Greater London · London and the South East
Hampstead Chimney Survey
A careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Hampstead, and put it all in a report with photographs.
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Cracked or missing flaunching
How a chimney survey works in Hampstead
A chimney stands up above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Over the years, the flaunching cracks, the pointing wears and flashings lift. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the roof space. A survey finds these problems and records them with photos. If you are worried about staining on walls around the chimney and flaunching that has broken away, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on lead flashings, brick chimney stacks and shared and party-wall stacks alike.
Victorian and Edwardian terraces are found right across London, 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 Hampstead, as across London, that is 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.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photos, sent by email. It sets out the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our written recommendations.
- Place
- Hampstead (NW3, NW6, NW11, N2)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Before and after the survey
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Make sure unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
If the report recommends a structural engineer, a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer, it will say why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
What affects the price in Hampstead
All our prices include VAT. What changes the price is:
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- How big the roof is
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, access and which survey you book.
Booking your survey
We’ll typically ask about:
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
Unsure which package suits your roof? The easiest way is to ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, putting the urgent items at the top.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.
Your questions about chimney surveys in Hampstead
I let a flat near Finchley Road & Frognal station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, that is a common request. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
Is my home in Hampstead listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Does the weather affect the survey?
A survey can normally go ahead in light rain. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so if conditions aren’t right we’ll arrange another day with you.
Do you inspect the flue?
No. A flue inspection, sweep or gas safety check is a separate job. We look at the stack, pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings, and damp inside, and we’ll say if anything suggests the flue needs checking.
When does the report arrive?
Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24–48 hours and Premium reports on the same day. All of them come by email.
Is it a problem to have an unused chimney?
There’s no single answer. We record how the stack is doing and whether it’s capped with ventilation. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need consent.
Does someone need to be in?
That depends on the survey. For inside areas and the roof space, someone has to give us access, while outside access can be discussed as you book.
What happens on the day
On the day, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you want to find out. After that, we check everything we can see safely. The survey normally takes between one and two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. In Hampstead, as in much of London, a good many properties are flats or terraces without side access, so the back of the roof is frequently seen from upstairs windows, from inside or, where a flight is allowed, from the air. If the building has a managing agent or access rules, tell us as you book.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We look at 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.
Getting ready for the survey
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
- Leave side gates unlocked
Arrange a survey
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, so phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details.
Related advice
Hampstead homes and their roofs
The wider area around Hampstead has a long history of building, with Fenton House about 0.4 miles north. If your house is among the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Many homes in inner London are Victorian and Edwardian terraces, frequently with Welsh slate roofs. Many have butterfly roofs draining to a central valley gutter, with parapet walls and gutters hidden behind them. Lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are typical of these houses, if yours is one of them. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
Take a building like Fitzjohn's Primary School: its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. If you live in an older home near St John-at-Hampstead church, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. Living close to Kilburn Grange Park is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Hampstead is about 3 miles north-west of City of Westminster, in Greater London. In Hampstead, as across Greater London, every roof gets the same careful survey. We cover towns and villages across Greater London.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: NW3, NW6, NW11 and N2. Streets in the area include Hampstead High Street, New End Square and The Mount Square, and we cover them all. With the A1 and A502 close by, Hampstead is easy for us to reach. We also cover Greenhill (1 mile north-east), West Hampstead (1 mile west), Fortune Green (1 mile west), Vale of Health (1 mile north) and South Hampstead (1 mile south). We also work in nearby towns such as London (5 miles south-east), City of Westminster (3 miles south-east), Marylebone (3 miles south-east), Kensington (4 miles south), St Pancras (3 miles south-east) and Shoreditch (5 miles south-east). As one of the bigger places in Greater London, Hampstead has every kind of building, from houses and flats to offices.
Near you in Hampstead
Around Hampstead, our work takes us to homes and buildings near South Hampstead High School, Kilburn Grange Park and St Anthony's Preparatory School and the streets around them. Other local landmarks include King William IV Public House (under half a mile north-east) and Cecil Sharp House (1.7 miles south-east). There is a railway station in Hampstead itself: Finchley Road & Frognal station. Other landmarks nearby include Isokon Gallery (0.8 miles east) and New End Hospital (within half a mile north). Open spaces near Hampstead include Belsize Wood and The Long Water.
Also near Hampstead
More services for Hampstead
When you need someone else
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Hidden damage within the stack
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- Flue inspections or sweeping
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
What you can safely check yourself
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground.