Greater London · London and the South East
Chelsea Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Chelsea, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- A chimney out of line
About our chimney survey in Chelsea
Redundant chimneys are common, especially where fires have been replaced by central heating. Even when it isn’t used, a stack has to stay weathertight. Capping a stack without ventilation can trap moisture and lead to damp inside. 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. Typical surveys look at staining on walls around the chimney and mortar washing out of the joints, on chimney pots and cowls, brick chimney stacks and flaunching.
Much of London’s housing is flats, in converted houses or purpose-built blocks, where the roof is typically a shared part of the building. Whoever looks after the building needs a clear picture of the roof, chimneys and gutters, in Chelsea as anywhere. A defect on a shared roof can reach more than one flat. With a written report and photographs, everyone can plan from the same facts.
Where we cannot see part of the chimney stack, the report says so. You’ll know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t.
- Where
- Chelsea (SW3, SW10, SW1X, SW1W)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What we cannot see
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Chelsea
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
The survey, step by step
You do not need to do much on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, such as stains, drips or loose pieces, and we will take it from there. The survey itself takes between one and two hours on an ordinary house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. For a visit in Chelsea, parking and access are the things to plan: let us know about parking, the floor the property is on, any shared entrance and loft access. We then look at everything that’s safely in view from ground level, windows, the loft and, where it is safe, the roof itself.
- You tell us whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- We check the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Getting ready for the survey
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Getting a price
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can ring 07833 053749 or email us to find out.
Related advice
Tips from our surveys
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
You get the report by email and can pass it to whoever does the work. We use plain English and a photo for each defect, so it’s easy to follow.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. It’s far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
Can I check my roof myself?
You can learn a lot from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
FAQs for Chelsea
Can a landlord with a rental near London Victoria station book a roof survey?
Yes, letting agents and landlords book with us as well as owners. You can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and a few details, including who will give access on the day.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Chelsea?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
What’s the best way to book?
Simply phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day, weekday or weekend.
Do you inspect the flue?
No. We survey the stack and its weathering, not the flue. The flue should be checked by a sweep, or by a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
Does someone need to be in?
It depends on what we need to see. For inside areas and the loft space, someone has to give us access.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
It is worth having a leaning stack checked. We record the lean, the brickwork and the pointing, and recommend a structural engineer where it may be a structural concern.
Nearby places to Chelsea
More services for Chelsea
Leave it or get it looked at?
A loose pot or brick can fall from height. Finding them early means they can be dealt with before they come down by a roofer. Many older London roofs have only old felt under the slates, or no underlay at all, so a slipped slate can soon mean water inside. Left unchecked, water soaks into timber and plaster and the damage spreads.
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package you pick makes a difference too. The price is always agreed first.
Why book us in Chelsea
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- PI and public liability insurance
- Surveys on any day of the week
- An independent look at the roof
For landlords and managing agents
Letting agents frequently book on a landlord’s behalf. Access is agreed with the tenant in advance.
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed in advance. Surveys run seven days a week, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Local roofs in Chelsea
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. If your home in Chelsea is one of them, lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are part of the picture too. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look. Carlyle's House, about 0.4 miles south-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Chelsea. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof.
Homes near green spaces such as Burton’s Court can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall. If you run a business near Harrods, a dated report on the roof is useful for planning and for any lease discussions. Take a building like Oratory Roman Catholic Primary School: long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Chelsea is about 2 miles south-east of Kensington, in Greater London. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Chelsea can all book chimney surveys. Chelsea is one of the places in Greater London where we work for chimney surveys.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: SW3, SW10, SW1X and SW1W. Local streets include Markham Square, Wellington Square and Tedworth Square, all of which we cover. With the B302 and B304 close by, Chelsea is easy for us to reach for chimney surveys. Other places close to Chelsea include Brompton (1 mile north), South Kensington (1 mile west), Little Chelsea (1 mile south-west), Belgravia (1 mile north-east) and World's End (1 mile south-west). Larger places within reach include London (3 miles east), St Pancras (3 miles north-east), Shoreditch (5 miles north-east), Walthamstow (9 miles north-east), Hoxton (5 miles north-east) and Whitechapel (5 miles north-east).
Local landmarks in Chelsea
In Chelsea, that means homes and buildings near Burton’s Court, St Thomas More RC Language College and Markham Arms Public House. Nearby too are Natural History Museum Library and Archives (0.7 miles north-west) and Hellenic College of London (0.5 miles north). Chelsea’s nearest station is London Victoria station, roughly 1 mile north-east of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Baynard's Castle (3.2 miles north-east) and Harrods (0.7 miles north). The countryside around Chelsea includes Campden Hill and Battersea Park Lake.