Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Camberwell
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Camberwell, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
About our chimney survey in Camberwell
Many terraced and semi-detached homes share their chimney stacks with a neighbour. We look at everything that’s safely in view and what the owner gives us access to. If a defect appears to be on the neighbour’s side, we note it and you can then discuss it with them. You get a report with photographs and our recommendations. We survey lead flashings, brick chimney stacks and chimney breasts, and the problems we are asked to look at most are signs that a stack is leaning and damp on a chimney breast inside.
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, in Camberwell as anywhere. A defect on a shared roof can reach more than one flat. A report gives everyone the same picture to plan from, with photographs.
Findings are set out part by part, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets. It records what’s sound as well as what is not.
- Location
- Camberwell (SE5, SE15, SE22, SE24)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Useful tips for Camberwell property owners
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
If anything in the report is not clear, just ask us. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Have aerial and dish brackets on the stack checked and taken off if they’re no longer needed. Less load on the stack means less strain in wind.
Nearby places to Camberwell
What else we do in Camberwell
Surveys for landlords and agents in Camberwell
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the addresses.
Landlords and letting agents in Camberwell book surveys as well as householders. A photo-illustrated written report gives you a clear record of the chimney stack.
Chimney surveys in Camberwell: local notes
Mansion House, about 2.7 miles north, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Camberwell. If your house is among the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, 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. Behind many of their parapets sit butterfly roofs and valley gutters that can’t 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. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
Homes near green spaces such as Brunswick Park can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls. If you own a rental within reach of Denmark Hill station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Camberwell is about 2 miles south of London, in Greater London. Roofs in Camberwell get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Greater London. We cover towns and villages across Greater London, large and small.
We cover every part of SE5, SE15, SE22 and SE24 for chimney surveys and the streets around it. We cover properties on New Church Road, Camberwell Station Road and Addington Square. With the A202 and B214 close by, Camberwell is easy for us to reach for chimney surveys. We also cover Denmark Hill (1 mile south), East Dulwich (1 mile south), Walworth (1 mile north), Peckham (1 mile east) and Herne Hill (1 mile south). Further out, we also cover City of Westminster (4 miles north-west), Marylebone (4 miles north-west), Kensington (5 miles west), St Pancras (4 miles north), Shoreditch (4 miles north) and Walthamstow (8 miles north).
Around Camberwell
Around Camberwell, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Brunswick Park Primary School, Hermits Cave pub and Sacred Heart Catholic School and the streets around them. There is a railway station in Camberwell itself: Denmark Hill station. Well-known places in the area include St Giles' Hospital (less than half a mile east) and Surrey Quays Shopping Centre (2.3 miles north-east). For a walk, there’s Bellenden Road Nature Garden and Knight's Hill.
Do you need a chimney survey in Camberwell?
Chimney stacks stand above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Frost opens up cracks in the mortar, and rain gets into worn bricks and joints. Most people book after spotting damp or a loose pot, or before buying.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed something like this:
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
Take a building like Mary Datchelor School: long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
What to check before booking
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- How long the report takes to arrive
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
DIY checks: what’s safe
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 ground level.
You can learn a lot from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Common questions in Camberwell
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Camberwell?
It depends on the street. If Camberwell has controlled parking where you are, a visitor permit is the easiest answer, and a driveway is even better.
Is my home in Camberwell listed or in a conservation area?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
How do I book a survey in Camberwell?
The quickest way is to call 07833 053749 or email us. Give us the address and a few details about the roof, and we’ll suggest the right survey. Surveys run on any day of the week.
Does the report include photos?
Yes. Photos are taken throughout the survey, and they go into the written report.
My chimney looks like it’s leaning. What should I do?
Have it checked rather than leaving it. Leaning frequently comes from mortar breaking down unevenly. We record its condition with photos, and a structural engineer can confirm whether it’s stable.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. We inspect everything that’s safely in view and what you give us access to. If a defect seems to be on your neighbour’s side, the report records it, so you can discuss it with them.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We use safe viewpoints rather than climbing onto the stack. Where it applies, our Premium Survey adds a drone inspection for a closer view. Any area we couldn’t view is noted.
Roof by roof
Chimney pots and cowls
Each pot is bedded into the flaunching, often with a cowl or cap on top. We check that they look secure and undamaged.
Rendered stacks
Water can get in through cracks and then struggle to dry out. Cracks are photographed and noted.
The survey, step by step
You don’t need to do much on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we will get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In Camberwell, as in much of London, plenty of properties are flats or terraces without side access, so the back of the roof is frequently seen from upstairs windows, from inside or, where a flight is allowed, from the air. If the building has a managing agent or access rules, let us know when you book.
- You let us know whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Getting ready for the survey
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
Arrange a survey
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, so ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the details.