Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Foots Cray, Greater London
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Foots Cray. We have completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
Chimney survey in Foots Cray: what you get
For buyers, a chimney survey before exchange can flag work you may want to raise. On older stacks, we often find cracked flaunching, loose flashings and worn pointing. Our report gives you specific points to raise with the seller or agent. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it. Typical surveys look at pots or cowls that look unsafe and disused chimneys trapping moisture, across chimney breasts, brick chimney stacks and flaunching.
London has a great many flats in converted houses and 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 Foots Cray as anywhere. Leaks from a shared roof rarely affect just one home. With a written report and photographs, everyone can plan from the same facts.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Where
- Foots Cray (DA14, BR5)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Prices for chimney surveys in Foots Cray
To price your survey, we look at:
- The roof’s overall size
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
- Which survey package you book
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, including VAT, and we’ll tell you which fits.
What to tell us when you contact us
If you can, have these to hand when you get in touch:
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Any deadline, like an exchange date
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
Booking is simple: just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and give us some details about the property and we’ll point you to the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Questions from Foots Cray
I let a flat near Sidcup station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, landlords and letting agents book with us as well as owners. Just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and let us know about the building.
Is my home in Foots Cray listed or in a conservation area?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. Our survey is a roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey of the whole building. It focuses on the roof and can sit alongside a RICS survey.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Do you cover Foots Cray?
Yes. Our area covers London and South East England, and that includes Foots Cray.
How long will you be at the property?
Expect it to take about 1–2 hours at a typical home, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. The written report follows by email.
What insurance do you have?
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance cover our surveys. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
How it works
Where it is relevant and can be reached safely, the loft space is checked as well as the outside. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement, as far as the space allows. All in, the survey usually takes an hour or two for most houses, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Surveys in Foots Cray can be booked for any day of the week. 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.
- You let us know how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Preparing for the visit
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we are coming
Booking a survey
You can call us seven days a week. To book or ask a question, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Related advice
Before and after the survey
Small things make a difference. Our tips:
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Check fixings on the stack are secure
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
Questions about the findings are always welcome. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. The sooner damp is spotted, the easier the cause is to find.
Foots Cray homes and their roofs
Alongside Victorian and Edwardian terraces, outer London has a great many interwar semis, frequently with hipped roofs of clay or concrete tiles. On a semi of that age, the small roofs over the bays, the hip tiles and any later dormer each need their own look. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. With Danson House about 2.8 miles north, Foots Cray 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 any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
Shop and office owners around Broadway Shopping Centre may find that knowing the roof’s condition lets you budget for work rather than pay for emergencies. Take a building like Orchard Primary School: long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Foots Cray is about 1 mile south-east of Sidcup, in Greater London. Surveys in Foots Cray work the same way as everywhere we cover: a careful inspection, photos and a written report. We cover towns and villages across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: DA14 and BR5. Whether your property is on Cray Road, Evry Road and The Avenue or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Main roads around Foots Cray include the A223. If you’re just outside Foots Cray, we cover Ruxley (1 mile east), Albany Park (1 mile north-west), Upper Ruxley (1 mile east), Sidcup (1 mile north-west) and North Cray (2 miles north-east). Further out, we also cover London (11 miles north-west), City of Westminster (13 miles north-west), Marylebone (13 miles north-west), Kensington (15 miles north-west), St Pancras (13 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (11 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Foots Cray
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Foots Cray Meadows, Kemnal Technology College and Walsingham School. For rail, the closest station is Sidcup station, roughly 1.4 miles north of the centre. Nearby you will also find Metropolitan Police Museum (1.3 miles north-west) and Queen Mary's Hospital (0.6 miles west). Green spaces nearby include Summer Hill and The Warren.
Common roof problems in Foots Cray
The flaunching on top of a stack holds the pots in place and sheds water. Once it cracks, water gets in and frost makes the cracks bigger. In time, the pots can become loose.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- A stack that appears to lean
For landlords with property near Sidcup station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
Before booking anyone
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- What follow-up you get after the report
- Which limits apply to the survey
Leave it or get it looked at?
Loose pots and bricks on a stack are a safety concern. Finding them early means they can be dealt with before they come down by a suitable contractor. Any roof job in Foots Cray means planning around parking, neighbours and access. Knowing what’s needed early gives you time to plan it calmly.
A Basic Survey starts from £150, including VAT. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400. You’ll know the price for your roof before booking.
Why us?
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Clear package prices, including VAT
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Can I check my roof myself?
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are frequently out of sight.