Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Orpington
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching across Orpington, using drones and thermal imaging where it applies. Call or email for a price.
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Flaunching that has broken away
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Orpington
A leaning chimney stack is worth having looked at. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down, frequently after years of flue gases and damp. The survey notes how the stack looks, how far it seems to lean and the state of the bricks and joints. If the stack looks like a structural issue, the report recommends a structural engineer. Common reasons to book are lifted or split lead flashings and gaps in the mortar around the pots, across chimney pots and cowls, lead flashings and brick chimney stacks.
Much of London’s housing is flats, in converted houses or purpose-built blocks, so roofs are often shared between several households. Whoever looks after the building needs a clear picture of the roof, chimneys and gutters. Leaks from a shared roof rarely affect just one home. With a written report and photographs, everyone can plan from the same facts.
Nothing in the report is left vague: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, along with how urgent it is.
- Location
- Orpington (BR5, BR6, BR7, DA14)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
We confirm the price for the job before booking. These are the things that affect it:
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- The roof’s overall size
- Height and safe access
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
To find out what your survey will cost, ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and some details. We will confirm the figure before booking.
Helping us price your survey
Here’s what helps us most when you get in touch:
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- What kind of property and roof it is
- What’s prompted the survey
To get a price for chimney surveys in Orpington, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. A few details about the property and the roof help us give you an accurate price.
Nearby places to Orpington
More services for Orpington
Roof by roof
Chimney breasts and the loft
Damp patches on chimney breasts often point to a problem above. We check the breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach.
Brick stacks
Frost can damage bricks that have soaked up water, making the faces flake away. Any spalling is noted with photos.
The survey, step by step
We work from the outside in: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the roof space where it can be reached. In total, it takes roughly 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Surveys in Orpington can be booked for any day of the week. London parking is often by permit or pay-and-display, so it is useful to know what’s near you, and to clear a path to the loft hatch. A back bedroom window can be the best vantage point for a rear addition, so we may ask to use one.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Getting ready for the survey
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
Arrange a survey
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. To book or ask a question, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Read more
Why act early in Orpington
Most people never get a proper look at their chimney stacks. Defects tend to go unseen until there is a stain. Surveying the stack now can catch problems first. London’s older roofs often have bitumen felt underlay or none at all, so once the slates or flashings let water past, little stops it reaching ceilings. Left alone, that means wet timbers and plaster, which is a far bigger job than the roof fault itself.
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, including VAT, and we will tell you which fits.
Why us?
- PI and public liability insurance
- Surveys seven days a week
- 98% of clients satisfied
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
Read our cost guide and our case studies.
What you can safely check yourself
It’s useful to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry, as it helps us focus the survey.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That’s where a survey comes in.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Orpington
Shared roofs need a little more planning: we need access agreed with the building owner or managing agent. Mention it when you contact us and we’ll plan the survey around it.
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord. Access is agreed with the tenant ahead of time.
Your questions about chimney surveys in Orpington
How do I find out if my home in Orpington is listed?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Orpington?
London parking needs a little planning, so let us know about permits, bays or a driveway as you book. The visit is then planned around what’s available.
How much does a chimney survey cost in Orpington?
Prices start from £150, including VAT. We confirm the exact price before you book, and it depends on the roof’s size, access and the package you choose. For a price, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Do you use drones?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and every flight depends on the airspace and the weather.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first, with whoever owns or manages the building. Let us know about it when you book and we’ll explain what’s needed.
How experienced are you?
We’ve been surveying roofs for over 20 years and have completed over 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. Our survey is a roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey of the whole building. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
Orpington homes and their roofs
Bromley Palace, about 3.8 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Orpington. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs. 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. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
If you own a rental within reach of St Mary Cray station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. For businesses in and around places like The Mall, a written record of the roof’s condition helps you plan maintenance rather than react to leaks. If you look after a building like Perry Hall Primary School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Orpington is about 12 miles south-east of London, in Greater London. Orpington gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photographs and a written report. Orpington is one of the places in Greater London we cover. Our London page covers surveys nearby.
We survey roofs across BR5, BR6, BR7 and DA14 for chimney surveys. Local streets include High Street, Furzehill Square and Station Road, and we cover them all. With the A224 and B258 close by, Orpington is simple for us to get to. We also cover the places around Orpington: Poverest (1 mile north), Derry Downs (1 mile east), St Mary Cray (1 mile north), St Paul's Cray (1 mile north) and Goddington (1 mile south). We also work in nearby towns such as London (12 miles north-west), City of Westminster (14 miles north-west), Marylebone (14 miles north-west), Kensington (15 miles north-west), St Pancras (14 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (13 miles north-west).
What’s near Orpington
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Priory School, Jubilee Country Park and Harris Academy Orpington and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is St Mary Cray station, about 0.7 miles north of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Lullingstone Castle (4.4 miles south-east) and Orpington Hospital (1.5 miles south). For a walk, there is The Warren and Summer Hill.