Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Ilford
Need a chimney survey in Ilford? We can help, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Worn or missing pointing
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
What happens on the day
On the day, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that’s worrying you. After that, we check everything we can see safely. Most surveys take about 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. In Ilford, as in much of London, lots of properties are flats or terraces without side access, so the back of the roof is often seen from upstairs windows, from inside or, where a flight is allowed, from the air. Mention any building rules, key holders or managing agents as you book.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- We look at the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- 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
- Let us know about parking near the property
Book a survey
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
Related advice
About our chimney survey in Ilford
A chimney survey is about the outside of the stack and the roof around it. It’s not a flue inspection, a chimney sweep or a gas safety inspection. For the flue itself, you’ll need a sweep or, for gas appliances, a Gas Safe registered engineer. If something we see points to the flue, we’ll say so. If you’ve noticed cracked or missing flaunching and flashings pulling away from the stack, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
Victorian and Edwardian terraces are found right across London, many with Welsh slate roofs, shared chimney stacks and parapet or valley gutters. Slates can last a century or more, but the nails holding them corrode, and slates slip. Homes in Ilford are no exception. Shared chimney stacks and the lead around them are just as important to check.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the coverings down to the gutters, with a note and a photo for each point. It records what’s sound as well as what isn’t.
- Location
- Ilford (IG1, IG3, IG2, E12)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What we’re asked to look at in Ilford
A stack takes the weather from every direction. Frost works into cracks in the flaunching and pointing, and rain soaks into worn brickwork. People usually call us when they notice damp or a problem with the stack, or before a purchase.
Problems we come across frequently include:
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- A stack that appears to lean
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Staining on walls around the chimney
The streets around a church such as St Alban's Church are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- What they won’t be able to tell you
- What happens after the report arrives
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- How soon the report will arrive
Places near Ilford
What else we do in Ilford
Local roofs in Ilford
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. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. About 0.9 miles north-west lies Valentines Mansion, a reminder of how long the area around Ilford has been built on. 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.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Winston Way Academy, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. Shop and office owners around Gallions Reach Shopping Park may find that knowing the roof’s condition lets you budget for work rather than pay for emergencies.
Ilford is about 4 miles east of Leyton, in Greater London. We carry out chimney surveys in Ilford for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings. Our area takes in places right across Greater London, large and small. There’s also a page for London.
Here we cover the IG1, IG3, IG2 and E12 postcode area for chimney surveys. That includes homes and businesses on Station Road, Axon Place and Hainault Street and the roads around them. With the A118 close by, Ilford is simple for us to get to. We also cover Cranbrook (1 mile north-west), Loxford (1 mile south), Seven Kings (1 mile north-east), Manor Park (1 mile south-west) and Little Ilford (1 mile south-west). Larger places within reach include London (8 miles south-west), City of Westminster (10 miles west), Marylebone (10 miles west), Kensington (13 miles west), St Pancras (9 miles west) and Shoreditch (7 miles west).
Landmarks near Ilford
In Ilford, that means homes and buildings near Great Spoon of Ilford pub, The Ursuline Academy Ilford and South Park, among other places. Ilford has its own railway station: Ilford station. A little further out are Gallions Reach Shopping Park (3.5 miles south) and Redbridge Museum (less than half a mile south-west). Open spaces near Ilford include Hollow Pond and Ripple Nature Reserve.
Roof by roof
Brick stacks
Older brick stacks often have soft lime mortar. We note where repairs should match the original mortar.
Rendered stacks
What’s behind the render cannot be seen without removing some, so the report says what can and can’t be judged.
When you need someone else
We only report everything that’s safely in view on the day, so there are some things a survey cannot cover:
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Flue inspections or sweeping
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What this survey covers
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before you book. These are the things that affect it:
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
Every price we give includes VAT. Prices start from £150, including VAT. You’ll know the exact price before you book.
What to tell us when you contact us
We will normally ask about:
- Access details, like a loft hatch or a shared roof
- The address and postcode of the property
- The type of building and roof, like pitched or flat
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, and you can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email to find out.
Questions from Ilford
How do I find out if my home in Ilford is listed?
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.
Is parking a problem for a survey in Ilford?
It rarely stops a survey, but it’s worth planning. Let us know what parking is available nearby, and the visit is planned around it.
Will you check the loft?
Normally, if there is one and it can be reached safely. From inside, the underside of the roof often shows damp, staining or daylight that cannot be seen from outside.
Why is my chimney breast damp?
There are a few common causes: cracked flaunching, worn pointing, failed flashings, uncapped pots, or damp trapped in an unventilated stack. We check each one and note the most likely cause.
How can you see the top of the stack?
Each stack is viewed from the safest viewpoints: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the loft space. A drone inspection is included in our Premium Survey where applicable. We note anything we couldn’t see.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. Our survey is a roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey of the whole building. It focuses on the roof and can sit alongside a RICS survey.
My chimney looks like it’s leaning. What should I do?
It is worth having a leaning stack checked. We record the lean, the brickwork and the pointing, and if it may be a structural issue, we recommend a structural engineer.
Useful tips for Ilford property owners
Small things make a difference. Our tips:
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Check unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. With the same list in front of each contractor, comparing quotes is simpler.
Check redundant flues are capped with ventilation. That helps stop damp building up inside.