Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Farthing Street
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Farthing Street, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photographs.
- A chimney out of line
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Mortar washing out of the joints
Useful tips for Farthing Street property owners
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
After the visit, we write up the report with photographs of each stack. It covers the pots, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings, and any damp we found inside. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24 to 48 hours and Premium reports the same day.
Make sure redundant flues are capped with ventilation. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
About our chimney survey in Farthing Street
If you’re buying a home with chimneys, it’s worth knowing their condition before you exchange. On older stacks, we often find cracked flaunching, loose flashings and worn pointing. You get photos and findings you can take back to the seller or agent. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it. We are often asked to look into spalled or crumbling bricks and staining on walls around the chimney, on chimney breasts, flaunching and lead flashings.
Much of London’s housing is flats, in converted houses or purpose-built blocks, so roofs are often shared between several households. Whoever looks after the building needs a clear picture of the roof, chimneys and gutters, in Farthing Street as anywhere. Leaks from a shared roof rarely affect just one home. A report gives everyone the same picture to plan from, with photos.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Place
- Farthing Street (BR6)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey changes by roof type
Rendered stacks
What’s behind the render can’t be seen without removing some, so the report says what can and cannot be judged.
Flaunching
Sitting at the very top, flaunching is fully exposed. We look for cracks, gaps around the pots and missing pieces.
Why it is worth a survey now in Farthing Street
A leaning stack should be looked at sooner rather than later. We record its condition and recommend a structural engineer where needed, so you can decide what to do next. A hidden valley or parapet gutter on a London house can hold water for weeks before anyone notices. When the stain finally shows, the damage underneath is often older than it looks.
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how it can be reached and seen safely. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT.
Why book us in Farthing Street
- Clear package prices, inc. VAT
- Over 20 years’ experience
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- Plain-English reports with photos
Read our cost guide and our case studies.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Farthing Street
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps with budgets and planning.
With a portfolio of properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the addresses.
Common questions in Farthing Street
Is parking a problem for a survey in Farthing Street?
Normally it’s manageable with a little notice. Tell us what parking is available nearby, and the visit is planned around it.
How do I find out if my home in Farthing Street is listed?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. 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.
Do you use drones?
Where it is applicable and safe, yes. We fly a sub-250g drone and we’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where applicable.
Are you insured?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and details are available on request.
What’s in the survey report?
It explains what we saw, what it means and what we’d suggest, with photos throughout. It also says if any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely, so you know exactly what was covered.
Does someone need to be in?
Not always. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
How much is a survey?
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Our three packages are Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included.
Local roofs in Farthing Street
In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older 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. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. About 1 mile south lies Down House, a reminder of how long the area around Farthing Street has been built on. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters.
If you look after a building like Downe Primary School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time. Take an older house close to St Mary's Church: its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. For landlords with property near Orpington station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Farthing Street is about 4 miles south-west of Orpington, in Greater London. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Farthing Street can all book chimney surveys. We cover towns and villages across Greater London. There is also a page for London.
We work across the BR6 postcode area for chimney surveys. Whether your property is on Farthing Street, New Road Hill and Orange Court Lane or a nearby road, we can survey it. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Downe (1 mile south-east), Leaves Green (1 mile south-west), Hazelwood (1 mile south-east), Keston (1 mile north-west) and Farnborough (1 mile north-east). Larger places within reach include London (12 miles north-west), City of Westminster (15 miles north-west), Marylebone (15 miles north-west), Kensington (15 miles north-west), St Pancras (14 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (14 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Farthing Street
In Farthing Street, that means homes and buildings near Darrick Wood School, South Park and The Queens Head pub, among other places. The nearest railway station is Orpington station, about 2.6 miles north-east of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Princess Royal University Hospital (1.4 miles north) and Crofton Roman Villa (2.5 miles north-east). For a walk, there is Betsom's Hill and West Kent Golf Course nature reserve.
Towns and villages near Farthing Street
What else we do in Farthing Street
Can I check my roof myself?
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry, as it helps us focus the survey.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
How the survey works
We don’t take risks to get a closer look. We inspect whatever is safely visible, and anything we cannot see is noted in the report. Most visits take roughly 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. In a London area like Farthing Street, the main things to sort out are parking and access: let us know about parking, the floor the property is on, any shared entrance and loft access. On the day, the roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from inside the roof space and from the roof where it’s safe.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can safely be seen.
- 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.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Before we arrive
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
Book a survey
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, ring 07833 053749 or email us.