Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Little Woodcote
An experienced roof surveyor for chimney surveys in Little Woodcote. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys.
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
What we cannot see
It is a careful look at the chimney stack, not the whole story. Its limits include:
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Flue inspections or sweeping
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll point you to the right survey. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roof types and parts we check
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
How a chimney survey works in Little Woodcote
If you are buying a home with chimneys, it is worth knowing their condition before you exchange. On older stacks, we often find cracked flaunching, loose flashings and worn pointing. 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. If you are worried about eroded joints in the brickwork and flaunching that has broken away, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
London has a great many flats in converted houses and purpose-built blocks, so roofs are frequently shared between several households. Whoever looks after the building needs a clear picture of the roof, chimneys and gutters. Leaks from a shared roof rarely affect just one home. A report gives everyone the same picture to plan from, with photographs.
We keep jargon out of it: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, along with how urgent it is.
- Location
- Little Woodcote (SM5, CR8, SM6)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Common questions in Little Woodcote
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Little Woodcote?
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.
Can a landlord with a rental near Woodmansterne station book a roof survey?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. Just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details.
What’s in the survey report?
You get our findings in writing, part by part, with photos, finishing with recommendations. The most urgent items are made clear.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
What do you check on a chimney?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. Everything is written up with photos.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. It is a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof and can sit alongside a RICS survey.
Do you need to go on the roof to check the chimney?
Each stack is viewed from the safest viewpoints: from ground level, windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there is access. A drone inspection is included in our Premium Survey where applicable. If part of a stack can’t be seen, the report says so.
Tips that help
Nothing here needs a ladder. A few suggestions:
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Photograph damp patches with the date
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. With the same list in front of each contractor, comparing quotes is simpler.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. It’s far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
Nearby places to Little Woodcote
More services for Little Woodcote
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
Prices vary from roof to roof, and it comes down to:
- Which survey package you book
- House, block, shop or office
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
Prices start from £150, including VAT, for a Basic Survey. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, both including VAT. You’ll know the price for the job before booking.
What we need to know
What helps most when you contact us:
- Dates you’re working to, such as exchange
- What kind of property and roof it is
- The property’s address and postcode
- What made you get in touch
When you’re ready to go ahead, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
What we do, step by step
It helps to start with what’s prompted the survey: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. It helps us focus on what matters most to you. The visit usually takes an hour or two for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. London terraces rarely offer a view of the whole roof from one spot, so a visit in Little Woodcote 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.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the roof space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Before we arrive
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Leave side gates unlocked
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
How to book
If you are buying, it’s useful to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just call 07833 053749 or email us when you’re ready.
Related advice
Little Woodcote homes and their roofs
Outer London has a good many Victorian and Edwardian terraces with slate roofs, but also a great many interwar semis, frequently with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles. On a semi of that age, the small roofs over the bays, the hip tiles and any later dormer each need their own look. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look. Historic houses like Nonsuch Mansion, about 3.3 miles north-west, show how far back building in the area around Little Woodcote 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.
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near St. Patrick's Church, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. Trees in and around Carshalton Park shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching. For businesses in and around places such as Centrale Croydon, knowing the roof’s condition lets you budget for work rather than pay for emergencies.
Little Woodcote is about 2 miles west of Purley, in Greater London. Roofs in Little Woodcote get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Greater London. Little Woodcote is one of the towns and villages in Greater London we cover. You can also see our page for London.
We survey roofs across the SM5, CR8 and SM6 postcode area for chimney surveys. We offer chimney surveys to properties on Woodmansterne Lane, Little Woodcote Lane and Oaks Track. If you’re just outside Little Woodcote, we cover Woodcote Green (1 mile east), Woodcote (1 mile east), Peaks Hill (1 mile east), Roundshaw (2 miles north-east) and Woodmansterne (2 miles south). Further out, we also cover London (11 miles north), City of Westminster (12 miles north), Marylebone (12 miles north), Kensington (11 miles north), St Pancras (13 miles north) and Shoreditch (13 miles north).
Near you in Little Woodcote
Around Little Woodcote, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Wallington High School for Girls, Laleham Lea School and Carshalton Park, among other places. The nearest railway station is Woodmansterne station, roughly 1.3 miles south. Other landmarks nearby include Centrale Croydon (3.6 miles north-east) and Queen Mary's Hospital For Children (0.9 miles north-west). For a walk, there’s Roundshaw Downs and Duppas Hill.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Little Woodcote
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in. We survey on weekdays and at weekends, which can make access easier.
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget.