Greater London · London and the South East
Locksbottom Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Locksbottom, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- A stack that appears to lean
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
Chimney survey in Locksbottom: what you get
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. That points the work in the right direction. We survey flaunching, lead flashings and chimney breasts, and people most often book us about mortar washing out of the joints and damaged chimney pots and cowls.
London has a great many flats in converted houses and purpose-built blocks, where the roof is normally a shared part of the building. 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. With a written report and photos, everyone can plan from the same facts.
You receive the findings by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24–48 hours and Premium on the day.
- Where
- Locksbottom (BR6, BR2, BR5)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Common roof problems in Locksbottom
A stack takes the weather from every direction. Frost opens up cracks in the mortar, and rain gets into worn bricks and joints. People normally call us when they notice damp or a problem with the stack, or before a purchase.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- A stack that appears to lean
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
Trees in and around South Park shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- What the survey won’t cover
- Whether you get a written report with photos
How we price chimney surveys
Prices always include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) come with the Premium Survey, which starts from £400, inc. VAT. We’ll tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Helping us price your survey
A few details help us point you to the right survey and price. When you get in touch, it helps to mention:
- What’s prompted the survey
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
Once you know what you need, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date.
Local roofs in Locksbottom
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. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. The wider area around Locksbottom has a long history of building, with Down House about 2.7 miles south. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. The streets around a church such as St Paul are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Locksbottom is about 2 miles south-west of Orpington, in Greater London. We cover Locksbottom and the rest of Greater London, as part of our work across London and the South East. Our Greater London coverage includes Locksbottom and the places around it. You can also see our page for London.
All of BR6, BR2 and BR5 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Whether your property is on Mada Road, Winton Road and Park Avenue or anywhere close by, we can help. Other places close to Locksbottom include Crofton (1 mile east), Farnborough (1 mile south-east), Petts Wood (1 mile north-east), Bromley Common (1 mile north-west) and Keston (1 mile south-west). Larger places within reach include London (11 miles north-west), City of Westminster (14 miles north-west), Marylebone (14 miles north-west), Kensington (14 miles north-west), St Pancras (13 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (12 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Locksbottom
In Locksbottom, that means homes and buildings near South Park and Darrick Wood School. For rail, the closest station is Orpington station, about 1.2 miles east of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Princess Royal University Hospital (0.5 miles south-west) and Crofton Roman Villa (1.2 miles east). The countryside around Locksbottom includes Summer Hill and Downe Bank Nature Reserve.
Why get it checked now?
If a stack seems to lean, do not leave it. We record its condition and recommend a structural engineer where needed, so you can decide what to do next. Behind a London parapet, a blocked gutter can sit full of water without anyone seeing it. By the time a ceiling stains, the timbers underneath may have been wet for a while.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Locksbottom
- Visits on any day of the week
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- A written report with photos
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and our case studies.
Questions from Locksbottom
Is my home in Locksbottom listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you’re planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Orpington station?
Of course. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
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. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause.
How much does a chimney survey cost in Locksbottom?
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Our Basic Survey starts from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all inc. VAT.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys or testing. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them.
What insurance do you have?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Which parts of the chimney do you look at?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. We also check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach. You get a written report with photos.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Locksbottom
We survey roofs for landlords and letting agents as well as householders. A photo-illustrated written report gives you a clear record of the chimney stack.
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you contact us and we will plan the survey around it.
Also near Locksbottom
More services for Locksbottom
Should I look at the roof myself first?
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. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
It’s useful to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry.
How the survey works
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the roof space is checked as well as the outside. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement, as far as the space allows. The whole visit typically takes about 1–2 hours for a house, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. From the street, a London terrace normally shows only its front slope or parapet, so a visit in Locksbottom moves between viewpoints: the pavement, upstairs windows, the loft and any safe spot at the back. If other people live in the building, tell us who can let us into the shared parts.
- You let us know whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We look at the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Getting ready for the survey
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
Arrange a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from ground level or a window. To send them or to book, ring 07833 053749 or email us.