Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Coldblow, Greater London
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Coldblow. We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
Chimney survey in Coldblow
A chimney survey is about the outside of the stack and the roof around it. It is not a flue inspection, a sweep or a gas safety check. If you use a fire or a gas appliance, the flue should be checked by a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer as appropriate. If something we see points to the flue, we will say so. We’re often asked to look into damaged chimney pots and cowls and cracked or missing flaunching, across chimney pots and cowls, flaunching and shared and party-wall stacks.
Victorian and Edwardian terraces are found right across London, many with Welsh slate roofs, shared chimney stacks and parapet or valley gutters. Slates can last a century or more, but the nails holding them corrode, and slates slip. In Coldblow, as across London, that’s why a roof needs a close look rather than a glance from the street. Lead flashings and shared chimney stacks on these houses need a careful look too.
The written findings come by email, ready to forward to whoever needs them. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24–48 hours and Premium on the day.
- Place
- Coldblow (DA5)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Coldblow: your questions answered
Can a landlord with a rental near Bexley station book a roof survey?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and what you need.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Coldblow?
Sometimes, yes. Where there are permit zones, a visitor permit or nearby pay-and-display bay works well, and a driveway is even better.
Is a chimney survey the same as a flue inspection?
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.
Do you work in Coldblow?
Yes. Coldblow is part of the area we cover.
Does someone need to be in?
Not necessarily. If we only need the outside, we can agree that in advance, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning. Mention it when you contact us and we’ll plan the survey around it.
What will the report tell me?
It works through the roof part by part, in writing and with photos, finishing with recommendations. Points are put with the most urgent first where relevant.
Also near Coldblow
Also in Coldblow
Do you need a chimney survey in Coldblow?
Where a chimney meets the roof, lead flashings keep water out. With age they can lift, split or come away from the joints. When flashings fail, water often shows up in the loft or on the chimney breast. Lead is also a target for theft.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Signs that a stack is leaning
The streets around a church such as Church of St Mary the Virgin are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
What to check before booking
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Are they insured for the work?
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
The survey, step by step
Before we start, tell us why you’ve booked: buying, a leak, storm damage, new work or just wanting to know where things stand. That way we can focus on what matters to you. Most visits take an hour or two on an ordinary house, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. In Coldblow, visits are available on weekdays and at weekends. It helps if you can point us to a visitor permit or a nearby bay, and to clear a path to the loft hatch. A back bedroom window can be the best vantage point for a rear addition, so we may ask to use one.
- You tell us whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We check the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Preparing for the visit
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
Getting a price
To arrange a survey, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price before you book.
Read more
Coldblow homes and their roofs
Historic houses like Hall Place and Gardens, about 0.7 miles north, show how far back building in the area around Coldblow goes. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. Alongside Victorian and Edwardian terraces, outer London has a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs of clay or concrete tiles. If your home in Coldblow is one of them, bay roofs, hips and later dormers each have their own details. Whatever the covering, it’s frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
If you run a business near Broadway Shopping Centre, knowing the roof’s condition lets you budget for work rather than pay for emergencies. If you let a flat or house near Bexley station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Coldblow is about 3 miles east of Sidcup, in Greater London. Wherever you are in Coldblow, we can come and survey your property. Across Greater London, we cover Coldblow and the places around it. London is in our area too.
Here we cover the DA5 postcode area for chimney surveys. If you need a chimney survey at a property on St Mary's Road, Dartford Road and Wansunt Road or anywhere close by, we can help. If you are just outside Coldblow, we cover Joyden's Wood (1 mile south-east), Bowmans (1 mile east), North Cray (1 mile south-west), Crayford (1 mile north-east) and Wilmington (1 mile south-east). Further out, we also cover London (12 miles west), City of Westminster (15 miles west), Marylebone (14 miles north-west), St Pancras (14 miles north-west), Shoreditch (12 miles north-west) and Walthamstow (13 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in Coldblow
We work in homes and buildings around The Old Wick pub, St Columba's Catholic Boys' School and Braeburn Park. For rail, the closest station is Bexley station, about 0.6 miles west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Stone Castle (5 miles east) and Bexley Museum (0.7 miles north). The countryside around Coldblow includes Wansunt Pit and Summer Hill.
What happens if roof problems are left?
A small amount of repointing or new flaunching is normally a modest job. Leave it, and frost can work the stack loose and the job gets bigger. In a London terrace or conversion, a roof defect rarely stays your problem alone: a blocked parapet gutter or slipped slate can let water into the flat below or the house next door. Finding it early keeps the work smaller.
A Basic Survey starts from £150, including VAT. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both including VAT. You’ll know the price for your roof before booking.
Why book us in Coldblow
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- Surveys seven days a week
- An independent view of the roof
- Packages from £150, with VAT included
Take a look at our cost guide or two real surveys.
Tips from our surveys
Nothing here needs a ladder. A few suggestions:
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
Where another specialist is needed, such as a structural engineer or sweep, we explain why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. Early signs are easier to trace.
For landlords and managing agents
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed beforehand. We survey on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on.
What this survey can’t tell you
Every survey has limits, and it’s better to know them up front. Keep these in mind:
- Hidden damage within the stack
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll tell you. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Coldblow
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks