Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Forest Hill, Greater London
Chimney surveys in Forest Hill from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. Over 5,000 surveys and 20+ years behind us across London and South East England.
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- A stack that appears to lean
- Bricks with flaking faces
Chimney survey in Forest Hill: what you get
On terraced and semi-detached houses, a chimney stack is frequently shared with next door. We inspect the parts we can see safely and the parts the owner gives us access to. Where a problem seems to involve a neighbour’s side, the report records it and you can then discuss it with them. Everything is written up with photos and our recommendations. If you’re worried about mortar washing out of the joints and pots or cowls that look unsafe, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
London has Victorian and Edwardian terraces in almost every borough, frequently with slate roofs, chimney stacks shared with neighbours and gutters hidden behind parapets. Slates can last a century or more, but the nails holding them corrode, and slates slip. In Forest Hill, as across London, that’s why a roof needs a proper look rather than a glance from the street. Shared chimney stacks and the lead around them are just as important to check.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Forest Hill (SE23, SE22, SE26)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Checking the roof from the ground
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Share it with us as you book, as it helps us focus the survey.
When to book a survey in Forest Hill
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. Loose pots can follow.
Problems we come across often include:
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Signs that a stack is leaning
Trees in and around Peckham Rye shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Before you book anyone
- Are they insured for the work?
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- How soon the report will arrive
- What follow-up you get after the report
Tips that help
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
You get the report by email and can pass it to whoever does the work. We use plain English and a photo for each defect so anyone reading it can see what we saw.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
Places near Forest Hill
More services for Forest Hill
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
We survey roofs for landlords and agents as well as householders. A report with photographs gives you a clear record of the chimney stack, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on, photographs included.
What a chimney survey doesn’t cover
Every survey has limits, and it’s better to know them up front. Bear these in mind:
- Hidden damage within the stack
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll point you to the right survey. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we look at
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
What a chimney survey looks like in Forest Hill
Historic houses such as Kingswood House, about 1.6 miles south-west, show how far back building in the area around Forest Hill goes. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Close to the centre of London, a great many houses are Victorian or Edwardian terraces, many of them roofed in Welsh slate. Many have butterfly roofs draining to a central valley gutter, with parapet walls and gutters hidden behind them. Shared chimney stacks, party-wall upstands and lead work come with this kind of house. Whatever the covering, it’s frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
Landlords with a home close to Honor Oak Park station may find that a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let. The streets around a church such as Honor Oak Christian Fellowship Centre are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Forest Hill is about 2 miles south-east of East Dulwich, in Greater London. Anywhere in Forest Hill, we can carry out chimney surveys at your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Our area takes in places right across Greater London.
We work across SE23, SE22 and SE26 for chimney surveys. You’ll find streets such as Ewart Road, London Road and Rojack Road, and we cover them all. Other places close to Forest Hill include Honor Oak (1 mile north), Perry Vale (1 mile south-east), Brockley (1 mile north-east), Crofton Park (1 mile north-east) and Dulwich (1 mile west). We also work in nearby towns such as London (4 miles north-west), City of Westminster (6 miles north-west), Marylebone (6 miles north-west), Kensington (7 miles north-west), St Pancras (6 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (6 miles north).
Around Forest Hill
In Forest Hill, that means homes and buildings near Allenby Tutorial Trust, Capitol Cinema pub and Harris Girls' Academy East Dulwich. The closest station to Forest Hill is Honor Oak Park station, roughly 0.5 miles north-east of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Greenwich Castle (3.1 miles north-east) and Horniman Museum and Gardens (0.5 miles south-west). The countryside around Forest Hill includes One Tree Hill and Knight's Hill.
What happens on the day
The visit typically starts outside and finishes in the loft: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the loft space where it can be reached. All told, expect about one to two hours for most houses, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. In Forest Hill, as in much of London, lots of properties are flats or terraces without side access, so rear slopes are viewed from windows, the loft or, where a flight is allowed, by drone. Mention any building rules, key holders or managing agents when you book.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We check every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there is access.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Before we arrive
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Tell us about parking before the day
Arrange a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply call 07833 053749 or send us an email whenever suits you.
Related advice
Questions from Forest Hill
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Honor Oak Park station?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. Just phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Forest Hill?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only when it is safe. Safety comes first, and fragile or steep roofs cannot always be walked on. We use safe viewpoints, the loft space and a drone where it applies, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning, with whoever owns or manages the building. Let us know about it when booking and we’ll explain what’s needed.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Someone needs to let us in if we’re looking inside or in the loft. We will talk about access as you book.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it applies and safe. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where applicable.
What do you check on a chimney?
Every part of the stack we can see from safe positions: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. Leaning, unused stacks and damp on chimney breasts are recorded too.