Greater London · London and the South East
Primrose Hill Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys around Primrose Hill, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Bricks with flaking faces
- A chimney out of line
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
The survey, step by step
After the inspection, everything we found is written up as a written report with photographs. As for time on site, most surveys take about 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. From the street, a London terrace typically shows only its front slope or parapet, so in Primrose Hill we work round the house, using the street, the windows, the loft and any safe vantage point behind it. Shared stairs or a basement flat? Tell us who holds the keys.
- You let us know 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.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Before the survey
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Leave side gates unlocked
How to book
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine; never climb up to get a better view. To send them or to book, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Read more
About our chimney survey in Primrose Hill
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. A survey finds these problems and records them with photos. If you are worried about flaunching that has broken away and loose, cracked or missing pots, we can find out what’s behind it.
Many London terraces have a butterfly roof, with two slopes meeting in a central valley gutter that drains to the rear. From the street you see only a parapet wall, so blocked outlets and split linings go unnoticed until water comes through a ceiling. If your home in Primrose Hill has one, it needs checking from somewhere that can actually see it.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent, whichever applies.
- Location
- Primrose Hill (NW3, NW1, NW8)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Why act early in Primrose Hill
If you’re buying, find out about the stacks before you exchange. Once you’ve exchanged, the work is down to you. A report gives you something specific to put to the seller. Blocked gutters and hoppers on London houses overflow and soak brickwork. A blocked outlet ignored for a winter or two can mean damp walls inside.
To find out what your survey will cost, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and tell us about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Why us?
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- 20+ years’ experience
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
- Package prices that include VAT
Read what a roof survey costs or two real surveys.
What a chimney survey does not cover
Before you book, it is worth knowing what a survey won’t do:
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
Also near Primrose Hill
Other services in Primrose Hill
DIY checks: what’s safe
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Don’t go up yourself.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
What affects the price in Primrose Hill
When we price a survey, we consider:
- How big the roof is
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how it can be reached and seen safely. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT.
Getting in touch
You do not need to know any roofing terms. Just let us know:
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We’ll confirm the price before booking.
Chimney surveys in Primrose Hill: local notes
About 0.7 miles south lies Winfield House, a reminder of how long the area around Primrose Hill has been built on. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Many homes in inner London are Victorian and Edwardian terraces, frequently with Welsh slate roofs. Behind many of their parapets sit butterfly roofs and valley gutters that cannot be seen from the pavement. Shared chimney stacks, party-wall upstands and lead work come with this kind of house. Whatever the covering, it’s frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
The streets around a church such as Church of St Mary the Virgin are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs. If you own a rental within reach of Kentish Town West station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. If you look after a building such as St Paul's Church of England Primary School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Primrose Hill is about 1 mile south-east of Hampstead, in Greater London. From houses to flats and shops in Primrose Hill, we can survey the roof on a weekday or at the weekend. Our area takes in places right across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages.
We work across the NW3, NW1 and NW8 postcode area for chimney surveys. Local streets include Eton Road, Oval Road and Regal Lane, all of which we cover. Main roads around Primrose Hill include the A5205. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Haverstock (1 mile north), Belsize Park (1 mile north), Chalk Farm (1 mile north-east), South Hampstead (1 mile west) and Swiss Cottage (1 mile west). Larger places within reach include London (4 miles south-east), Kensington (3 miles south-west), Shoreditch (4 miles east), Walthamstow (7 miles north-east), Hoxton (3 miles east) and Whitechapel (4 miles south-east).
Around Primrose Hill
In Primrose Hill, that means homes and buildings near Cecil Sharp House, Haverstock School and Regent's Park, among other places. Other local landmarks include St. Mary's Town and Country School (0.5 miles north-west) and Princess of Wales pub (within half a mile east). For rail, the closest station is Kentish Town West station, roughly 0.7 miles north-east. Nearby you’ll also find Montfichet's Tower (3.1 miles south-east) and Wellington Hospital (0.7 miles south-west). The countryside around Primrose Hill includes Parliament Hill and Adelaide Nature Reserve.
What we look for on each type of roof
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.
Brick stacks
Brick stacks rely on sound pointing to keep water out. We check the bricks for spalling and the joints for erosion.
Primrose Hill: your questions answered
I let a flat near Kentish Town West station. Can you check the roof?
Of course. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Primrose Hill?
London parking needs a little planning, so let us know about permits, bays or a driveway as you book. That way the visit can be planned around it.
Do you look in the loft space?
If it’s needed and safe to reach, yes. We look for staining, damp, daylight and signs of movement.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime, which suits people who work during the week. Let us know your preferred days when you book.
Can you survey a shared roof?
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.
What if it rains on the day?
Light rain is normally fine; heavy rain and wind are different. In high wind or heavy rain, a drone can’t fly and access may not be safe, so we’d move the date with you.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We look from the ground, from windows and from the loft where it is safe. A drone inspection is part of the Premium Survey where it applies. Any area we couldn’t view is noted.