Greater London · London and the South East
North Finchley Chimney Survey
Know where you stand with the chimney stack before you spend money on it. Chimney surveys in North Finchley.
- A chimney out of line
- Worn or missing pointing
- Cracked or missing flaunching
How a chimney survey works in North Finchley
Chimney stacks take more weather than almost any other part of a house. Over the years, the flaunching cracks, the pointing wears and flashings lift. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the roof space. We record what we find with photos and recommendations. If you’ve noticed disused chimneys trapping moisture and damp on a chimney breast inside, we can find out what’s behind it.
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. In North Finchley, as across London, that’s why a roof needs a close look rather than a glance from the street. Shared chimney stacks and the lead around them are just as important to check.
We write the report in plain English, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Each point is backed by a photograph where possible.
- Where
- North Finchley (N12, N20, N11)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Common questions in North Finchley
Is my home in North Finchley listed or in a conservation area?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Is parking a problem for a survey in North Finchley?
London parking needs a little planning, so let us know about permits, bays or a driveway when you book. The visit is then planned around what’s available.
What happens after the survey?
You will receive the report by email, and you decide the next step: use it with a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent.
Do you cover North Finchley for chimney surveys?
Yes. We carry out chimney surveys in North Finchley.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day, which suits people who work during the week. Just say which days work for you.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We look at the roof, not the whole building, and it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It can sit alongside a RICS survey if you want both.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning. Mention it when you get in touch and we will explain what’s needed.
Chimney surveys around North Finchley
Alongside Victorian and Edwardian terraces, outer London has a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs of clay or concrete tiles. 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. The wider area around North Finchley has a long history of building, with Heath Hall about 2.9 miles south. 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.
For landlords with property near New Southgate station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. Take an older house close to St. Barnabas Church: its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first. If you live near a park such as Friary Park, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching.
North Finchley is about 1 mile north of Finchley, in Greater London. North Finchley is one of many places we visit across Greater London, for homes and businesses alike. Our area takes in places right across Greater London, large and small. There is also a page for London.
All of N12, N20 and N11 is covered for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Streets in the area include High Road, Lodge Lane and Percy Road, and we cover them all. North Finchley sits on or near the A1000, which makes travel easy. If you are just outside North Finchley, we cover Woodside Park (1 mile west), Oakleigh Park (1 mile north), Whetstone (1 mile north), Friern Barnet (1 mile east) and Finchley (1 mile south). Further out, we also cover London (9 miles south-east), City of Westminster (7 miles south), Marylebone (7 miles south), Kensington (8 miles south), St Pancras (7 miles south) and Shoreditch (8 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in North Finchley
We work in homes and buildings around Friary Park, Woodhouse College and The Bohemia pub, among other places. You will also find Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum (0.5 miles west) and St Michael's Catholic Grammar School (under half a mile south-west). The nearest railway station is New Southgate station, roughly 1.4 miles east. Nearby you will also find Finchley Memorial Hospital (0.8 miles south) and Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum (0.5 miles west). For a walk, there’s Darland's Lake and Glebelands Local Nature Reserve.
Tips from our surveys
There’s plenty you can do without going near the roof. Here’s what helps most:
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
After the visit, we write up the report with photographs of each stack. It covers the pots, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings, and any damp we found inside. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.
What a survey costs
To price your survey, we look at:
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- Roof area
Prices start from £150, including VAT, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both including VAT. We confirm the price for your roof before booking.
Booking your survey
The more you tell us, the easier it is to price the survey. When you get in touch, it is useful to mention:
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- The type of building and roof, like pitched or flat
You can call us seven days a week. To book or ask a question, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Honest limits
Our survey isn’t a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Parts of the stack that can’t be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we cannot access
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll point you to the right survey before booking. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in North Finchley
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
What happens on the day
We photograph the roof as we go, 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 an hour or two on an ordinary house, and longer for a large or complex roof. In a London area like North Finchley, the main things to sort out are parking and access: let us know about parking, the floor the property is on, any shared entrance and loft access. We then look at what can safely be seen from ground level, windows, the loft and, where it is safe, the roof itself.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We check every stack from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Preparing for the visit
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
Arrange a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine, and please do not climb up for a closer look. To get started, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Advice
Landlords, agents and block managers in North Finchley
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, from shops and offices to industrial units. Larger roofs take longer, and they’re priced for the size.
Letting agents frequently book on a landlord’s behalf. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
Towns and villages near North Finchley
More services for North Finchley
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney breasts and the loft
If a chimney breast has been removed below, we note what we can see of the support above. Confirming the support is a job for a structural engineer.
Lead flashings
Over time, lead can lift or come away from the brickwork. Any loose or split flashings are recorded.