Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Plaistow, Greater London
Chimney surveys across Plaistow, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. Every survey ends with a written report and photographs.
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
Signs you need a chimney survey in Plaistow
Flashings seal the gap where a stack passes through the roof. They can lift in wind, crack with age or pull out of the mortar joints. When flashings fail, water frequently shows up in the loft or on the chimney breast. Lead flashings can also be stolen.
Problems we come across often include:
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Worn or missing pointing
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
Homes near green spaces like Downham Fields can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn.
Questions to ask before booking
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
Chimney survey in Plaistow: what you get
Chimney stacks take more weather than almost any other part of a house. In time, flaunching cracks, mortar washes out and flashings come loose. Water then gets into the stack and can show as damp on a chimney breast or a stain in the loft. We record what we find with photos and recommendations. Common reasons to book are disused chimneys trapping moisture and worn or missing pointing, across lead flashings, flaunching 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. If your home in Plaistow has one, it needs checking from somewhere that can actually see it.
You receive the findings by email, ready to forward to whoever needs them. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Place
- Plaistow (BR1, BR2, BR3)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Towns and villages near Plaistow
Also in Plaistow
What affects the price in Plaistow
When we price a survey, we consider:
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
Price depends partly on the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all with VAT included. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
What to let us know when you contact us
Here’s what helps us most when you get in touch:
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll explain the options and the price.
What this survey cannot tell you
No survey can tell you everything, and it’s better to know them up front. Keep these in mind:
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Plaistow
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
How the survey works
The visit usually starts outside and finishes in the loft: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the loft 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. In a London area like Plaistow, 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. On the day, the roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from inside the loft space and from the roof where it is safe.
- 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.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
How to prepare
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
Getting a price
A quick phone call is normally the easiest start: ring 07833 053749 or email us, and we will ask about the building and what you need. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Related advice
What you can safely check yourself
You can learn a lot from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground.
Local roofs in Plaistow
Outer London has plenty of Victorian and Edwardian terraces with slate roofs, but also a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles. Hips, bay roofs and later loft conversions are typical of those semis, if your home is one of them. Whatever the covering, it is frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. With Bromley Palace about 1.2 miles south-east, Plaistow sits in an area with a long building history. If your home is one of the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
If you own a rental within reach of Sundridge Park station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let. If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for example near The Glades, a dated report on the roof is useful for planning and for any lease discussions.
Plaistow is about 1 mile north of Bromley, in Greater London. In Plaistow, as across Greater London, every roof gets the same careful survey. Across Greater London, we cover Plaistow. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
Here we cover the BR1, BR2 and BR3 postcode area for chimney surveys. Streets in the area include Saxon Road, Arcus Road and Croft Road, all of which we cover. We also cover Downham (1 mile north), Sundridge (1 mile east), Grove Park (1 mile north-east), Bromley (1 mile south) and Chinbrook (1 mile north-east). Further out, we also cover London (7 miles north-west), City of Westminster (10 miles north-west), Marylebone (10 miles north-west), Kensington (11 miles north-west), St Pancras (9 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (8 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Plaistow
Typical jobs here are in homes near Holy Trinity College Bromley, The Railway Tavern and Haberdashers' Aske's Knights Academy and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Sundridge Park station, roughly 0.6 miles south-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Greenwich Castle (4.1 miles north) and Prefab Museum (1.3 miles north-west). Not far away are Downham Woodland Walk and Summer Hill.
Different roofs, different checks
Brick stacks
Most chimney stacks are built of brick, with mortar joints that wear over time. The survey looks for crumbling bricks and worn or missing mortar.
Lead flashings
Flashings can lift in wind or pull out of their mortar joints. Any loose or split flashings are recorded.
Common questions in Plaistow
How do I find out if my home in Plaistow is listed?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Sundridge Park station?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and what you need.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
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 when booking.
Which parts of the chimney do you look at?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. We also check chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach. You get a written report with photos.
Is a chimney survey the same as a flue inspection?
No. It isn’t a flue, sweep or gas safety inspection. We check the structure and weathering of the stack and any damp, and we’ll say if anything suggests the flue needs checking.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We’re covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
What happens after the survey?
You’ll get the report by email. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation, and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation, so you can talk the findings through.