Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Hanwell
Wondering about the chimney stack at a property in Hanwell? You can book a chimney survey in Hanwell and across Greater London, with plain-English findings.
- Worn or missing pointing
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
How the survey changes by roof type
Flaunching
Cracked flaunching is one of the most common chimney defects we record. It is usually a modest repair when it’s caught early.
Lead flashings
Mortar fillets are sometimes used where lead would normally be. They tend to crack, so we look at them closely.
How a chimney survey works in Hanwell
On terraced and semi-detached houses, a chimney stack is often shared with next door. We inspect the parts we can see safely and the parts the owner gives us access to. If a defect appears to be on the neighbour’s side, we note it, so you can talk to them. Everything is written up with photos and what we recommend. We survey brick chimney stacks, chimney breasts and chimney pots and cowls, and the problems we are asked to look at most are signs that a stack is leaning and unused flues sealed without airflow.
Many London terraces have a butterfly roof, with two slopes meeting in a central valley gutter that drains to the rear. From the street you see only a parapet wall, so blocked outlets and split linings go unnoticed until water comes through a ceiling. For a house in Hanwell with this kind of roof, the hidden gutter is one of the first things 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
- Hanwell (W7, W13, UB2)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we do, step by step
The visit has one job: to look at the chimney stack as closely as is safe and record what we find. Notes and photographs go into the written report. It usually takes an hour or two at a typical home, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. 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.
Before we arrive
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the freeholder or managing agent
Book a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email when you’re ready.
Related advice
Why get it checked now?
Loose pots and bricks on a stack are a safety concern. A survey picks them out so they can be made safe by a roofer. Blocked gutters and hoppers on London houses overflow and soak brickwork, which can lead to damp inside. A small blockage left for a few winters becomes a damp problem.
We offer three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Why book us in Hanwell
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
- Customer satisfaction of 98%
Read how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.
What we are asked to look at in Hanwell
Aerials and dishes are often fixed to stacks. Their weight and the wind on them can loosen bricks and pointing. Any fixings on the stack are checked and recorded.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Mortar washing out of the joints
Homes near green spaces such as Drayton Green can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Are they insured for the work?
- What happens after the report arrives
- When you will get the report
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
Places near Hanwell
Also in Hanwell
Before and after the survey
Small things make a difference, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Some pointers:
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
- Make sure fixings on the stack are secure
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
Many people use the report to get quotes for the work. With the same list in front of each contractor, comparing quotes is simpler.
Check redundant flues are capped with ventilation. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
FAQs for Hanwell
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Hanwell?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
I let a flat near Hanwell 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 we can send the report to you or your agent.
Do you need to go on the roof to check the chimney?
We use safe viewpoints rather than climbing onto the stack. A drone inspection is part of the Premium Survey where applicable. The report is clear about anything that couldn’t be seen.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
What will the report tell me?
It works through the roof part by part, in writing and with photos, and ends with what we recommend. Points are put with the most urgent first where relevant.
Do you cover Hanwell for chimney surveys?
Yes, we do. Hanwell is part of the area we cover.
Can you find out why my chimney breast is damp?
Damp on a chimney breast typically means water is getting into the stack, or moisture is trapped inside it. The survey looks at the stack, the flashings and the capping, and record what we find.
Chimney surveys around Hanwell
Historic houses such as Pitzhanger Manor, about 1.3 miles east, show how far back building in the area around Hanwell goes. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. Alongside Victorian and Edwardian terraces, outer London has a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs of clay or concrete tiles. If your home in Hanwell is one of them, bay roofs, hips and later dormers each have their own details. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
If you live in an older home near Church of St Mellitus, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first. If you look after a building like St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Hanwell is about 1 mile west of Ealing, in Greater London. From houses to flats and shops in Hanwell, we can survey the roof. Hanwell is one of the places in Greater London we cover for chimney surveys. We also survey roofs in London.
We cover every part of the W7, W13 and UB2 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. You’ll find streets like Park Road, Green Lane and Felix Road, and we cover them all. Main roads around Hanwell include the A4001, which makes travel easy. If you are just outside Hanwell, we cover West Ealing (1 mile west), Ealing (1 mile east), Dormers Wells (1 mile north-west), South Ealing (1 mile south-east) and Pitshanger (2 miles north-east). Larger places within reach include London (10 miles east), City of Westminster (8 miles east), Marylebone (8 miles east), Kensington (6 miles east), St Pancras (10 miles east) and Shoreditch (11 miles east).
Around Hanwell
In Hanwell, that means homes and buildings near Drayton Manor High School, Cuckoo Schools and Drayton Green and the streets around them. Hanwell has its own railway station: Hanwell station. A little further out are Ealing Hospital (under half a mile west) and Gunnersbury Park House - Large Mansion (2.3 miles east). For a walk, there is Middle Lake and Castlebar Hill.
Checking the roof from the ground
A lot can be seen from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.