Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Farringdon, Greater London
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Farringdon, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- A chimney out of line
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney pots and cowls
A loose or cracked pot can fall from height. We photograph each pot and note any damage.
Chimney breasts and the loft
In the loft, staining around the stack frequently shows where water is getting in. We record what we see with photographs.
Chimney survey in Farringdon: what you get
We inspect chimneys from wherever they can be seen safely: from ground level, from windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there’s access. With our Premium Survey, a drone inspection is included where applicable. Where part of a stack cannot be seen, the report says so. Each defect is recorded with a photo and a plain description. We survey chimney breasts, flaunching and shared and party-wall stacks, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are a chimney out of line and disused chimneys trapping moisture.
Many London terraces have a butterfly roof, with two slopes meeting in a central valley gutter that drains to the rear. Hidden behind the parapet, that gutter can block or split without anyone seeing it. If your home in Farringdon has one, it needs checking from somewhere that can actually see it.
What you get is a clear record of the chimney stack on the day we saw it. It is useful right away, and a good reference for later.
- Location
- Farringdon (EC1V, EC1R, EC1P)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Surveys for landlords and agents in Farringdon
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords, from shops and offices to industrial units. Bigger roofs take more time.
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To discuss a number of properties, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the addresses.
Nearby places to Farringdon
Other services in Farringdon
Why get it checked now?
A damp chimney breast seldom dries out until the cause is found. It can stain walls and damage plaster. Knowing whether it is the flaunching, flashings, brickwork or ventilation means the right fix can be planned. Many older London roofs have only old felt under the slates, or no underlay at all, so once the slates or flashings let water past, little stops it reaching ceilings. Left unchecked, water soaks into timber and plaster and the damage spreads.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Our price is from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Why book with us
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- A report with photos
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
When to book a survey in Farringdon
Some owners book because a chimney breast has been removed below and they want to know about the stack above. We note what’s visible in the roof space and outside, and the report recommends a structural engineer if support is a concern.
Most people get in touch after spotting something like this:
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Signs that a stack is leaning
If you live near a park like Barbican Conservatory, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Questions to ask before you book
- Are they insured for the work?
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
What you can safely check yourself
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.
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. Do not go up yourself.
What happens on the day
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof, but as a rough guide the survey takes roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. You’re welcome to ask questions while we’re there. In a London conversion, the way into the roof space is often from a communal landing or the top flat. If that applies to your building, it helps to agree access with the neighbours or the managing agent first. Everything else is planned around the building, not the postcode.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Getting ready for the survey
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
Getting a price
For a price for chimney surveys in Farringdon, ring 07833 053749 or email us. Some details about the property and the roof help us price the survey accurately.
Read more
Farringdon questions
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Farringdon?
It depends on the street. Where there are permit zones, a visitor permit or nearby pay-and-display bay works well, and a driveway is even better.
Is my home in Farringdon listed or in a conservation area?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Do you take photos of the roof?
Yes. Photographs are part of every report, so you can see exactly what each finding refers to.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
It is worth having a leaning stack checked. Our survey notes how it looks and the condition of the bricks and joints, and recommend a structural engineer where it may be a structural concern.
Are you insured?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability.
Can you find out why my chimney breast is damp?
Damp on a chimney breast typically means water is getting into the stack, or moisture is trapped inside it. The survey looks at the stack, the flashings and the capping and records the likely cause.
Chimney surveys around Farringdon
Close to the centre of London, a great many houses are Victorian or Edwardian terraces, many of them roofed in Welsh slate. Behind many of their parapets sit butterfly roofs and valley gutters that cannot be seen from the pavement. Lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are typical of these houses, if yours is one of them. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. Historic houses like Dr Johnson's House, about 0.4 miles south-west, show how far back building in the area around Farringdon goes. If your house is among the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof.
Landlords with a home close to Farringdon station may find that knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints. If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for example near Gabriel's Wharf, a written record of the roof’s condition helps you plan maintenance rather than react to leaks.
Farringdon is about 2 miles north of London, in Greater London. Anywhere in Farringdon, we can come and survey your property. Our Greater London coverage includes Farringdon and the places around it.
All of EC1V, EC1R and EC1P is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Local streets include Oat Lane, Shoe Lane and Long Lane. Main roads around Farringdon include the A1 and A4, so getting to you is simple. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Smithfield (1 mile south), Clerkenwell (1 mile north), Holborn (1 mile west), Blackfriars (1 mile south) and Temple Bar (1 mile south-west). Larger places within reach include Kensington (4 miles west), Walthamstow (6 miles north-east), Hampstead (4 miles north-west), Ruislip (14 miles west), Brompton (3 miles south-west) and Stockwell (4 miles south).
Local landmarks in Farringdon
We work in homes and buildings around The Castle Public House, St Mary-at-Hill and Barts Health Archives. Nearby too are St Peter and St Paul RC Primary School (under half a mile north), Barbican Conservatory (under half a mile east) and Central Foundation Boys' School (0.8 miles east). There is a railway station in Farringdon itself: Farringdon station. Other landmarks nearby include Museum of the Order of St John (within half a mile north-east) and Gabriel's Wharf (0.9 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Ludgate Hill and Barnsbury Wood.