Greater London · London and the South East
Shadwell Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys around Shadwell, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Staining on walls around the chimney
Landlord and commercial surveys in Shadwell
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, and the report can go to both. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work around your tenants.
How a chimney survey works in Shadwell
A chimney survey is about the outside of the stack and the roof around it. It is not a flue inspection, a chimney sweep or a gas safety inspection. If you use a fire or a gas appliance, the flue should be checked by a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer as appropriate. We’ll tell you if we see anything that suggests they should take a look. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, lead flashings and flaunching, and common reasons people get in touch are pots or cowls that look unsafe and unused flues sealed without airflow.
A London butterfly roof slopes down to a central valley gutter that drains to the back of the house. 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 Shadwell has one, it needs checking from somewhere that can actually see it.
Where we cannot see part of the chimney stack, the report says so. That way, it’s clear what was covered and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Place
- Shadwell (SE16, E1, E1W)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Local roofs in Shadwell
Close to the centre of London, a great many houses are Victorian or Edwardian terraces, many of them roofed in Welsh slate. Many have butterfly roofs draining to a central valley gutter, with parapet walls and gutters hidden behind them. In a house like that, shared stacks, party-wall upstands and lead flashings all need looking at as far as they can be seen. Whatever the covering, it’s often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. With Mansion House about 1.9 miles west, Shadwell sits in an area with a long building history. If your house is among 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 your home is one of the older ones in the streets near St Paul's Church, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs. If you live near a park like Russia Dock Woodland, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching. Take a building like Peter Hills with St Mary's and St Paul's CofE Primary School: its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Shadwell is about 1 mile south-east of Whitechapel, in Greater London. Wherever you are in Shadwell, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Our Greater London coverage includes Shadwell.
We cover every part of SE16, E1 and E1W for chimney surveys. That includes homes and businesses on Swan Road, Thame Road and Brunel Road and the roads around them. Shadwell sits on or near the A101 and A126, which makes travel easy. Close by, we survey roofs in Ratcliff (1 mile north), East End of London (1 mile north-west), Wapping (1 mile west), St George in the East (1 mile west) and Limehouse (1 mile north-east). We also work in nearby towns such as City of Westminster (5 miles west), Marylebone (4 miles west), Kensington (7 miles west), St Pancras (3 miles north-west), Walthamstow (6 miles north) and Hampstead (7 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in Shadwell
In Shadwell, that means homes and buildings near Bacon's College, Bishopsgate Institute Special Collections and Archives and Russia Dock Woodland, among other places. Other local landmarks include Prospect of Whitby pub (under half a mile west) and St Mellitus College (0.6 miles west). Shadwell has its own railway station: Wapping station. Well-known places in the area include St Olave's Hospital (0.8 miles south-west) and The Pumphouse Educational Museum (within half a mile east). Not far away are Lavender Pond and Tower Hill.
Why act early in Shadwell
Before deciding what to do with a redundant stack, a survey shows how it’s doing. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need permission from the council, so check with them first. A hidden valley or parapet gutter on a London house can hold water for weeks before anyone notices. When the stain finally shows, the damage underneath is often older than it looks.
A Basic Survey starts from £150, inc. VAT. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both including VAT. You will know the price for the job before booking.
What you get with us
- Surveys seven days a week
- PI and public liability insurance
- An independent view of the roof
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
Read how roof surveys are priced and two real surveys.
DIY checks: what’s safe
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Practical tips
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Make sure fixings on the stack are secure
If the stack is shared, you can pass the report to your neighbour. The photos show the problem and which side it’s on, as far as we could see.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. With binoculars, you can often see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
How we price chimney surveys
All our prices include VAT. What changes the price is:
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- How big the roof is
- Which survey package you book
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Our price is from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Getting in touch
When you call or email, these details help:
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- The property’s address and postcode
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
A quick phone call is typically the easiest start: phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form, and we will ask about the building and what you need. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.
How the survey works
We do not take risks to get a closer look. We inspect everything that’s safely in view, and if part of the roof can’t be seen, the report says so. Most visits take about 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. London terraces rarely offer a view of the whole roof from one spot, so a visit in Shadwell moves between viewpoints: the pavement, upstairs windows, the loft and any safe spot at the back. Shared stairs or a basement flat? Tell us who holds the keys.
- You let us know 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.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Before we arrive
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
How to book
When you are ready to go ahead, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day.
Advice
Common questions in Shadwell
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Shadwell?
Typically it’s manageable with a little notice. Let us know what parking is available nearby, and the visit is planned around it.
Is my home in Shadwell listed or in a conservation area?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
What if it rains on the day?
A survey can typically go ahead in light rain, and it can even help show where water is getting in. Strong wind or heavy rain can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so if conditions aren’t right we’ll arrange another day with you.
Do you cover Shadwell?
Yes. We cover Shadwell and the rest of Greater London, as part of our work across London and the South East. To book, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys.
Do you need to go on the roof to check the chimney?
We use safe viewpoints rather than climbing onto the stack. Where applicable, our Premium Survey adds a drone inspection for a closer view. The report is clear about anything that couldn’t be seen.