Greater London · London and the South East
New Cross Chimney Survey
Independent chimney surveys in New Cross. We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Staining on walls around the chimney
The survey, step by step
Photos are taken throughout the visit, so the report shows exactly what we saw. We take close-ups from wherever is safe, including by drone where it’s applicable and the weather allows. A typical visit takes between one and two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. In converted houses and mansion blocks, the loft hatch is frequently on a shared landing. Where that is the case, access needs agreeing with whoever controls that landing. Otherwise, the visit in New Cross runs like any other.
- You let us know whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We check 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.
How to prepare
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Check pets are kept safely away
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
Getting a price
We survey roofs seven days a week. To arrange a day that suits you, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
Chimney survey in New Cross
If you’re buying a home with chimneys, it’s worth knowing their condition before you exchange. Cracked flaunching, failed flashings and worn pointing are common findings on older stacks. Our report gives you specific points to raise with the seller or agent. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it. If you’ve noticed damp patches on chimney breasts and lifted or split lead flashings, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
London has Victorian and Edwardian terraces in almost every borough, frequently with slate roofs, chimney stacks shared with neighbours and gutters hidden behind parapets. Slates can last a century or more, but the nails holding them corrode, and slates slip. In New Cross, as across London, that is why a roof needs a careful look rather than a glance from the street. Lead flashings and shared chimney stacks on these houses need a proper look too.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Place
- New Cross (SE8, SE14, SE4)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Honest limits
In fairness, a roof survey has limits:
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- A structural engineer’s assessment
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will suggest the right survey. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
DIY checks: what’s safe
What you can’t 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.
You can learn a lot from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
When to book a survey in New Cross
Aerials and dishes are often fixed to stacks. Their weight and the wind on them can loosen bricks and pointing. We check fixings on the stack as part of the survey.
Common reasons to book include:
- Bricks with flaking faces
- A chimney out of line
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Worn or missing pointing
Anyone responsible for a site like Myatt Garden Primary School will know that a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Before booking anyone
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
Local roofs in New Cross
Welsh slate on Victorian and Edwardian terraces is a familiar sight across inner London. From the street you may see only a parapet, with a butterfly roof and a valley gutter behind it draining to the back. Lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are typical of these houses, if yours is one of them. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. The wider area around New Cross has a long history of building, with Queen's House about 1.5 miles north-east. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
For landlords with property near New Cross station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant. Take an older house close to St James's Church: its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
New Cross is about 3 miles south-east of London, in Greater London. New Cross is part of the area we cover as part of our work across London and South East England. Our Greater London coverage includes New Cross and the places around it.
We work across SE8, SE14 and SE4 for chimney surveys. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Ivy Road, Mona Road and Avon Road or anywhere close by, we can survey it. With the A2209 and A2210 close by, New Cross is easy for us to reach. Close by, we survey roofs in St Johns (1 mile east), Telegraph Hill (1 mile south-west), Deptford (1 mile north-east), Nunhead (1 mile south-west) and Lewisham (1 mile south-east). Further out, we also cover London (3 miles north-west), City of Westminster (6 miles north-west), Marylebone (6 miles north-west), Kensington (8 miles west), St Pancras (5 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (4 miles north-west).
What’s near New Cross
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Wickham Arms, Fordham Park and Addey and Stanhope School and the streets around them. Nearby too are St. Paul's (0.7 miles north-east) and Laban Centre (0.9 miles north-east). There’s a railway station in New Cross itself: New Cross station. Nearby you will also find Fan Museum (1.2 miles north-east) and Greenwich Castle (1.5 miles east). The countryside around New Cross includes St. James's Park Lake and Tower Hill.
FAQs for New Cross
Can a landlord with a rental near New Cross station book a roof survey?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. Just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and let us know about the building, including who will give access on the day.
Is parking a problem for a survey in New Cross?
It depends on the street. Where there are permit zones, a visitor permit or nearby pay-and-display bay works well, and a driveway is even better.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. It’s a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
What if it rains on the day?
Light rain does not typically stop a survey, 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’ll agree a new date if the weather is not suitable.
What does a chimney survey cover?
The whole stack, as far as it can safely be seen: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. We also note leaning, redundant stacks and damp inside.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
Have it checked rather than leaving it. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down. We record its condition with photographs, and a structural engineer can confirm whether it is stable.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We look from the ground, from windows and from the loft where it’s safe. A drone inspection is part of the Premium Survey where it applies. Any area we couldn’t view is noted.
Tips that help
You don’t need to be a roofer to help. What helps most:
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
You get the report by email and can pass it to whoever does the work. We use plain English and a photo for each defect, so it’s easy to follow.
Look at your chimneys from the ground now and then, particularly after strong winds. With binoculars, you can often see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
Landlord and commercial surveys in New Cross
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on, photos included.
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, putting the urgent items at the top.