Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Catford, Greater London
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Catford, using drones and thermal imaging where it applies. Get in touch for a price.
- Worn or missing pointing
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
How a chimney survey works in Catford
A damp patch on a chimney breast doesn’t always come from the same place. 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. We check each possibility and record what we find. That points the work in the right direction. If you’ve noticed redundant stacks capped without ventilation and pots or cowls that look unsafe, we can find out what’s behind it.
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. In Catford, as across London, that’s why a roof needs a proper look rather than a glance from the street. Lead flashings and shared chimney stacks on these houses need a proper look too.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Location
- Catford (SE6, BR1)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Should I look at the roof myself first?
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That’s where a survey comes in.
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney pots and cowls
On redundant flues, we look at how the pots are capped. Poor capping can lead to damp inside the stack.
Brick stacks
Frost can damage bricks that have soaked up water, making the faces flake away. Any spalling is noted with photos.
Chimney surveys around Catford
Close to the centre of London, a great many houses are Victorian or Edwardian terraces, many of them roofed in Welsh slate. Behind many of their parapets sit butterfly roofs and valley gutters that cannot 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. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. With Eltham Palace about 2.8 miles east, Catford sits in an area with a long building history. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If you look after a building such as Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time. If you live near a park such as Forster Memorial Park, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys.
Catford is about 5 miles east of Streatham, in Greater London. Roofs in Catford get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Greater London. Across Greater London, we cover Catford.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: SE6 and BR1. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Bargery Road, Penerley Road and Inchmery Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Bellingham (1 mile south-west), Southend (1 mile south-west), Ladywell (1 mile north), Hither Green (1 mile north-east) and Bell Green (1 mile south-west). Further out, we also cover London (5 miles north-west), City of Westminster (8 miles north-west), Marylebone (8 miles north-west), Kensington (9 miles north-west), St Pancras (7 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (6 miles north-west).
Near you in Catford
Around Catford, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The London & Rye pub, Trinity Church of England School and Forster Memorial Park. For rail, the closest station is Catford Bridge station, roughly 0.5 miles north-west. A little further out are Greenwich Castle (2.6 miles north) and University Hospital Lewisham (0.8 miles north). Not far away are Downham Woodland Walk and Knight's Hill.
Common questions in Catford
How do I find out if my home in Catford is listed?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Is parking a problem for a survey in Catford?
In much of London, parking needs planning: a visitor permit or a bay close to the door helps a lot, so mention what’s available as you book.
Are you insured?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability, and details are available on request.
Does someone need to be in?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. We’ll talk about access when you book.
Are you structural engineers?
No. Our survey is not a structural engineer’s report, and it doesn’t include calculations. We will recommend an engineer if we see signs that call for one.
Do you need to go on the roof to check the chimney?
We inspect from wherever is safe: from ground level, windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there’s access. Our Premium Survey includes a drone inspection where applicable. We note anything we couldn’t see.
What does a roof survey cost?
Our price is from £150, including VAT. We confirm the price for your roof before booking, and it depends on the roof’s size, access and the package you choose. To get a price, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Catford
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To discuss a number of properties, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the addresses.
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Let us know about it when you book and we will plan the survey around it.
Towns and villages near Catford
What else we do in Catford
How the survey works
We look at the roof from outside and, where it is relevant and there is safe access, from inside the roof space too. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement. The whole visit usually takes about one to two hours at a typical home; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. Many London properties are flats or terraces with no 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. Mention any building rules, key holders or managing agents when you book.
- You tell us how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access.
- You get a written report with photos and our recommendations.
Preparing for the visit
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
Booking a survey
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know where you stand. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Advice
Before and after the survey
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out:
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
The report is emailed to you, ready to share with a roofer or builder. Each defect is described in plain words and shown in a photo, so it is easy to follow.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. Early signs are easier to trace.
Signs you need a chimney survey in Catford
Aerials and dishes are frequently fixed to stacks. Their weight and the wind on them can loosen bricks and pointing. We check fixings on the stack as part of the survey.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Mortar washing out of the joints
For landlords with property near Catford Bridge station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Questions to ask before you book
- How long the report takes to arrive
- What insurance they carry
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours