Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Holloway Down, Greater London
Wondering about the chimney stack at a property in Holloway Down? We carry out chimney surveys in Holloway Down and across Greater London.
- A stack that appears to lean
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Flaunching that has broken away
About our chimney survey in Holloway Down
For buyers, a chimney survey before exchange can flag work you may want to raise. Cracked flaunching, failed flashings and worn pointing are common findings on older stacks. You get photographs and findings you can take back to the seller or agent. It works alongside a RICS home survey, not instead of one. Common reasons to book are lifted or split lead flashings and worn or missing pointing, on chimney pots and cowls, flaunching and brick chimney stacks.
Much of London’s housing is flats, in converted houses or purpose-built blocks, so roofs are often shared between several households. Landlords, managing agents and residents’ companies need to know what condition it is in and what work is coming up. A defect on a shared roof can reach more than one flat. With a written report and photographs, everyone can plan from the same facts.
Where we cannot see part of the chimney stack, the report says so. That way, it is clear what was covered and what wasn’t.
- Location
- Holloway Down (E11, E15, E7)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What we can’t see
To be straight with you, there are limits to any roof survey:
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
What we check
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
Signs you need a chimney survey in Holloway Down
Years of fires can affect the mortar inside a stack. Flue gases and damp can break down the mortar, sometimes more on one side than the other, which is one reason stacks start to lean.
People usually book a survey after spotting something like this:
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
Take an older house close to Holy Trinity & St Augustine of Hippo: corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- How soon the report will arrive
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- What exactly goes into their report
- Their insurance cover
Should I look at the roof myself first?
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way. That is where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we look at the roof.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Damp in a chimney breast typically gets worse while the cause is left. It can spoil decoration and plaster. Knowing whether it is the flaunching, flashings, brickwork or ventilation means the right fix can be planned. 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.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so the price reflects that. The price is confirmed before you book.
Why book us in Holloway Down
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- 20+ years’ experience
- PI and public liability insurance
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
Practical tips
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They apply to most roofs:
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Check fixings on the stack are secure
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
If anything in the report isn’t clear, just ask us. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Have aerial and dish brackets on the stack checked, and moved if they’re working it loose. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
Holloway Down homes and their roofs
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. If your home in Holloway Down is one of them, lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are part of the picture too. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. About 2.4 miles west lies Sutton House, a reminder of how long the area around Holloway Down has been built on. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs.
If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for example near Westfield Stratford City, a roof report helps plan work around trading rather than after a leak. Homes near green spaces like West Ham Park can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
Holloway Down is about 1 mile north of Stratford, in Greater London. Wherever you are in Holloway Down, we can carry out chimney surveys at your property. Our Greater London coverage includes Holloway Down and the places around it. We also survey roofs in London.
Here we cover the E11, E15 and E7 postcode area for chimney surveys. Whether your property is on Eve Road, Cary Road and Lynn Road or anywhere close by, we can help. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include East Village (1 mile south-west), Temple Mills (1 mile west), Maryland (1 mile south), Stratford (1 mile south) and Leyton (1 mile north-west). We also work in nearby towns such as London (6 miles south-west), City of Westminster (7 miles west), Marylebone (7 miles west), Kensington (10 miles south-west), St Pancras (6 miles west) and Shoreditch (4 miles south-west).
What’s near Holloway Down
In Holloway Down, that means homes and buildings near West Ham Park, Stratford Circus and Buxton School, among other places. The nearest railway station is Maryland station, roughly 0.6 miles south. Well-known places in the area include Tower of London (4.7 miles south-west) and Queen Mary's Hospital for the East End (0.9 miles south). Open spaces near Holloway Down include Tower Hill and Old Ford Island.
How it works
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. Then the inspection itself takes about 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. From the street, a London terrace usually shows only its front slope or parapet, so a visit in Holloway Down moves between viewpoints: the pavement, upstairs windows, the loft and any safe spot at the back. Shared stairs or a basement flat? Let us know who holds the keys.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Before the survey
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Arrange a survey
Unsure which package suits your roof? The easiest way is to ring 07833 053749 or email us and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We will explain the options and the price.
Advice
Holloway Down: your questions answered
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Holloway Down?
It rarely stops a survey, but it is worth planning. Let us know what parking is available nearby, and the visit is planned around it.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Holloway Down?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is in a conservation area. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
What will the report tell me?
Written findings with photographs, covering the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend, by urgency where it matters. Standard adds moisture detection and a structural check; Premium adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
What does a roof survey cost?
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Our Basic Survey starts from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all with VAT included.
Is a chimney survey the same as a flue inspection?
No. A flue inspection, sweep or gas safety check is a separate job. We check the stack, pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings, and damp inside and flag anything that suggests the flue needs a look.
Do you inspect shared chimneys?
Yes. Shared stacks are common on terraced and semi-detached houses. We record the stack as far as we can see it and flag anything on the neighbour’s side.
My chimney looks like it’s 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 if it may be a structural issue, we recommend a structural engineer.