Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Coulsdon
Find out what’s going on with the chimney stack before you spend money on it. We carry out chimney surveys in Coulsdon, with photos and a clear written report.
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Cracked or missing flaunching
Do you need a chimney survey in Coulsdon?
Chimney stacks stand above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Frost opens up cracks in the mortar, and rain gets into worn bricks and joints. Most people book after spotting damp or a loose pot, or before buying.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Signs that a stack is leaning
Living close to Dollypers Hill is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- How soon the report will arrive
- 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
How a chimney survey works in Coulsdon
Our chimney survey covers the stack and the details that keep water out around it: the pots and cowls, the flaunching on top, the pointing, the brickwork and the flashings where it meets the roof. We also look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. The findings come in a written report with photos and recommendations. It suits a single stack on a house as well as several on a larger building. Common reasons to book are mortar washing out of the joints and a stack that appears to lean, across chimney pots and cowls, chimney breasts and shared and party-wall stacks.
Much of London’s housing is flats, in converted houses or purpose-built blocks, so roofs are frequently shared between several households. Landlords, managing agents and residents’ companies need to know what condition it’s in and what work is coming up. A defect on a shared roof can reach more than one flat. With a written report and photos, everyone can plan from the same facts.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photos, emailed to you. It sets out the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our written recommendations.
- Location
- Coulsdon (CR5, CR8, CR3)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Why it is worth a survey now in Coulsdon
If you are thinking of removing or reducing a stack, it helps to know its condition first. Changes to stacks in conservation areas or on listed buildings may need consent and the council can advise. Any roof job in Coulsdon means planning around parking, neighbours and access. That is a good reason to find problems early, while there is time to plan.
A Basic Survey starts from £150, inc. VAT. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400. We confirm the price for your roof before booking.
Why book us in Coulsdon
- Prices that include VAT
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Over 20 years’ experience
How we price chimney surveys
Prices always include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- How many separate roofs there are, like extensions, dormers and garages
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
All our prices include VAT. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. We confirm the price for the job before booking.
What we need to know
Here’s what helps us most when you contact us:
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Where the property is, with the postcode
If you are buying, it is useful to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. Otherwise, simply ring 07833 053749 or send us an email whenever suits you.
Chimney surveys around Coulsdon
Further from the centre, London’s housing takes in interwar semis with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles as well as slate-roofed terraces. On a semi of that age, the small roofs over the bays, the hip tiles and any later dormer each need their own look. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. Nonsuch Mansion, about 4.9 miles north-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Coulsdon. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Anyone responsible for a site like Smitham Primary School will know that its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. If you own a rental within reach of Coulsdon South station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Coulsdon is about 13 miles south of London, in Greater London. Roofs in Coulsdon get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Greater London. Our Greater London coverage includes Coulsdon and the places around it. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
We cover every part of the CR5, CR8 and CR3 postcode area for chimney surveys. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Hadleigh Grove, Farthing Way and Dobson Close or a nearby road, we can help. Main roads around Coulsdon include the B276 and B2030, so getting to you is simple. Other places close to Coulsdon include Woodcote (1 mile north), Old Coulsdon (1 mile south-east), Woodmansterne (1 mile west), Chipstead (1 mile south-west) and Purley (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover London (13 miles north), City of Westminster (14 miles north), Marylebone (14 miles north), Kensington (13 miles north), St Pancras (15 miles north) and Shoreditch (15 miles north).
Around Coulsdon
Around Coulsdon, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Dollypers Hill, Coulsdon Sixth Form College and The Pembroke pub and the streets around them. There’s a railway station in Coulsdon itself: Coulsdon South station. Other landmarks nearby include Croydon Airport Visitor Centre (3 miles north) and Purley War Memorial Hospital (2 miles north-east). Not far away are Duppas Hill and Mercers Lake.
Your questions about chimney surveys in Coulsdon
Can a landlord with a rental near Coulsdon South station book a roof survey?
Yes, that is a common request. We just need to know who will give access, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Coulsdon?
London parking needs a little planning, so let us know about permits, bays or a driveway when booking. The visit is then planned around what’s available.
What happens next?
You receive the written report by email, with photos and recommendations. You can use it to talk to a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent, whichever applies.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
A leaning stack should be looked at. We record the lean, the brickwork and the pointing, and recommend a structural engineer where it may be a structural concern.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. Many houses share stacks with a neighbour. We survey what we can see safely, and note anything that seems to involve next door.
What should I do with a chimney I do not use?
An unused stack still needs to stay weathertight and ventilated. Capping without airflow can lead to damp. We check how it’s capped and its condition, so you can plan what to do with it.
What’s the best way to book?
Just phone 07833 053749 or email us. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day.
How the survey works
The visit has one job: to see as much of the chimney stack as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Notes and photographs go into the written report. The visit usually takes roughly 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. In a London conversion, the way into the roof space is often from a communal landing or the top flat. Where that is the case, access needs agreeing with whoever controls that landing. Everything else is planned around the building, not the postcode.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
How to prepare
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Tell us where we can park nearby
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Getting a price
Getting a price is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or email us, let us know about the property and we will explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.
Read more
Towns and villages near Coulsdon
Other services in Coulsdon
What we can’t see
Our survey isn’t a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What this survey covers
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
Roof by roof
Lead flashings
Lead flashings seal the joint between the stack and the roof. The survey looks at whether the lead is tight, sound and well fixed.
Brick stacks
Frost can damage bricks that have soaked up water, making the faces flake away. Any spalling is noted with photos.