Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Purley, Greater London
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Purley. We have completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Lifted or split lead flashings
FAQs for Purley
I let a flat near Purley station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you need.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Purley?
Sometimes, yes. Where there are permit zones, a visitor permit or nearby pay-and-display bay works well.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, once access has been agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so we need permission from whoever owns or manages the building. We inspect only the parts we are allowed to reach.
My chimney looks like it is leaning. What should I do?
It’s 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.
Do you take photos of the roof?
Yes. We photograph the roof as we go, and the report uses them to show each finding.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We point out what can be seen, such as sagging or deflection, but we do not carry out calculations or give an engineer’s opinion. Where an engineer is needed, we say so in the report.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Only where it is safe to do so. We look at everything that can be seen safely: from the ground, from windows, from inside the loft space, from the roof where it’s safe and by drone where it applies. Anything we can’t see is noted in the report.
Chimney survey in Purley: what you get
A damp patch on a chimney breast doesn’t always come from the same place. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. We look at each possibility and record what we find. That points the work in the right direction. We survey lead flashings, brick chimney stacks and chimney breasts, and people most often book us about spalled or crumbling bricks and damaged chimney pots and cowls.
London has Victorian and Edwardian terraces in almost every borough, frequently with slate roofs, chimney stacks shared with neighbours and gutters hidden behind parapets. Slates can last a century or more, but the nails holding them corrode, and slates slip. Homes in Purley are no exception. Shared chimney stacks and the lead around them are just as important to check.
What you get is a clear record of the chimney stack on the day we saw it. It is useful right away, and a good reference for later, for example when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Location
- Purley (CR8, CR2, CR5)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
Safety comes first on every visit. We inspect whatever is safely visible, and anything we cannot see is noted in the report. The survey usually takes roughly 1–2 hours at most homes, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. London terraces rarely offer a view of the whole roof from one spot, so a visit in Purley moves between viewpoints: the pavement, upstairs windows, the loft and any safe spot at the back. If other people live in the building, let us know who can let us into the shared parts.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
How to prepare
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Tell us where we can park nearby
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
Book a survey
When you’re ready to go ahead, call 07833 053749 or send us an email. From there it is a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day.
Read more
When to book a survey in Purley
Chimney stacks stand above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Frost works into cracks in the flaunching and pointing, and rain soaks into worn brickwork. People typically call us when they notice damp or a problem with the stack, or before a purchase.
Things that frequently lead to a survey include:
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Flaunching that has broken away
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near St Swithun's, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
What to check before booking
- What the survey won’t cover
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
Purley homes and their roofs
Historic houses such as Addington Palace, about 3.6 miles north-east, show how far back building in the area around Purley goes. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters. Alongside Victorian and Edwardian terraces, outer London has a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs of clay or concrete tiles. On a semi of that age, the small roofs over the bays, the hip tiles and any later dormer each need their own look. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
Homes near green spaces like Dollypers Hill can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching. If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for instance near St George's Walk, knowing the roof’s condition lets you budget for work rather than pay for emergencies.
Purley is about 2 miles south-west of Croydon, in Greater London. In Purley, as across Greater London, every roof gets the same careful survey. We cover towns and villages across Greater London. You can also see our page for London.
We cover every part of CR8, CR2 and CR5 for chimney surveys. Whether your property is on High Street, Church Road and Brighton Road or a nearby road, we can help. With the A2022 close by, Purley is easy for us to reach for chimney surveys. We also cover Peaks Hill (1 mile north-west), Woodcote (1 mile west), Russell Hill (1 mile north), Roundshaw (1 mile north-west) and Woodcote Green (1 mile west). Larger places within reach include London (11 miles north), City of Westminster (12 miles north), Marylebone (13 miles north), Kensington (12 miles north), St Pancras (13 miles north) and Shoreditch (13 miles north).
Around Purley
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Jolly Farmers pub, Laleham Lea School and Thomas More Catholic School and the streets around them. Purley has its own railway station: Purley station. Well-known places in the area include Purley War Memorial Hospital (under half a mile north-east) and St George's Walk (2.7 miles north). Not far away are Duppas Hill and Foxley Wood.
What you can safely check yourself
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and a fall can be serious. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, which helps when we look at the roof.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Purley
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, including offices, shops and units. Bigger roofs take more time, so they’re priced to suit.
Where a roof is shared: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you get in touch and we’ll plan the survey around it.
How we price chimney surveys
Not every roof costs the same to survey, for these reasons:
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Height and safe access
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, with VAT included, and we will tell you which fits.
Helping us price your survey
The more you tell us, the easier it is to price the survey. When you contact us, it’s useful to mention:
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- What’s prompted the survey
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. For a price or to book, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Nearby places to Purley
What else we do in Purley
Why it’s worth a survey now in Purley
If you are thinking of removing or reducing a stack, it helps to know its condition first. Changes to stacks in conservation areas or on listed buildings may need consent, so check with them first. In Purley, as across London, an overflowing gutter soaks the wall below. A small blockage left for a few winters becomes a damp problem.
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where it applies, from £400 inc. VAT. We can help you choose the package that fits what you’d like to know.
Why book with us
- An independent view of the roof
- 20+ years’ experience
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- A photo-illustrated written report
Read how roof surveys are priced and two real surveys.