Greater London · London and the South East
Clerkenwell Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Clerkenwell, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photos.
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Staining on walls around the chimney
Clerkenwell questions
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Clerkenwell?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It is worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
I let a flat near Farringdon station. Can you check the roof?
Of course. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
Are you insured?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
How long will you be at the property?
It usually takes about 1–2 hours for most houses, and more on a big or complicated roof. The report follows by email.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drone flights need calm, dry weather, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. We will rearrange with you if the weather is not right.
What do I do with the report?
The report arrives by email. With Standard there’s a follow-up consultation; with Premium, an in-person consultation.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day. Let us know your preferred days when you book.
Chimney survey in Clerkenwell: what you get
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. We record what we find with photos and recommendations. We’re frequently asked to look into signs that a stack is leaning and loose, cracked or missing pots, on chimney pots and cowls, chimney breasts and lead flashings.
Victorian and Edwardian terraces are found right across London, 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. Homes in Clerkenwell are no exception. Shared chimney stacks and the lead around them are just as important to check.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photos, sent by email. It explains the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Place
- Clerkenwell (N1, EC1V, WC1X)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Local roofs in Clerkenwell
With Dr Johnson's House about 0.8 miles south, Clerkenwell sits in an area with a long building history. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs. Many homes in inner London are Victorian and Edwardian terraces, often with Welsh slate roofs. A butterfly roof with a central valley gutter, tucked behind a parapet wall, is common on these houses. If your home in Clerkenwell is one of them, lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are part of the picture too. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
Anyone responsible for a site like St Peter and St Paul RC Primary School will know that a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time. The streets around a church such as St James's Church are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. Shop and office owners around Brunswick Centre may find that a roof report helps plan work around trading rather than after a leak.
Clerkenwell is about 2 miles north of London, in Greater London. We carry out chimney surveys in Clerkenwell for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings, with a written report and photographs every time. Our Greater London coverage includes Clerkenwell.
Chimney surveys in N1, EC1V and WC1X are booked the same way as anywhere else. You’ll find streets such as Long Lane, City Road and Noel Road. With the A1 and A5201 close by, Clerkenwell is simple for us to get to for chimney surveys. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Farringdon (1 mile south), Angel (1 mile north), Smithfield (1 mile south), Holborn (1 mile south-west) and St Pancras (1 mile west). Within a short drive, we also cover Kensington (5 miles south-west), Walthamstow (5 miles north-east), Hampstead (4 miles north-west), Ruislip (14 miles west), Brompton (3 miles south-west) and Stockwell (4 miles south).
Landmarks near Clerkenwell
Typical jobs here are in homes near Barts Health Archives, The Sekforde pub and Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School and the streets around them. Other local landmarks include Tech City College (within half a mile north-east) and King Square Gardens (less than half a mile north-east). Clerkenwell has its own railway station: Farringdon station. Other landmarks nearby include Brunswick Centre (0.9 miles west) and Montfichet's Tower (0.9 miles south). For a walk, there is St. James's Park Lake and Ludgate Hill.
Honest limits
A survey is a proper look at the chimney stack, but it cannot do everything. Its limits include:
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Whether the flue is safe to use
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will tell you. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
Surveys for landlords and agents in Clerkenwell
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Clerkenwell. For a price for a let property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work around your tenants.
How it works
Photos are taken throughout the visit, so you can see in the report what we found and where. We take close-ups from wherever is safe, including by drone where it’s applicable and the weather allows. Most surveys take about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. London terraces rarely offer a view of the whole roof from one spot, so a visit in Clerkenwell moves between viewpoints: the pavement, upstairs windows, the loft and any safe spot at the back. Shared stairs or a basement flat? Tell us who holds the keys.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We look at the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Preparing for the visit
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Keep pets in another room
- Find any records of previous roof work
Booking a survey
If you are buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply call 07833 053749 or use the contact form whenever suits you.
Advice
What a survey costs
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- Which survey package you book
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- The size of the roof
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, access and which survey you book.
Getting in touch
When you call or email, these details help:
- Anything about access we should know
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Any deadline, like an exchange date
- The address and postcode of the property
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Nearby places to Clerkenwell
Other services in Clerkenwell
Practical tips
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
Where another specialist is needed, such as a structural engineer or sweep, we explain why. That helps you brief them.
Check fixings on the stack are sound, and moved if they’re working it loose. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
Why it’s worth a survey now in Clerkenwell
Loose pots and bricks on a stack are a safety concern. Finding them early means they can be dealt with before they come down by a suitable contractor. Any roof job in Clerkenwell means planning around parking, neighbours and access. Knowing what’s needed early gives you time to plan it calmly, rather than in a rush after a leak.
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package matters as well. We’ll give you the figure before anything is booked.
Why book us in Clerkenwell
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- Photos and a written report every time
- Customer satisfaction of 98%
Take a look at what a roof survey costs and two real surveys.