Greater London · London and the South East
Dollis Hill Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys in Dollis Hill, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. Every survey ends with a written report and photographs.
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
Chimney survey in Dollis Hill
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. Typical surveys look at staining on walls around the chimney and mortar washing out of the joints, on chimney breasts, lead flashings and shared and party-wall stacks.
London has Victorian and Edwardian terraces in almost every borough, many with Welsh slate roofs, shared chimney stacks and parapet or valley gutters. Good slates can last over a hundred years, yet the nails often give out first and let slates slip. Homes in Dollis Hill are no exception. Shared chimney stacks and the lead around them are just as important to check.
Findings are set out part by part, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets, each with a short note and a photograph. You’ll see the good as well as the bad.
- Location
- Dollis Hill (NW2, NW10, NW9)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
For landlords and managing agents
Landlords and agents in Dollis Hill book surveys as well as householders. A report with photos gives you a clear record of the chimney stack, useful for planning maintenance.
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Dollis Hill questions
How do I find out if my home in Dollis Hill is listed?
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.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Brent Cross West station?
Yes, landlords and agents book with us as well as owners. Just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and tell us about the building, including who will give access on the day.
Does the report include photographs?
Yes. The report includes photographs of what we found, so you can see each point for yourself.
How do I arrange a chimney survey in Dollis Hill?
Simply call 07833 053749 or send us an email. We’ll ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date, weekday or weekend.
How soon will I get the report?
The Premium Survey report comes the same day, the Standard within 24–48 hours and the Basic within 48 hours. Each one is emailed, ready to forward.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. We look at the parts we can see safely and the parts you can give us access to. If a defect seems to be on your neighbour’s side, the report records it, so you can discuss it with them.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
Also near Dollis Hill
Also in Dollis Hill
What we do, step by step
We will ask a few questions first, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. Then the inspection itself takes roughly 1–2 hours at most homes, and more on a big or complicated roof. In Dollis Hill, visits are available on weekdays and at weekends. It helps if you can point us to a visitor permit or a nearby bay. A back bedroom window can be the best vantage point for a rear addition, so we may ask to use one.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- 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.
Preparing for the visit
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
Arrange a survey
Not sure which survey you need? It’s easiest to call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
Read more
Practical tips
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Photograph damp patches with the date
You get the report by email and can pass it to whoever does the work. Each defect is described in plain words and shown in a photo so anyone reading it can see what we saw.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
What a chimney survey looks like in Dollis Hill
Heath House, about 2.3 miles east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Dollis Hill. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older slate-roofed terraces. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. Whatever the covering, it’s frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
Shop and office owners around Brent Cross Shopping Centre may find that knowing the roof’s condition lets you budget for work rather than pay for emergencies. If you live in an older home near Church of St Michael, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Dollis Hill is about 1 mile north-east of Neasden, in Greater London. From houses to flats and shops in Dollis Hill, the roof can be surveyed on a weekday or at the weekend. We cover towns and villages across Greater London, large and small. You can also see our page for London.
We work across the NW2, NW10 and NW9 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. That includes homes and businesses on Brook Road, Lane Close and Crest Road and the roads around them. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Staples Corner (1 mile north-east), Neasden (1 mile south-west), Cricklewood (1 mile south-east), Willesden (1 mile south) and Brent Cross (1 mile north-east). Larger places within reach include London (7 miles south-east), City of Westminster (5 miles south-east), Marylebone (5 miles south-east), Kensington (5 miles south), St Pancras (6 miles south-east) and Shoreditch (7 miles east).
What’s near Dollis Hill
Typical jobs here are in homes near Woodfield School, The Crown Public House and Gladstone Park. Dollis Hill has its own railway station: Brent Cross West station. Other landmarks nearby include Brent Cross Shopping Centre (1 mile north-east) and St Andrew's Hospital (under half a mile south). The countryside around Dollis Hill includes Darland's Lake and Parliament Hill.
When to book a survey in Dollis Hill
Aerials and dishes are often fixed to stacks. The extra load in wind can work bricks and joints loose. We check fixings on the stack as part of the survey.
We’re often asked to look at:
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
Landlords with a home close to Brent Cross West station may find that a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
Before booking anyone
- What experience they bring
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- What follow-up you get after the report
How the survey changes by roof type
Brick stacks
Brick stacks rely on sound pointing to keep water out. The survey looks for crumbling bricks and worn or missing mortar.
Lead flashings
Lead flashings seal the joint between the stack and the roof. We check for lifting, splits and gaps in the joints.
Checking the roof from the ground
You can learn a lot 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.