Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Oakleigh Park
A careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Oakleigh Park, with photographs and a written report.
- A chimney out of line
- Worn or missing pointing
- Flaunching that has broken away
Roof by roof
Flaunching
Sitting at the very top, flaunching is fully exposed. The survey checks for cracking and gaps around each pot.
Rendered stacks
Cracked render can let water in and trap it behind. Cracks are photographed and noted.
Chimney survey in Oakleigh Park
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. It might come in at the top, through worn pointing or porous bricks, or where the flashings meet the roof. Condensation inside an unventilated stack is another common cause. We check each possibility and record what we find. That points the work in the right direction. If you are worried about bricks with flaking faces and lifted or split lead flashings, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on brick chimney stacks, chimney pots and cowls and shared and party-wall stacks alike.
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 Oakleigh Park with this kind of roof, the hidden gutter is one of the first things to check.
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.
- Location
- Oakleigh Park (N20, N12, EN4)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Towns and villages near Oakleigh Park
Also in Oakleigh Park
Tips from our surveys
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
The report is emailed to you, ready to share with a roofer or builder. We use plain English and a photo for each defect, so it’s easy to follow.
Have aerial and dish brackets on the stack checked, and moved if they’re working it loose. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, putting the urgent items at the top.
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps with budgets and planning.
The survey, step by step
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you’d like to know. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where applicable. The survey typically takes an hour or two on an ordinary house, and longer for a large or complex roof. For a visit in Oakleigh Park, parking and access are the things to plan: let us know about permits, visitor bays or off-street space, which floor the property is on and how to get into the loft. We then look at what can be seen safely from the ground, windows, the loft and, where it is safe, the roof itself.
- 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.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
How to prepare
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Jot down any questions you want answered
Booking a survey
We confirm the price for the job before booking, so you know the cost up front. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. To book, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
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Why act early in Oakleigh Park
Before deciding what to do with a redundant stack, a survey shows how it’s doing. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need permission from the council and the council can advise. Work on a London roof is rarely simple to arrange, with parking, neighbours and access all to think about. That is a good reason to find problems early, while there’s time to plan.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. You’ll know the figure before booking.
Why us?
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- Visits on any day of the week
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- An independent view of the roof
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and two real surveys.
Chimney surveys in Oakleigh Park: local notes
With Heath Hall about 3.5 miles south, Oakleigh Park 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. In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older 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. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Queenswell Infant & Nursery School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. Trees in and around Swan Lane Open Space shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls. Landlords with a home close to Oakleigh Park station may find that knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Oakleigh Park is about 2 miles south-east of Barnet, in Greater London. We survey roofs in Oakleigh Park and the rest of Greater London. Our area takes in places right across Greater London. You can also see our page for London.
Chimney surveys in N20, N12 and EN4 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Whether your property is on High Road, Swan Lane and Green Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. Oakleigh Park is on the A1000, so it’s easy for us to get to. We also cover Whetstone (1 mile east), North Finchley (1 mile south), Woodside Park (1 mile south-west), East Barnet (1 mile north-east) and Brunswick Park (1 mile east). Larger places within reach include London (9 miles south), City of Westminster (8 miles south), Marylebone (8 miles south), Kensington (9 miles south), St Pancras (7 miles south) and Shoreditch (8 miles south-east).
What’s near Oakleigh Park
In Oakleigh Park, that means homes and buildings near Finchley Catholic High School, Woodhouse College and Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum, among other places. You will also find Swan Lane Open Space (less than half a mile west) and Three Horseshoes pub (under half a mile north-west). Oakleigh Park’s nearest station is Oakleigh Park station, roughly 0.8 miles north of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Finchley Memorial Hospital (1.4 miles south) and Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum (0.9 miles south-west). Open spaces near Oakleigh Park include Barfield Allotments Nature Park and Highgate Hill.
Checking the roof from ground level
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, which helps when we check the roof.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
Questions from Oakleigh Park
How do I find out if my home in Oakleigh Park is listed?
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.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Oakleigh Park station?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and some details.
Do you take photos of the roof?
Yes. We photograph the roof as we go, and the report uses them to show each finding.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We note visible signs like sagging or deflection, but we are not structural engineers and do not carry out calculations. If we think you need an engineer, the report says so.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. Roofs over flats are frequently shared, so we need permission from the freeholder or managing agent. We can only inspect what we’re given access to.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it’s applicable. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules. We are a CAA-registered drone operator.
Why is my chimney breast damp?
Normally it is water getting in from outside, or condensation in a sealed stack. The survey looks at the stack, the flashings and the capping, and record what we find.