Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Paddington
An experienced roof surveyor for chimney surveys in Paddington. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys.
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Staining on walls around the chimney
Chimney survey in Paddington
Our survey covers the structure of the stack and its weathering details. It is not a flue inspection, a chimney sweep or a gas safety inspection. For the flue itself, you will need a sweep or, for gas appliances, a Gas Safe registered engineer. If something we see points to the flue, we’ll say so. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, chimney pots and cowls and chimney breasts, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are a chimney out of line and flaunching that has broken away.
Much of London’s housing is flats, in converted houses or purpose-built blocks, so roofs are often shared between several households. Landlords, managing agents and residents’ companies need to know what condition it’s in and what work is coming up, in Paddington as anywhere. A defect on a shared roof can reach more than one flat. With a written report and photos, everyone can plan from the same facts.
We keep jargon out of it: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, along with how urgent it is.
- Place
- Paddington (W2, W1H, W1U)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Honest limits
This isn’t a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- Conditions inside walls
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll recommend the right survey before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
Roof types and parts we check
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
Chimney surveys in Paddington: local notes
About 1 mile north lies Winfield House, a reminder of how long the area around Paddington has been built on. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. Welsh slate on Victorian and Edwardian terraces is a familiar sight across inner London. From the street you may see only a parapet, with a butterfly roof and a valley gutter behind it draining to the back. In a house like that, shared stacks, party-wall upstands and lead flashings all need looking at as far as they can be seen. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
Take an older house close to Church of St John the Evangelist: its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. Landlords with a home close to London Paddington station may find that a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
Paddington is about 1 mile west of City of Westminster, in Greater London. We visit Paddington as part of our work across Greater London. We cover towns and villages across Greater London.
We work across the W2, W1H and W1U postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. We offer chimney surveys to properties on Harrow Road, Craven Road and Harbet Road and the roads around them. With the A5 and A40 close by, Paddington is easy for us to reach for chimney surveys. Other places close to Paddington include Paddington Green (1 mile north-west), Hyde Park Estate (1 mile south-east), Connaught Village (1 mile south-east), Tyburn (1 mile south-east) and Little Venice (1 mile north-west). We also work in nearby towns such as London (4 miles east), Shoreditch (4 miles east), Walthamstow (8 miles north-east), Hoxton (4 miles east), Whitechapel (4 miles east) and Ruislip (11 miles west).
Local landmarks in Paddington
We work in homes and buildings around Royal Society of Medicine Library, Fountains Abbey pub and Royal Parks of London. Also close by are North Westminster Community School (less than half a mile north-east) and Hampden Gurney CofE Primary School (under half a mile east). There is a railway station in Paddington itself: London Paddington station. Well-known places in the area include Harrods (1.3 miles south) and London Toy & Model Museum (0.5 miles south-west). Not far away are Greville Place nature reserve and The Long Water.
What we do, step by step
Every roof is different; as a rough guide, the survey takes an hour or two for a house, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. You’re welcome to ask questions while we are there. In a London area like Paddington, the main things to sort out are parking and access: let us know about permits, visitor bays or off-street space, which floor the property is on and how to get into the loft. On the day, the roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from inside the roof space and from the roof where it is safe.
- You tell us how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can safely be seen.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Where there is safe access, we look at the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- You get a report with photos and our recommendations.
How to prepare
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
How to book
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
Different roofs, different checks
Flaunching
Cracked flaunching is one of the most common chimney defects we record. It is normally a modest repair when it’s caught early.
Brick stacks
Spalled bricks, where the face has flaked off, are a sign of water and frost. We record any we can see.
Why act early in Paddington
A leaning stack should be looked at sooner rather than later. Our survey records it and says when a structural engineer should look at it, so you know where you stand. In Paddington, as in much of London, water from a roof defect can reach a neighbour’s home as easily as yours: failed flashings and blocked valley gutters can send water into more than one home. Dealing with it early is far less disruptive.
Every price we give includes VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Our price is from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Why us?
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
Read how roof surveys are priced and what we found on two real jobs.
Tips from our surveys
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner:
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. Because everyone is pricing the same findings, the quotes are easier to compare.
Look at your chimneys from the ground now and then, especially after strong winds. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.
Common roof problems in Paddington
Years of fires can affect the mortar inside a stack. Flue gases and damp can break down the mortar, sometimes more on one side than the other, which is one reason stacks start to lean.
It is worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- A stack that appears to lean
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as International Community School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- How soon the report will arrive
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
FAQs for Paddington
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Paddington?
In much of London, parking needs planning: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day run more smoothly.
Is my home in Paddington listed or in a conservation area?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
What insurance do you have?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and we can provide details if a managing agent needs them.
How soon will I get the report?
Each package has its own report time. Basic: within 48 hours. Standard: 24 to 48 hours. Premium: the same day. Mention any deadline when you book.
Which parts of the chimney do you look at?
The whole stack, as far as it can safely be seen: from the pots and flaunching down to the flashings. We also note leaning, redundant stacks and damp inside.
What if it rains on the day?
Light rain does not usually stop a survey. High wind or heavy rain can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so we’ll agree a new date if the weather is not suitable.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys.