Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Hooley
Chimney surveys in Hooley from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys.
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- A stack that appears to lean
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Hooley
A chimney survey is about the outside of the stack and the roof around it. It is not a flue inspection, a chimney sweep or a gas safety inspection. If you use a fire or a gas appliance, the flue should be checked by a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer as appropriate. If something we see points to the flue, we will say so. If you’re worried about staining on walls around the chimney and mortar washing out of the joints, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
A London butterfly roof slopes down to a central valley gutter that drains to the back of the house. Hidden behind the parapet, that gutter can block or split without anyone seeing it. If your home in Hooley has one, it needs checking from somewhere that can actually see it.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent, whichever applies.
- Place
- Hooley (CR5, RH1)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey changes by roof type
Lead flashings
Some older stacks have mortar fillets instead of lead. They crack with age, and we check them too.
Flaunching
The sloping mortar around the pots is called flaunching. Cracks in it let water into the stack.
What happens if roof problems are left?
For a buyer, the best time to learn about a chimney is before exchange. Once you’ve exchanged, the work is down to you. A report gives you something specific to put to the seller. In a London terrace or conversion, a roof defect rarely stays your problem alone: failed flashings and blocked valley gutters can send water into more than one home. Finding it early keeps the work smaller.
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 choose Independent Roof Survey in Hooley
- Every finding written up with photos
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- 20+ years’ experience
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
How the survey works
Once we’ve finished looking, we write up our findings as a report with photographs, sent to you by email. On timing, most surveys take between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Surveys in Hooley can be booked for any day of the week. It helps if you can point us to a visitor permit or a nearby bay. A back bedroom window can be the best vantage point for a rear addition, so we may ask to use one.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We look at the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
How to prepare
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
How to book
Getting a price is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and give us a few details about the property and we will recommend the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Related advice
What this survey can’t tell you
No survey can tell you everything, and it is better to know them up front. Bear these in mind:
- Parts of the stack that can’t be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we cannot access
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will recommend the right survey before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we look at
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
Hooley homes and their roofs
Further from the centre, London’s housing takes in interwar semis with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles as well as slate-roofed terraces. On a semi of that age, the small roofs over the bays, the hip tiles and any later dormer each need their own look. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. An older home may be listed, or stand in a conservation area. Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the council can say whether a street is in a conservation area. Re-roofing in different materials may need permission there.
For landlords with property near Chipstead station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant. For businesses in and around places such as The Belfry, a written record of the roof’s condition helps you plan maintenance rather than react to leaks. If you look after a building like Coulsdon Sixth Form College, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Hooley is about 2 miles south-west of Coulsdon, in Greater London. Anywhere in Hooley, we can carry out chimney surveys at your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Hooley is one of the towns and villages in Greater London we cover. We also survey roofs in Crawley.
Here we cover the CR5 and RH1 postcode area for chimney surveys. Whether your property is on Church Lane Avenue, Church Lane Drive and Brighton Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. We also cover Netherne on-the-Hill (1 mile east), Merstham (2 miles south), Mugswell (2 miles south-west), Gatton (2 miles south) and South Merstham (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover London (15 miles north), City of Westminster (15 miles north), Kensington (15 miles north), Brompton (14 miles north), Stockwell (12 miles north) and Orpington (13 miles north-east).
What’s near Hooley
We work in homes and buildings around The White Hart pub and Shabden Park and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Chipstead station, about 1.4 miles north-west. Nearby you’ll also find East Surrey Museum (3.4 miles east) and St Lawrence's Hospital (2.5 miles east). The countryside around Hooley includes Colley Hill and South London Downs National Nature Reserve.
Can I check my roof myself?
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Before and after the survey
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out:
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
The report is emailed to you, ready to share with a roofer or builder. We use plain English and a photo for each defect, so it’s easy to follow.
Have aerial and dish brackets on the stack checked and taken off if they’re no longer needed. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
Hooley questions
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Chipstead station?
Of course. We just need to know who will give access, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Hooley?
London parking needs a little planning, so let us know about permits, bays or a driveway when booking. That way the visit can be planned around it.
Does someone need to be in?
Not necessarily. If we only need the outside, we can agree that beforehand, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
What happens next?
You will receive the report by email, and what you do next is up to you: use it with a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent.
Do you use drones?
Yes, where it’s applicable. Whether we can fly on the day depends on the weather and the airspace rules. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once access has been agreed. Roofs over flats are frequently shared, so the building owner or managing agent needs to agree access. We inspect only the parts we are allowed to reach.
What insurance do you have?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and we can provide details if a managing agent needs them.