Greater London · London and the South East
Picketts Lock Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys across Picketts Lock, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
Can I check my roof myself?
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
You can learn a lot from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
About our chimney survey in Picketts Lock
A damp patch on a chimney breast doesn’t always come from the same place. It might come in at the top, through worn pointing or porous bricks, or where the flashings meet the roof. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. That points the work in the right direction. We are frequently asked to look into spalled or crumbling bricks and lifted or split lead flashings, on chimney pots and cowls, brick chimney stacks and shared and party-wall stacks.
A London butterfly roof slopes down to a central valley gutter that drains to the back of the house. Hidden behind the parapet, that gutter can block or split without anyone seeing it. For a house in Picketts Lock with this kind of roof, the hidden gutter is one of the first things to check.
We keep jargon out of it: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, and where it can wait, that’s said too.
- Where
- Picketts Lock (N9, E4, N18)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Why act early in Picketts Lock
A damp chimney breast seldom dries out until the cause is found. It can stain walls and damage plaster. Finding the cause means the right work can be planned. Any roof job in Picketts Lock means planning around parking, neighbours and access. That is a good reason to find problems early, while there’s time to plan.
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package matters as well. The price is always agreed first.
Why us?
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Package prices that include VAT
- An independent look at the roof
- Over 20 years’ experience
Practical tips
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Make sure fixings on the stack are secure
- Make sure unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
Many people use the report to get quotes for the work. With the same list in front of each contractor, comparing quotes is simpler.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. With binoculars, you can frequently see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
The survey, step by step
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photographs, sent to you by email. As for time on site, most surveys take between one and two hours for a house; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. In a London area like Picketts Lock, the main things to sort out are parking and access: let us know about parking, the floor the property is on, any shared entrance and loft access. We then look at what can be seen safely from ground level, windows, the loft and, where it is safe, the roof itself.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We check the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Getting ready for the survey
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
How to book
We confirm the price for your roof before you book, so you know the cost up front. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Advice
Chimney surveys around Picketts Lock
Bruce Castle, about 2.6 miles south-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Picketts Lock. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters. Outer London has a good many Victorian and Edwardian terraces with slate roofs, but also a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles. 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.
Living close to Pymmes Park is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn. If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for instance near Edmonton Green Shopping Centre, a written record of the roof’s condition helps you plan maintenance rather than react to leaks. Take an older house close to All Saints' Church: its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Picketts Lock is about 1 mile west of Chingford, in Greater London. We carry out chimney surveys for householders, landlords and businesses in Picketts Lock and nearby. Across Greater London, we cover Picketts Lock and the places around it. We also survey roofs in London.
Every address in N9, E4 and N18 is covered for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We cover properties on Ardra Road, Goodwin Road and Hennessy Road. Picketts Lock sits on or near the A1037, which makes travel easy. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Chingford Mount (1 mile south-east), South Chingford (1 mile south), Chingford (1 mile east), Edmonton (1 mile west) and Ponders End (1 mile north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (9 miles south), City of Westminster (9 miles south-west), Marylebone (9 miles south-west), Kensington (11 miles south-west), St Pancras (8 miles south-west) and Shoreditch (7 miles south).
Local landmarks in Picketts Lock
Typical jobs here are in homes near The King's Ford pub, Nightingale Academy and Pymmes Park and the streets around them. The closest station to Picketts Lock is Ponders End station, about 1.2 miles north of the centre. Nearby you will also find North Middlesex University Hospital (2 miles south-west) and The Epping Forest Museum (2.2 miles east). Open spaces near Picketts Lock include Pole Hill and Highams Park Lake.
Nearby places to Picketts Lock
More services for Picketts Lock
How we price chimney surveys
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- Basic, Standard or Premium
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on the size and height of the roof, how it can be seen safely and which survey you book.
Booking your survey
You do not need to know any roofing terms. It is enough to tell us:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- When you need the report by
- The kind of building and roof involved
- What made you get in touch
Getting a price is simple: just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form, let us know about the property and we will explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.
FAQs for Picketts Lock
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Picketts Lock?
It depends on the street. Where there are permit zones, a visitor permit or nearby pay-and-display bay works well.
Is my home in Picketts Lock listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once access has been agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is often shared, so we need permission from the freeholder or managing agent. We can only inspect what we’re given access to.
What’s in the report?
A written report with photos, explaining the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our recommendations. Standard adds moisture detection and a structural check; Premium adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies and structural analysis.
Does someone need to be in?
That depends on the survey. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in, while outside access can be discussed as you book.
Can you survey in bad weather?
It depends on the weather and the survey. High wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, and we’d agree another day.
My chimney looks like it is leaning. What should I do?
It is worth having a leaning stack checked. We record the lean, the brickwork and the pointing, and recommend a structural engineer where it may be a structural concern.
What we look for on each type of roof
Lead flashings
Where the chimney meets the roof slopes, lead flashings keep water out. We check for lifting, splits and gaps in the joints.
Chimney pots and cowls
Pots sit in the flaunching on top of the stack, and cowls or caps sit on the pots. We check that they look secure and undamaged.