Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in East Dulwich, Greater London
Chimney surveys in East Dulwich from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- A stack that appears to lean
Chimney survey in East Dulwich
If you are buying a home with chimneys, it is worth knowing their condition before you exchange. On older stacks, we often find cracked flaunching, loose flashings and worn pointing. You get photographs and findings you can take back to the seller or agent. It works alongside a RICS home survey, not instead of one. Typical surveys look at a chimney out of line and lifted or split lead flashings, across shared and party-wall stacks, brick chimney stacks and chimney breasts.
London has a great many flats in converted houses and 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, in East Dulwich as anywhere. Leaks from a shared roof rarely affect just one home. A report gives everyone the same picture to plan from, with photographs.
We write the report in plain English, so you don’t need to be a roofer to follow it. Photos show what each point refers to, and recommendations are put in order of urgency where relevant.
- Where
- East Dulwich (SE5, SE22, SE15)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Should I look at the roof myself first?
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Don’t go up yourself.
A lot can be seen from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
When you need someone else
It helps to know what a survey will not do before you book:
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will suggest the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
Towns and villages near East Dulwich
What else we do in East Dulwich
Local roofs in East Dulwich
With Kingswood House about 2.2 miles south, East Dulwich sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Many homes in inner London are Victorian and Edwardian terraces, often with Welsh slate roofs. From the street you may see only a parapet, with a butterfly roof and a valley gutter behind it draining to the back. Shared chimney stacks, party-wall upstands and lead work come with this kind of house. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
Homes near green spaces like Brunswick Park can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls. If you let a flat or house near East Dulwich station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak. If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near The Latter Rain Outpouring Revival Church, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
East Dulwich is about 3 miles south of London, in Greater London. Bookings from East Dulwich are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Our Greater London coverage includes East Dulwich and the places around it.
We work across the SE5, SE22 and SE15 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. Local streets include Rye Lane, Wren Road and Adys Road, all of which we cover. With the A2214 and A2215 close by, East Dulwich is simple for us to get to. We also cover Denmark Hill (1 mile north-west), Herne Hill (1 mile south-west), Dulwich Village (1 mile south), Camberwell (1 mile north) and Peckham (1 mile north-east). Larger places within reach include London (3 miles north), City of Westminster (5 miles north-west), Marylebone (5 miles north-west), Kensington (6 miles north-west), St Pancras (5 miles north) and Shoreditch (4 miles north).
Around East Dulwich
Around East Dulwich, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Fox on the Hill pub, The Charter School East Dulwich and The Charter School. East Dulwich has its own railway station: East Dulwich station. Other landmarks nearby include House of Dreams Museum (within half a mile south-east) and Surrey Quays Shopping Centre (2.8 miles north-east). Open spaces near East Dulwich include Knight's Hill and Centre for Wildlife Gardening.
How it works
Safety comes first on every visit. Everything that can be seen safely is inspected, and if part of the roof can’t be seen, the report says so. Most visits take between one and two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. In East Dulwich, as in much of London, lots of properties are flats or terraces without side access, so the back of the roof is frequently seen from upstairs windows, from inside or, where a flight is allowed, from the air. If the building has a managing agent or access rules, let us know as you book.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Preparing for the visit
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Arrange a survey
We survey roofs on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Read more
Landlords, agents and block managers in East Dulwich
Letting agents frequently book on a landlord’s behalf. Access is agreed with the tenant ahead of time.
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Roof by roof
Flaunching
Sitting at the very top, flaunching is fully exposed. The survey checks for cracking and gaps around each pot.
Lead flashings
Mortar fillets are sometimes used where lead would typically be. They tend to crack, so we check them closely.
East Dulwich: your questions answered
I let a flat near East Dulwich station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and some details.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in East Dulwich?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it’s in a conservation area. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Should a redundant chimney be removed?
A redundant chimney needs looking after like any other. If it’s capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside. Our survey records its condition and how it’s capped, so you can plan what to do with it.
Do you need to get into the loft?
If there is a loft and safe access to it, yes. The loft space can show things the outside can’t, such as damp timbers, staining or daylight.
What do I do with the report?
The report arrives by email. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation, and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation, so you can talk the findings through.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Do you need to go on the roof to check the chimney?
Each stack is viewed from the safest viewpoints: from the ground, windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there’s access. Our Premium Survey includes a drone inspection where it applies. If part of a stack cannot be seen, the report says so.
Useful tips for East Dulwich property owners
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
If anything in the report isn’t clear, just ask us. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Look at your chimneys from ground level now and then, particularly after strong winds. With binoculars, you can frequently see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.