Greater London · London and the South East
Oakwood Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching across Oakwood, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Mortar washing out of the joints
How a chimney survey works in Oakwood
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. Water then gets into the stack and can show as damp on a chimney breast or a stain in the loft. A survey finds these problems and records them with photographs. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, lead flashings and flaunching, and people most often book us about gaps where the stack meets the roof and unused flues sealed without airflow.
Victorian and Edwardian terraces are found right across London, often with slate roofs, chimney stacks shared with neighbours and gutters hidden behind parapets. Good slates can last over a hundred years, yet the nails often give out first and let slates slip. In Oakwood, as across London, that’s why a roof needs a proper look rather than a glance from the street. Lead flashings and shared chimney stacks on these houses need a careful look too.
Nothing in the report is left vague: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, along with how urgent it is.
- Where
- Oakwood (N14, N21, EN2)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Questions from Oakwood
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Oakwood?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Can a landlord with a rental near Winchmore Hill station book a roof survey?
Yes, landlords and letting agents book with us as well as owners. Just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and tell us about the building.
What do I do with the report?
The report arrives by email, with photos and clear recommendations. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation, and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation, so you can talk the findings through.
How can you see the top of the stack?
We use safe viewpoints rather than climbing onto the stack. Where applicable, our Premium Survey adds a drone inspection for a closer view. Any area we couldn’t view is noted.
How long does the survey take?
It typically takes between one and two hours at a typical home, and longer for a large or complex roof. The report follows by email.
What does a chimney survey cover?
Every part of the stack we can see from safe positions: from the pots and flaunching down to the flashings. Leaning, unused stacks and damp on chimney breasts are recorded too.
What does a roof survey cost?
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The final figure depends on the roof and the package you choose, and it is agreed before booking.
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- Height and safe access
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we will tell you which fits.
Getting in touch
Before you get in touch, it is useful to have:
- The address and postcode of the property
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email to find out.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Oakwood
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. Recommendations are set out in order of urgency where relevant, which helps when budgeting.
Letting agents frequently book on a landlord’s behalf, with the report sent to whoever needs it. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney pots and cowls
For unused flues, we check whether caps or cowls allow ventilation. Poor capping can lead to damp inside the stack.
Lead flashings
Where the chimney meets the roof slopes, lead flashings keep water out. We check for lifting, splits and gaps in the joints.
Places near Oakwood
More services for Oakwood
Chimney surveys in Oakwood: local notes
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. Historic houses such as Forty Hall, about 3.1 miles north-east, show how far back building in the area around Oakwood goes. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
Take a building like Wolfson Hillel Primary School: long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. If you let a flat or house near Winchmore Hill station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Oakwood is about 2 miles west of Enfield, in Greater London. Anywhere in Oakwood, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Our area takes in places right across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages. We also survey roofs in London.
Here we cover the N14, N21 and EN2 postcode area for chimney surveys. Streets in the area include Ivy Road, Green Road and Chase Road, all of which we cover. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in World's End (1 mile east), Osidge (1 mile south-west), Southgate (1 mile south), Grange Park (1 mile east) and East Barnet (1 mile south-west). We also work in nearby towns such as London (10 miles south), City of Westminster (9 miles south), Marylebone (9 miles south), Kensington (10 miles south), St Pancras (8 miles south) and Shoreditch (8 miles south).
Near you in Oakwood
Typical jobs here are in homes near The New Crown pub, Oakwood Park and Southgate School. The closest station to Oakwood is Winchmore Hill station, about 1.3 miles south-east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Grand Arcade (2.9 miles south-west) and Broomfield House Museum (1.9 miles south). For a walk, there is Oakleigh Park Rail Cutting and Darland's Lake.
Tips from our surveys
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
The report is emailed to you, ready to share with a roofer or builder. Each defect is described in plain words and shown in a photo, so it’s easy to follow.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
How it works
A survey visit follows a simple order: we listen to what’s been worrying you, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, photograph what we find and make notes for the report. It normally takes about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. 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 Oakwood runs like any other.
- You tell us whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Before we arrive
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Tell us where we can park nearby
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
How to book
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Advice
Common roof problems in Oakwood
Stacks that were used for open fires for many years can weaken from the inside. Mortar can deteriorate unevenly from flue gases and moisture, which can make a stack lean.
Here are some of the things we see frequently:
- Worn or missing pointing
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
Shop and office owners around Grand Arcade may find that knowing the roof’s condition lets you budget for work rather than pay for emergencies.
What to check before booking
- What exactly goes into their report
- What insurance they carry
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?