Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Peaks Hill, Greater London
Know where you stand with the chimney stack before you decide what to do next. We carry out chimney surveys in Peaks Hill.
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Lifted or split lead flashings
Common questions in Peaks Hill
Is my home in Peaks Hill listed or in a conservation area?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
I let a flat near Purley station. Can you check the roof?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you need.
My chimney looks like it’s leaning. What should I do?
Do not ignore it. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down. The survey records what we can see, and a structural engineer can confirm whether it is stable.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. This is a survey of the roof only, and it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. Many buyers have both.
Does someone need to be in?
Not always. If we only need the outside, we can agree that beforehand, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
Are you structural engineers?
No. Visible signs such as deflection or sagging are recorded, but we do not provide calculations or an engineer’s opinion. The report will say if you need an engineer.
What happens next?
You receive the written report by email, with photos and recommendations. You can use it to talk to a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent, whichever applies.
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Peaks Hill
Redundant chimneys are common, especially where fires have been replaced by central heating. A disused stack still needs looking after. Capping a stack without ventilation can trap moisture and lead to damp inside. Our survey looks at how each unused stack has been capped and checks the breasts for damp. You get photos of each stack and our recommendations. If you’ve noticed mortar washing out of the joints and a stack that appears to lean, we can find out what’s behind it.
London has Victorian and Edwardian terraces in almost every borough, 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 frequently give out first and let slates slip. Homes in Peaks Hill are no exception. Lead flashings and shared chimney stacks on these houses need a close look too.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Place
- Peaks Hill (CR8, SM6)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
A survey visit follows a simple order: we hear what you’ve seen, inspect the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photographs as we go and record our findings for the written report. Most visits take about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. 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 when you book.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- The stacks are looked at from the ground, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Where there’s safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
How to book
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know the cost up front. Our price is from £150, including VAT. To book, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Related advice
DIY checks: what’s safe
It helps to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us when booking, as it helps us focus the survey.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Places near Peaks Hill
Other services in Peaks Hill
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney breasts and the loft
Stains on timbers or brickwork around the stack can point to a leak. We record what we see with photographs.
Chimney pots and cowls
Each pot is bedded into the flaunching, often with a cowl or cap on top. The survey looks for cracked, loose or missing pots and cowls.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
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.
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on, photos included.
Chimney surveys in Peaks Hill: local notes
Historic houses like Addington Palace, about 4 miles east, show how far back building in the area around Peaks Hill goes. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead. Alongside Victorian and Edwardian terraces, outer London has a great many interwar semis, frequently with hipped roofs of clay or concrete tiles. If your home in Peaks Hill is one of them, bay roofs, hips and later dormers each have their own details. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
For an older house near a landmark like Church of St Mark, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs. If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for example near St George's Walk, knowing the roof’s condition lets you budget for work rather than pay for emergencies.
Peaks Hill is about 1 mile north-west of Purley, in Greater London. We cover Peaks Hill and the rest of Greater London, as part of our work across London and the South East. Across Greater London, we cover Peaks Hill and the places around it. There’s also a page for London.
We cover every part of CR8 and SM6 for chimney surveys. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Furze Lane, Birch Lane and Plough Lane or a nearby road, we can survey it. Peaks Hill is on the A2022, which makes it simple to reach. We also cover Russell Hill (1 mile north), Roundshaw (1 mile north), Woodcote (1 mile south-west), Purley (1 mile south-east) and Woodcote Green (1 mile west). Larger places within reach include London (11 miles north), City of Westminster (12 miles north), Marylebone (12 miles north), Kensington (11 miles north), St Pancras (13 miles north) and Shoreditch (13 miles north).
What’s near Peaks Hill
Typical jobs here are in homes near Carshalton Park, Margaret Roper Catholic Primary School and The Foxley Hatch pub. Peaks Hill’s nearest station is Purley station, roughly 0.8 miles south-east. Well-known places in the area include St George's Walk (2.4 miles north-east) and Croydon Airport Visitor Centre (1 mile north-east). Open spaces near Peaks Hill include Duppas Hill and Roundshaw Downs.
Signs you need a chimney survey in Peaks Hill
TV aerials, satellite dishes and their brackets are often fixed to chimneys. The extra load in wind can work bricks and joints loose. Any fixings on the stack are checked and recorded.
Problems we come across often include:
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- A stack that appears to lean
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Coloma Convent Girls' School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
- How soon the report will arrive
- What insurance they carry
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
How we price chimney surveys
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. The main factors are:
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
There are three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you’d like to know.
Getting in touch
Some details help us suggest the right survey and price. When you get in touch, it helps to mention:
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, so phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the details.