Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Kensington
Find out what’s going on with the chimney stack before you spend money on it. Chimney surveys in Kensington.
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
Local roofs in Kensington
With Leighton House about 0.1 miles south, Kensington sits in an area with a long building history. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Inner London’s Victorian and Edwardian terraces often have Welsh slate roofs. Behind many of their parapets sit butterfly roofs and valley gutters that cannot be seen from the pavement. Shared chimney stacks, party-wall upstands and lead work come with this kind of house. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
If you let a flat or house near Kensington Olympia station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak. The streets around a church like Church of St Barnabas are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as St Barnabas and St Philip's CofE Primary School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Kensington is about 5 miles west of London, in Greater London. We carry out chimney surveys for homeowners, landlords and businesses in Kensington and the surrounding area. Our Greater London coverage includes Kensington and the places around it.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: W11, W8, W14 and SW7. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Kensington High Street, Edwardes Square and Somerset Square or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Kensington is on the A402 and B316, so it’s easy for us to get to. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Holland Park (1 mile north), Notting Hill (1 mile north), Shepherd's Bush (1 mile west), Notting Dale (1 mile north) and White City (1 mile north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (5 miles east), Marylebone (3 miles north-east), St Pancras (4 miles north-east), Shoreditch (6 miles east), Walthamstow (10 miles north-east) and Hoxton (6 miles north-east). Being one of Greater London’s larger places, Kensington has homes, rented property and businesses of every kind.
Local landmarks in Kensington
Around Kensington, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Holland Park, Scarsdale Tavern and Holland Park School, among other places. Nearby too are Kensington School (0.5 miles east) and Abdus Salam Library (1 mile east). There is a railway station in Kensington itself: Kensington Olympia station. A little further out are Kensington Arcade (under half a mile east) and London Museum (0.7 miles north-east). For a walk, there’s WWT London Wetland Centre and The Long Water.
How a chimney survey works in Kensington
A leaning chimney stack is worth having looked at. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down, often after years of flue gases and damp. The survey notes how the stack looks, how far it seems to lean and the state of the bricks and joints. Where it may be a structural concern, we will recommend a structural engineer. Typical surveys look at pots or cowls that look unsafe and lifted or split lead flashings, on chimney pots and cowls, chimney breasts and lead flashings.
London has a great many flats in converted houses and 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. Leaks from a shared roof rarely affect just one home. A report gives everyone the same picture to plan from, with photos.
We keep jargon out of it: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, and where it can wait, that’s said too.
- Location
- Kensington (W11, W8, W14, SW7)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey changes by roof type
Flaunching
Sitting at the very top, flaunching is fully exposed. We look for cracks, gaps around the pots and missing pieces.
Lead flashings
Some older stacks have mortar fillets instead of lead. They crack with age, and we check them too.
FAQs for Kensington
Can a landlord with a rental near Kensington Olympia station book a roof survey?
Yes, that is a common request. We just need to know who will give access, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Kensington?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Do you need to get into the loft?
If it’s needed and safe to reach, yes. We look for staining, damp, daylight and signs of movement.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
We carry out surveys on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To arrange a date, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
It’s 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.
How fast do I get the report?
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.
Does the weather affect the survey?
A survey can usually go ahead in light rain, and it can even help show where water is getting in. Strong wind or a downpour can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so we will agree a new date if the weather isn’t suitable.
Checking the roof from ground level
You can learn a lot from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Do not go up yourself.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants. We survey seven days a week, which can make access easier.
We survey roofs for landlords and letting agents as well as householders. A written report with photographs gives you a clear record of the chimney stack, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
How we price chimney surveys
We confirm the price for your survey before you book. This is what makes a difference:
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package matters as well. We will give you the figure before anything is booked.
Helping us price your survey
You don’t need to know any roofing terms. Just let us know:
- Whether there is a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- The address and postcode of the property
- Any deadline, like an exchange date
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price before you book.
Useful tips for Kensington property owners
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Photograph damp patches with the date
Questions about the findings are always welcome. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. Early signs are easier to trace.
How it works
A survey visit follows a simple order: we listen to what’s been worrying you, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photographs as we go and record our findings for the written report. It typically takes about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In Kensington, visits are available on weekdays and at weekends. London parking is frequently by permit or pay-and-display, so it’s useful to know what’s near you. A back bedroom window can be the best vantage point for a rear addition, so we may ask to use one.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- 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.
Before the survey
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with whoever owns or manages the building
How to book
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form when you’re ready.