City of London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in City of London
We take a careful look at the chimney stack at your property in City of London, with photos and a written report.
- Worn or missing pointing
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Staining on walls around the chimney
How a chimney survey works in City of London
A chimney stands up above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Over the years, the flaunching cracks, the pointing wears and flashings lift. Water then gets into the stack and can show as damp on a chimney breast or a stain in the loft. A survey finds these problems and records them with photographs. If you’re worried about unused flues sealed without airflow and damp on a chimney breast inside, we can find out what’s behind it, on brick chimney stacks, chimney breasts and lead flashings alike.
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 City of London has one, it needs checking from somewhere that can actually see it.
Report times depend on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Place
- City of London (EC4V, EC1A, EC2M, EC2Y)
- Wider area
- City of London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
How we price chimney surveys
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- The size of the roof
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where applicable) come with the Premium Survey, from £400 including VAT. We’ll tell you which package suits the questions you have.
What to let us know when you contact us
There is no need for technical words. Just tell us:
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Access details, like a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Dates you’re working to, such as exchange
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, so phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details.
How it works
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, such as when any problem began and what work has been done before. The inspection then takes about one to two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. For a visit in City of London, 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. On the day, the roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from inside the loft space and from the roof where it’s safe.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
Before the survey
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
How to book
We survey roofs on weekdays and at weekends. To find a date that works for you, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Read more
Towns and villages near City of London
What else we do in City of London
What we’re asked to look at in City of London
Lots of homes have redundant stacks. If a stack is capped or blocked without ventilation, moisture can build up inside. That can lead to damp patches on chimney breasts, even with the roof in good order.
It’s worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
Take an older house close to St Olave Old Jewry: the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
What to check before booking
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- How long the report takes to arrive
- What experience they bring
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
What you can safely check yourself
A lot can be seen from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
What a chimney survey looks like in City of London
Many homes in inner London are Victorian and Edwardian terraces, often with Welsh slate roofs. From the street you may see only a parapet, with a butterfly roof and a valley gutter behind it draining to the back. 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 Mansion House about 0.2 miles south-east, City of London sits in an area with a long building history. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead.
For businesses in and around places such as Gabriel's Wharf, a written record of the roof’s condition helps you plan maintenance rather than react to leaks. Trees in and around St Alphage Garden shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching.
City of London is about 1 mile north of London. Surveys in City of London work the same way as everywhere we cover: a proper look at whatever is safely visible, photographs and a clear written report.
Every address in EC4V, EC1A, EC2M and EC2Y is covered for chimney surveys. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Aldermanbury Square, Monkwell Square and Paternoster Square or anywhere close by, we can help. City of London sits on or near the A1 and A3. If you are just outside City of London, we cover Barbican Estate (1 mile north), Bishopsgate (1 mile east), Finsbury (1 mile north), Aldgate (1 mile east) and St Luke's (1 mile north).
Around City of London
Around City of London, our work takes us to homes and buildings near St Mary-at-Hill, Prior Weston Primary School and Children's Centre and Golden Fleece pub and the streets around them. Also close by are Central Foundation Boys' School (0.8 miles north), Barts Health Archives (within half a mile north-west) and St Alphage Garden (less than half a mile north). City of London has its own railway station: London Cannon Street station. A little further out are Gabriel's Wharf (0.8 miles south-west) and London Mithraeum (under half a mile south). For a walk, there is St. James's Park Lake and Barnsbury Wood.
Different roofs, different checks
Flaunching
Flaunching takes the worst of the weather. The survey checks for cracking and gaps around each pot.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Damp patches on chimney breasts often point to a problem above. We check the breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach.
Why it is worth a survey now in City of London
For a buyer, the best time to learn about a chimney is before exchange. After that, any work is yours to arrange and pay for. A report gives you something specific to put to the seller. A hidden valley or parapet gutter on a London house can hold water for weeks before anyone notices. By the time a ceiling stains, the timbers underneath may have been wet for a while.
Every price we give includes VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in City of London
- Package prices that include VAT
- Plain-English reports with photos
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- 98% customer satisfaction
See what a roof survey costs and two real surveys.
Questions from City of London
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in City of London?
Parking in City of London, as in most of London, takes a little planning: a visitor permit or a bay close to the door helps a lot, so mention what’s available as you book.
I let a flat near London Cannon Street station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, landlords and agents book with us as well as owners. Just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and tell us about the building.
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, while outside access can be discussed when booking.
How many surveys have you done?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys, across London and South East England.
Do you work in City of London?
Yes. We survey roofs in City of London. For a price, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
How much does a chimney survey cost in City of London?
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Our Basic Survey starts from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all with VAT included.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime, which suits people who work during the week. Just say which days work for you.