Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Chinatown
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching across Chinatown, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Call or email for a price.
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
Chimney survey in Chinatown: what you get
If a chimney looks out of line, it’s worth getting it checked. A stack may lean because the mortar on one side has weakened, which can happen over many years of use. The survey notes how the stack looks, how far it seems to lean and the state of the bricks and joints. If the stack looks like a structural issue, the report recommends a structural engineer. Common reasons to book are disused chimneys trapping moisture and eroded joints in the brickwork, on lead flashings, chimney pots and cowls and brick chimney stacks.
A London butterfly roof slopes down to a central valley gutter that drains to the back of the house. From the street you see only a parapet wall, so blocked outlets and split linings go unnoticed until water comes through a ceiling. If your home in Chinatown has one, it needs checking from somewhere that can actually see it.
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.
- Where
- Chinatown (W1F, W1D, W1T)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Surveys for landlords and agents in Chinatown
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords, from shops and offices to industrial units. Larger roofs take longer, so they’re priced to suit.
With a portfolio of properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To discuss a number of properties, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Chinatown
With Benjamin Franklin House about 0.4 miles south-east, Chinatown 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 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.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Soho Parish CofE Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. Shop and office owners around Kingly Court may find that knowing the roof’s condition lets you budget for work rather than pay for emergencies.
Chinatown is about 1 mile east of City of Westminster, in Greater London. In Chinatown, as across Greater London, every roof gets the same careful survey. Our Greater London coverage includes Chinatown.
All of W1F, W1D and W1T is covered for chimney surveys. Whether your property is on Duck Lane, Drury Lane and Bruton Lane or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Chinatown is on the A4 and A301, so it is easy for us to get to. We also cover Soho (1 mile north), St James's (1 mile south), West End (1 mile north-east), Seven Dials (1 mile north-east) and St Giles (1 mile north-east). Further out, we also cover Kensington (3 miles west), Shoreditch (3 miles north-east), Walthamstow (7 miles north-east), Hoxton (3 miles north-east), Whitechapel (3 miles east) and Hampstead (4 miles north-west).
What’s near Chinatown
Typical jobs here are in homes near LITE Regal International School, London Library and Waxy O'Connor's pub and the streets around them. Nearby too are St Anne's Churchyard (under half a mile north-west) and Harris Westminster Sixth Form (0.8 miles south). There’s a railway station in Chinatown itself: Tottenham Court Road station. Well-known places in the area include Leverian collection (less than half a mile south-east) and Montfichet's Tower (1.3 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Barnsbury Wood and St. James's Park Lake.
Towns and villages near Chinatown
What else we do in Chinatown
How the survey works
The visit has one job: to look at the chimney stack as closely as is safe and record what we find. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It typically takes between one and two hours at most homes, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. Many London properties are flats or terraces with no side access, so the back of the roof is often seen from upstairs windows, from inside or, where a flight is allowed, from the air. Mention any building rules, key holders or managing agents as 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.
Before we arrive
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
Getting a price
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just call 07833 053749 or email us when you’re ready.
Read more
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
Prices always include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- Roof area
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
A Basic Survey starts from £150, inc. VAT. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both including VAT. We confirm the price for your survey before you book.
What to let us know when you get in touch
There is no need for technical words. Just let us know:
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
- Dates you are working to, such as exchange
- What’s prompted the survey
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
Not sure which survey you need? It is easiest to call 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll explain the options and the price.
FAQs for Chinatown
How do I find out if my home in Chinatown is listed?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Chinatown?
It depends on the street. Where there are permit zones, a visitor permit or nearby pay-and-display bay works well.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We note visible signs such as sagging or deflection, but we are not structural engineers and don’t carry out calculations. Where an engineer is needed, we say so in the report.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. We look at the parts we’re given access to.
Do you inspect shared chimneys?
Yes. Shared stacks are common on terraced and semi-detached houses. We survey what we can see safely, and note anything that seems to involve next door.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have been surveying roofs for over 20 years and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
Can you find out why my chimney breast is damp?
There are a few common causes: cracked flaunching, worn pointing, failed flashings, uncapped pots, or damp trapped in an unventilated stack. We look at each one and note the most likely cause.
When to book a survey in Chinatown
A stack takes the weather from every direction. Frost works into cracks in the flaunching and pointing, and rain soaks into worn brickwork. Most people book after spotting damp or a loose pot, or before buying.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- A chimney out of line
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
Trees in and around St Anne's Churchyard shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Before you book anyone
- What they won’t be able to tell you
- Their track record with similar roofs
- Their report turnaround times
- Is VAT included in the price?
Tips that help
Getting the most from a chimney survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Make sure unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
With a shared stack, the report can help when talking to next door. The photos show the problem and which side it is on, as far as we could see.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. With binoculars, you can often see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
Roof by roof
Rendered stacks
We cannot see the bricks behind render without it being opened up, so the report says what can and can’t be judged.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Stains on timbers or brickwork around the stack can point to a leak. We record what we see with photos.