Greater London · London and the South East
Northumberland Heath Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys in Northumberland Heath and the rest of Greater London. Surveys run seven days a week.
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- A chimney out of line
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Northumberland Heath
If a chimney looks out of line, it is worth getting it checked. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down, often after years of flue gases and damp. We record the lean and the condition of the brickwork and pointing. If the stack looks like a structural issue, the report recommends a structural engineer. We are often asked to look into a chimney out of line and damaged chimney pots and cowls, across flaunching, lead flashings and chimney breasts.
A London butterfly roof slopes down to a central valley gutter that drains to the back of the house. From the street you see only a parapet wall, so blocked outlets and split linings go unnoticed until water comes through a ceiling. For a house in Northumberland Heath with this kind of roof, the hidden gutter is one of the first things to check.
Nothing in the report is left vague: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, along with how urgent it is.
- Place
- Northumberland Heath (DA8, DA7)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What this survey cannot tell you
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will point you to the right survey. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
Places near Northumberland Heath
Also in Northumberland Heath
FAQs for Northumberland Heath
Is my home in Northumberland Heath listed or in a conservation area?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Northumberland Heath?
Sometimes, yes. Where there are permit zones, a visitor permit or nearby pay-and-display bay works well, and a driveway is even better.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it is applicable and safe, yes. We are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where applicable.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only if it’s safe. We inspect what can safely be seen: from the ground, from windows and vantage points, from the loft space, from the roof itself where safe and by drone where applicable. Anything we can’t see is noted in the report.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
How do I book a survey in Northumberland Heath?
Just call 07833 053749 or email us with the address. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day, weekday or weekend.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Light rain is normally fine; heavy rain and wind are different. Strong wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, and we’d agree another day.
How the survey works
We check the roof from outside and, where it is relevant and there’s safe access, from inside the loft space too. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging. The whole visit usually takes roughly 1–2 hours for most houses, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. Many London properties are flats or terraces with no side access, so the back of the roof is often seen from upstairs windows, from inside or, where a flight is allowed, from the air. Mention any building rules, key holders or managing agents as you book.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- 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.
Preparing for the visit
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Check we can get to the back of the property
Getting a price
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. You will know the price before anything is booked.
Advice
Landlords, agents and block managers in Northumberland Heath
With a portfolio of properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the addresses.
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work with less disruption.
Local roofs in Northumberland Heath
Outer London has lots of Victorian and Edwardian terraces with slate roofs, but also a great many interwar semis, often 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. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. With Hall Place and Gardens about 1.8 miles south, Northumberland Heath sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
For landlords with property near Barnehurst station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let. If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for example near Broadway Shopping Centre, a roof report helps plan work around trading rather than after a leak. If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near St Paul's, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Northumberland Heath is about 3 miles north-west of Dartford, in Greater London. If you are in Northumberland Heath, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. We cover towns and villages across Greater London, large and small. There is also a page for London.
Chimney surveys in DA8 and DA7 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We offer chimney surveys to properties on Mill Road, Penda Road and Chalk Road and the roads around them. Other places close to Northumberland Heath include Bexley Riverside (1 mile south-east), Erith (1 mile north), Barnehurst (1 mile south), Belvedere (1 mile north-west) and Lessness Heath (1 mile north-west). Larger places within reach include London (11 miles west), City of Westminster (14 miles west), Marylebone (14 miles west), St Pancras (13 miles west), Shoreditch (11 miles west) and Walthamstow (11 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Northumberland Heath
In Northumberland Heath, that means homes and buildings near Trinity School, The Royal Oak pub and Braeburn Park. For rail, the closest station is Barnehurst station, about 0.6 miles south-west of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Erith Museum (0.7 miles north-east) and Erith and District Hospital (less than half a mile north). Not far away are Crossness Nature Reserve.
What you can safely check yourself
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
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. Never climb onto the roof to look.
What a survey costs
To price your survey, we look at:
- The size of the roof
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Height and safe access
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how safely it can be seen. Prices start from £150, including VAT.
Helping us price your survey
You don’t need to know any roofing terms. It’s enough to tell us:
- What kind of property and roof it is
- What’s prompted the survey
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Access details, like a loft hatch or a shared roof
Most bookings start with a short call: phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email, and we’ll ask about the building and what you need. You will have a price before anything is arranged.
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney breasts and the loft
If a chimney breast has been removed below, we note what we can see of the support above. A structural engineer should confirm whether it’s adequate.
Rendered stacks
Some stacks are rendered, which can hide the condition of the brickwork beneath. We look for cracks, hollow areas and staining.