroft Garden Primary, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Brockley is about 1 mile south of New Cross, in Greater London. Bookings from Brockley are handled just like any other: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. We cover towns and villages across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages.
We work across the SE4, SE23 and SE6 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. That includes homes and businesses on Ivy Road, Nash Road and Lindal Road and the roads around them. If you’re just outside Brockley, we cover Crofton Park (1 mile south-east), Honor Oak (1 mile west), Ladywell (1 mile east), Forest Hill (1 mile south-west) and Nunhead (1 mile north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (4 miles north-west), City of Westminster (7 miles north-west), Marylebone (7 miles north-west), Kensington (8 miles north-west), St Pancras (6 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (5 miles north).
Landmarks near Brockley
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Blythe Hill Tavern, Allenby Tutorial Trust and Blythe Hill Fields and the streets around them. Brockley has its own railway station: Crofton Park station. Nearby you’ll also find Horniman Museum and Gardens (1.4 miles south-west) and University Hospital Lewisham (0.7 miles east). Not far away are One Tree Hill and Knight's Hill.
Towns and villages near Brockley
Also in Brockley
Leave it or get it looked at?
If you’re thinking of removing or reducing a stack, it helps to know its condition first. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need permission from the council, so check with them first. Blocked gutters and hoppers on London houses overflow and soak brickwork. A blocked outlet ignored for a winter or two can mean damp walls inside.
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) come with the Premium Survey, from £400 including VAT. We can help you choose the package that fits what you’d like to know.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Brockley
- PI and public liability insurance
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
See how roof surveys are priced and what we found on two real jobs.
Before and after the survey
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Don’t use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
If the report recommends a structural engineer, a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer, it will say why. That helps you brief them.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. That helps stop damp building up inside.
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- The roof’s overall size
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
Every price we give includes VAT. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. You will know the price for your survey before booking.
What to tell us when you get in touch
Getting the details right at the start saves time. It helps to include:
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
How the survey works
On the day, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that’s worrying you. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where applicable. Most surveys take an hour or two at a typical home, and longer for a large or complex roof. Surveys in Brockley can be booked for any day of the week. It helps if you can point us to a visitor permit or a nearby bay, and to clear a path to the loft hatch. A back bedroom window can be the best vantage point for a rear addition, so we may ask to use one.
- You tell us 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.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- You get a written report with photos and our recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Book a survey
When you are ready to go ahead, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date.
Advice
When to book a survey in Brockley
TV aerials, satellite dishes and their brackets are often fixed to chimneys. Their weight and the wind on them can loosen bricks and pointing. We check fixings on the stack as part of the survey.
We are often asked to look at:
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Bricks with flaking faces
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Church of St Hilda, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Will the report include photos?
- What follow-up you get after the report
- What they will not be able to tell you
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone