Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Dulwich, Greater London
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Dulwich, using drones and thermal imaging where it applies. Get in touch for a price.
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- A stack that appears to lean
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
What we cannot see
To be straight with you, a roof survey has limits:
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roofs we survey in Dulwich
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
How a chimney survey works in Dulwich
A damp patch on a chimney breast doesn’t always come from the same place. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. That points the work in the right direction. We survey chimney breasts, chimney pots and cowls and shared and party-wall stacks, and the problems we are asked to look at most are gaps in the mortar around the pots and unused flues sealed without airflow.
Much of London’s housing is flats, in converted houses or purpose-built blocks, where the roof is usually a shared part of the building. Whoever looks after the building needs a clear picture of the roof, chimneys and gutters. 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.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Location
- Dulwich (SE22, SE21, SE23)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Can I check my roof myself?
It’s useful to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Share it with us when you book, as it helps us focus the survey.
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. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
Local roofs in Dulwich
Close to the centre of London, a great many houses are Victorian or Edwardian terraces, many of them roofed in Welsh slate. Many have butterfly roofs draining to a central valley gutter, with parapet walls and gutters hidden behind them. Lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are typical of these houses, if yours is one of them. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. Kingswood House, about 1.1 miles south, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Dulwich. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead.
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Christ's Chapel of God's Gift, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs. If you run a business near Lewisham Shopping Centre, a roof report helps plan work around trading rather than after a leak.
Dulwich is about 1 mile south-east of Herne Hill, in Greater London. Dulwich gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful look at whatever is safely visible, photos and a clear written report. Dulwich is one of the places in Greater London we cover for chimney surveys.
We work across SE22, SE21 and SE23 for chimney surveys and the streets around it. We cover properties on Court Lane, Druce Road and Boxall Road and the roads around them. Dulwich is on the A2216, so it is easy for us to get to. Other places close to Dulwich include Dulwich Village (1 mile north-west), West Dulwich (1 mile south), Herne Hill (1 mile north-west), Sydenham Hill (1 mile south-east) and Forest Hill (1 mile east). Further out, we also cover London (4 miles north), City of Westminster (6 miles north-west), Marylebone (6 miles north-west), Kensington (7 miles north-west), St Pancras (6 miles north) and Shoreditch (6 miles north).
Landmarks near Dulwich
We work in homes and buildings around The Crown and Greyhound pub, Dulwich Park and Alleyn's School. The nearest railway station is West Dulwich station, roughly 0.7 miles south-west. Well-known places in the area include Dulwich Community Hospital (0.9 miles north) and Greenwich Castle (4 miles north-east). Not far away are Knight's Hill and Centre for Wildlife Gardening.
The survey, step by step
You don’t need to do much on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, such as stains, drips or loose pieces, and we’ll get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Many London properties are flats or terraces with no side access, so rear slopes are viewed from windows, the loft or, where a flight is allowed, by drone. Mention any building rules, key holders or managing agents as you book.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Where there’s safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- You get a written report with photographs and our recommendations.
How to prepare
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
Arrange a survey
We survey roofs on weekdays and at weekends. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Read more
Do you need a chimney survey in Dulwich?
A stack takes the weather from every direction. Frost opens up cracks in the mortar, and rain gets into worn bricks and joints. People normally call us when they notice damp or a problem with the stack, or before a purchase.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
If you own a rental within reach of West Dulwich station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- Which limits apply to the survey
- What insurance they carry
FAQs for Dulwich
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Dulwich?
Sometimes, yes. Where there are permit zones, a visitor permit or nearby pay-and-display bay works well, and a driveway is even better.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near West Dulwich station?
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.
How long is the visit?
Expect it to take between one and two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. The written report follows by email.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where applicable and safe. We fly a sub-250g drone and we’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). It’s included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where it applies, the Premium Survey.
Do I need to be at home?
Not always. If we only need the outside, we can agree that ahead of time, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
What happens next?
You receive the written report by email, with photographs and recommendations. You can use it to talk to a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent, whichever applies.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Just let us know the days that suit you.
Before and after the survey
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Check unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
With a shared stack, the report can help when talking to next door. It shows what we found and where from the viewpoints we used.
Have aerial and dish brackets on the stack checked and taken off if they’re no longer needed. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Dulwich
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Dulwich. To discuss a property or a block, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client, photographs included.