Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Forest Gate
Chimney surveys in Forest Gate from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys.
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Staining on walls around the chimney
Chimney survey in Forest Gate: what you get
A chimney survey looks at the stack and everything around it: the pots and cowls, the flaunching on top, the pointing, the brickwork and the flashings where it meets the roof. Inside, we check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft where it’s safe to reach. The findings come in a written report with photos and recommendations. It suits a single stack on a house as well as several on a larger building. Typical surveys look at staining on walls around the chimney and worn or missing pointing, across shared and party-wall stacks, lead flashings and chimney pots and cowls.
Victorian and Edwardian terraces are found right across London, many with Welsh slate roofs, shared chimney stacks and parapet or valley gutters. Good slates can last over a hundred years, yet the nails often give out first and let slates slip. Homes in Forest Gate are no exception. Shared chimney stacks and the lead around them are just as important to check.
The written findings come by email, ready to forward to whoever needs them. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Where
- Forest Gate (E7, E15, E11)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What a chimney survey looks like in Forest Gate
Inner London’s Victorian and Edwardian terraces often have Welsh slate roofs. Behind many of their parapets sit butterfly roofs and valley gutters that cannot be seen from the pavement. In a house like that, shared stacks, party-wall upstands and lead flashings all need looking at as far as they can be seen. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. About 2.2 miles north-east lies Valentines Mansion, a reminder of how long the area around Forest Gate has been built on. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters.
For businesses in and around places such as Stratford Centre, knowing the roof’s condition lets you budget for work rather than pay for emergencies. For site and facilities teams at buildings like Woodgrange Infant School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Forest Gate is about 6 miles north-east of London, in Greater London. We visit Forest Gate as part of our work across Greater London, for homes and businesses alike. Forest Gate is one of the towns and villages in Greater London we cover. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
Every address in E7, E15 and E11 is covered for chimney surveys. We offer chimney surveys to properties on Elm Road, Ash Road and Cary Road and the roads around them. Forest Gate is on the A114 and A116, which makes it simple to reach. If you are just outside Forest Gate, we cover Upton (1 mile south), Aldersbrook (1 mile north), Holloway Down (1 mile west), Plashet (1 mile south-east) and Little Ilford (1 mile east). Larger places within reach include London (6 miles south-west), City of Westminster (8 miles west), Marylebone (8 miles west), Kensington (10 miles west), St Pancras (6 miles west) and Shoreditch (5 miles west).
Around Forest Gate
Typical jobs here are in homes near Tyndale Academy, Forest Gate Community School and The Hudson Bay pub and the streets around them. Forest Gate has its own railway station: Wanstead Park station. A little further out are Stratford Centre (1.3 miles south-west) and Passmore Edwards Museum (0.9 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include Hollow Pond and Old Ford Island.
Common roof problems in Forest Gate
Lots of homes have redundant stacks. A stack sealed without ventilation can trap damp. Damp patches can appear on chimney breasts even when nothing is leaking.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
Landlords with a home close to Wanstead Park station may find that a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Before booking anyone
- What they won’t be able to tell you
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Whether VAT is added on top
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
Prices for chimney surveys in Forest Gate
Survey packages start from £150, inc. VAT. The price for your roof depends on:
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
For a price for your roof in Forest Gate, call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and some details. We will confirm the figure before booking.
What to tell us when you get in touch
You do not need to know any roofing terms. It’s enough to let us know:
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
- What’s prompted the survey
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Where the property is, with the postcode
Getting a price is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or email us and give us some details about the property and we’ll point you to the right survey. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
What we cannot see
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so there are some things a survey can’t cover:
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- Conditions inside walls
- Flue inspections or sweeping
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you. What a survey covers and does not.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
How it works
We do not take risks to get a closer look. We inspect whatever is safely visible, and if part of the roof can’t be seen, the report says so. Most visits take roughly 1–2 hours for most houses, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. In converted houses and mansion blocks, the loft hatch is often on a shared landing. 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 start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
How to prepare
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
Getting a price
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine, and please don’t climb up for a closer look. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Advice
Places near Forest Gate
What else we do in Forest Gate
Leave it or get it looked at?
If you’re thinking of removing or reducing a stack, it helps to know its condition first. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need permission from the council, so check with them first. 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 alone, that means wet timbers and plaster, which is a far bigger job than the roof fault itself.
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how safely it can be seen. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT.
Why book with us
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Photos and a written report every time
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
Read our cost guide or two real surveys.
Forest Gate: your questions answered
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Wanstead Park station?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. Just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the details.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Forest Gate?
In much of London, parking needs planning: a visitor permit or a bay close to the door helps a lot.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. We will talk about access when you book.
Is it a problem to have an unused chimney?
There’s no single answer. We record how the stack is doing and whether it is capped with ventilation. If you’re thinking of removing it, check with the council first in a conservation area or on a listed building.
Which parts of the chimney do you look at?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. You get a written report with photos.
How can you see the top of the stack?
We look from the ground, from windows and from the loft where it’s safe. Where applicable, our Premium Survey adds a drone inspection for a closer view. Any area we couldn’t view is noted.
What’s the best way to book?
Just call 07833 053749 or email us with the address. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day.
What you can safely check yourself
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
A lot can be seen from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.