Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Friern Barnet, Greater London
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Friern Barnet, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photos.
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Signs that a stack is leaning
Before and after the survey
Getting the most from a chimney survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
- Make sure unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Don’t use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
With a shared stack, the report can help when talking to next door. The photos show the problem and which side it is on, as far as we could see.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. It is far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
About our chimney survey in Friern Barnet
A leaning chimney stack is worth having looked at. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down, often after years of flue gases and damp. The survey notes how the stack looks, how far it seems to lean and the state of the bricks and joints. Where it may be a structural concern, we will recommend a structural engineer. We survey chimney breasts, lead flashings and shared and party-wall stacks, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are damaged chimney pots and cowls and redundant stacks capped without ventilation.
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 Friern Barnet as anywhere. A defect on a shared roof can reach more than one flat. 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.
- Location
- Friern Barnet (N11, N12, N10, N20)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Roof by roof
Flaunching
Cracked flaunching is one of the most common chimney defects we record. It is usually a modest repair when it’s caught early.
Rendered stacks
What’s behind the render cannot be seen without removing some, so the report says what can and can’t be judged.
What a survey costs
Not every roof costs the same to survey, and it comes down to:
- Roof area
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
For a price for your roof in Friern Barnet, call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and a few details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Helping us price your survey
There’s no need for technical words. Just let us know:
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- What’s prompted the survey
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
Once you know what you need, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Why act early in Friern Barnet
A leaning stack should be looked at sooner rather than later. We record its condition and recommend a structural engineer where needed, so you know where you stand. Behind a London parapet, a blocked gutter can sit full of water without anyone seeing it. When the stain finally shows, the damage underneath is often older than it looks.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before booking.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Friern Barnet
- 98% customer satisfaction
- Photographs and a written report every time
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- An independent view of the roof
Places near Friern Barnet
What else we do in Friern Barnet
FAQs for Friern Barnet
Is parking a problem for a survey in Friern Barnet?
In much of London, parking needs planning: a visitor permit or a bay close to the door helps a lot.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near New Southgate station?
Of course. We just need to know who will give access, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
Do you need to get into the loft?
If the survey needs it and the loft space can be reached safely, yes. Please clear anything stored under the hatch, and if the loft can’t be reached safely, the report says so.
What should I do with a chimney I don’t use?
A redundant chimney needs looking after like any other. If it is capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside. Our survey records its condition and how it is capped, so you can plan what to do with it.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. It is a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof and can sit alongside a RICS survey.
Do I need to be at home?
Not necessarily. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
My chimney looks like it is leaning. What should I do?
A leaning stack should be looked at. 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.
Chimney surveys in Friern Barnet: local notes
Outer London has lots of Victorian and Edwardian terraces with slate roofs, but also a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look. With Heath Hall about 2.7 miles south, Friern Barnet sits in an area with a long building history. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If you look after a building such as Holly Park Primary School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. Shop and office owners around Grand Arcade may find that a roof report helps plan work around trading rather than after a leak.
Friern Barnet is about 2 miles north-east of Finchley, in Greater London. Friern Barnet gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a proper look at everything that’s safely in view, photographs and a clear written report. Across Greater London, we cover Friern Barnet and the places around it. Our London page covers surveys nearby.
All of N11, N12, N10 and N20 is covered for chimney surveys. We offer chimney surveys to properties on Martock Gardens, Shapwick Close and Radstock Close and the roads around them. You’ll find Friern Barnet on the A406 and B550, so it is easy for us to get to. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include New Southgate (1 mile east), Brunswick Park (1 mile north), North Finchley (1 mile west), Arnos Grove (1 mile east) and Whetstone (1 mile north-west). Larger places within reach include London (8 miles south), City of Westminster (7 miles south), Marylebone (7 miles south), Kensington (8 miles south), St Pancras (6 miles south) and Shoreditch (7 miles south-east).
Around Friern Barnet
Typical jobs here are in homes near Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum, Friary Park and Friern Barnet School and the streets around them. There is a railway station in Friern Barnet itself: New Southgate station. Well-known places in the area include Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum (1.4 miles west) and Grand Arcade (1 mile west). For a walk, there’s Highgate Hill and Darland's Lake.
What we do, step by step
We photograph the roof as we go, so you can see in the report what we found and where. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available, including by drone where it’s applicable and the weather allows. Most surveys take about one to two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. London terraces rarely offer a view of the whole roof from one spot, so in Friern Barnet we work round the house, using the street, the windows, the loft and any safe vantage point behind it. Shared stairs or a basement flat? Let us know who holds the keys.
- You let us know whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We check the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Preparing for the visit
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
Arrange a survey
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Read more
Signs you need a chimney survey in Friern Barnet
Stacks that were used for open fires for many years can weaken from the inside. Flue gases and damp can break down the mortar, sometimes more on one side than the other, which can make a stack lean.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
If you let a flat or house near New Southgate station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- When you will get the report
- Which limits apply to the survey
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection