Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Ruxley, Greater London
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Ruxley, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Get in touch for a price.
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
Can I check my roof myself?
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: 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.
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Chimney survey in Ruxley
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. Condensation inside an unventilated stack is another common cause. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. That points the work in the right direction. We survey chimney breasts, lead flashings and flaunching, and common reasons people get in touch are spalled or crumbling bricks and mortar washing out of the joints.
Victorian and Edwardian terraces are found right across London, 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 often give out first and let slates slip. Homes in Ruxley are no exception. Shared chimney stacks and the lead around them are just as important to check.
After the visit, you get a written report with photos, sent by email. It explains the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Where
- Ruxley (DA14)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we can’t see
In fairness, a roof survey has limits:
- Parts of the stack that can’t be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we can’t access
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Hidden damage within the stack
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll recommend the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Ruxley
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
Chimney surveys around Ruxley
Further from the centre, London’s housing takes in interwar semis with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles as well as slate-roofed terraces. If your home in Ruxley is one of them, bay roofs, hips and later dormers each have their own details. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. About 2.6 miles north-east lies Hall Place and Gardens, a reminder of how long the area around Ruxley has been built on. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Take an older house close to St Botolph's Church: corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Hope Community School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Ruxley is about 2 miles south-east of Sidcup, in Greater London. In Ruxley, as across Greater London, every roof gets the same careful survey. Across Greater London, we cover Ruxley and the places around it. We also survey roofs in London.
We work across DA14 for chimney surveys and the streets around it. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Upper Ruxley (1 mile south-east), Foots Cray (1 mile west), Hockenden (1 mile south-east), North Cray (1 mile north) and Stonehill Green (1 mile east). We also work in nearby towns such as London (11 miles north-west), City of Westminster (14 miles north-west), Marylebone (14 miles north-west), St Pancras (13 miles north-west), Shoreditch (12 miles north-west) and Walthamstow (14 miles north-west).
What’s near Ruxley
In Ruxley, that means homes and buildings near Kemnal Technology College, Foots Cray Meadows and Walsingham School and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Albany Park station, about 1.5 miles north. A little further out are Metropolitan Police Museum (1.8 miles north-west) and Eynsford Castle (4.6 miles south-east). Not far away are The Warren and Summer Hill.
What else we do in Ruxley
What happens on the day
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. Then the inspection itself takes an hour or two 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. If the building has a managing agent or access rules, tell us when you book.
- You tell us whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- We look at the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Getting ready for the survey
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
Arrange a survey
When you are ready to go ahead, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form. From there it is a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.
Advice
Common roof problems in Ruxley
Chimney stacks stand above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Frost opens up cracks in the mortar, and rain gets into worn bricks and joints. People typically call us when they notice damp or a problem with the stack, or before a purchase.
People normally book a survey after spotting one of these:
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
For businesses in and around places like Broadway Shopping Centre, a written record of the roof’s condition helps you plan maintenance rather than react to leaks.
Questions to ask before booking
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Will the report include photos?
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
FAQs for Ruxley
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Ruxley?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Is parking a problem for a survey in Ruxley?
In much of London, parking needs planning: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day run more smoothly.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends. To find a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Are you insured?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once access has been agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is frequently shared, so whoever owns or manages the building needs to agree access. We inspect only the parts we are allowed to reach.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. It is a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. Our survey is not a structural engineer’s report, and it does not include calculations. If we see signs that need an engineer’s opinion, we will recommend one.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Ruxley
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. Recommendations are set out in order of urgency where relevant, which helps with budgets and planning.
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, putting the urgent items at the top.
What happens if roof problems are left?
A damp chimney breast seldom dries out until the cause is found. It can spoil decoration and plaster. Finding the cause means the right work can be planned. In Ruxley, as across London, an overflowing gutter soaks the wall below. A blocked outlet ignored for a winter or two can mean damp walls inside.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before booking.
What you get with us
- Customer satisfaction of 98%
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- Visits on any day of the week
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Read how roof surveys are priced and what we found on two real jobs.