Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in South Bank
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in South Bank. We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
What we can’t see
To be straight with you, there are limits to any roof survey:
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
Chimney survey in South Bank
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. Condensation inside an unventilated stack is another common cause. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. You then know where to start. We survey lead flashings, chimney pots and cowls and flaunching, and common reasons people get in touch are spalled or crumbling bricks and damp patches on chimney breasts.
London has a great many flats in converted houses and purpose-built blocks, where the roof is usually a shared part of the building. Whoever looks after the building needs a clear picture of the roof, chimneys and gutters. A defect on a shared roof can reach more than one flat. A report gives everyone the same picture to plan from, with photos.
What you get is a clear record of the chimney stack on the day we saw it. It’s useful right away, and a good reference for later, such as when you want to compare after future work.
- Where
- South Bank (SE1, WC2E, WC2N)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey works
We do not take risks to get a closer look. Everything that can be seen safely is inspected, and anything we can’t see is noted in the report. The survey typically takes between one and two 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 a visit in South Bank moves between viewpoints: the pavement, upstairs windows, the loft and any safe spot at the back. If other people live in the building, tell us who can let us into the shared parts.
- You let us know how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- The stacks are looked at from ground level, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach them.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Getting ready for the survey
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
Arrange a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email when you are ready.
Related advice
What affects the price in South Bank
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. The main factors are:
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Which survey package you book
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- The roof’s overall size
One thing that affects the price is the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all including VAT. The roof’s size, height and access matter as well.
What to let us know when you contact us
To price your survey accurately, we will ask about:
- When you need the report by
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- The property’s address and postcode
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can call 07833 053749 or send us an email to find out.
Nearby places to South Bank
What else we do in South Bank
Local roofs in South Bank
The wider area around South Bank has a long history of building, with Benjamin Franklin House about 0.4 miles north-west. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, 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, often with Welsh slate roofs. Behind many of their parapets sit butterfly roofs and valley gutters that cannot be seen from the pavement. 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.
Living close to Jubilee Gardens is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching. For landlords with property near London Waterloo station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak. For site and facilities teams at buildings like Oasis Academy Johanna, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
South Bank is about 1 mile west of London, in Greater London. Roofs in South Bank get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Greater London. We cover towns and villages across Greater London.
Here we cover the SE1, WC2E and WC2N postcode area for chimney surveys. We cover properties on York Road, Spur Road and Lower Road and the roads around them. With the A301 and A302 close by, South Bank is simple for us to get to. Other places close to South Bank include Waterloo (1 mile south-east), Adelphi (1 mile north-west), Charing Cross (1 mile north-west), Temple (1 mile north-east) and Aldwych (1 mile north). Within a short drive, we also cover Kensington (4 miles west), Walthamstow (7 miles north-east), Hampstead (4 miles north-west), Ruislip (14 miles west), Stockwell (3 miles south) and Orpington (13 miles south-east).
Near you in South Bank
Typical jobs here are in homes near Jubilee Gardens, The Hole In The Wall pub and The BFI Reuben Library. Nearby too are St Andrew's and St John's Church of England Primary School (less than half a mile east) and London Nautical School (less than half a mile north-east). South Bank has its own railway station: London Waterloo station. A little further out are Florence Nightingale Museum (under half a mile south) and Royal Waterloo Hospital for Children and Women (under half a mile north-east). Green spaces nearby include Barnsbury Wood and St. James's Park Lake.
Different roofs, different checks
Rendered stacks
Cracked render can let water in and trap it behind. Cracks are photographed and noted.
Lead flashings
Over time, lead can lift or come away from the brickwork. Any loose or split flashings are recorded.
Leave it or get it looked at?
A leaning stack should be looked at sooner rather than later. Our survey records it and says when a structural engineer should look at it, so you know where you stand. In South Bank, as in much of London, water from a roof defect can reach a neighbour’s home as easily as yours: a blocked parapet gutter or slipped slate can let water into the flat below or the house next door. Dealing with it early is far less disruptive.
A Basic Survey starts from £150, inc. VAT. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400. You’ll know the price for the job before booking.
Why book us in South Bank
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Visits on any day of the week
- Every finding written up with photos
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
Read our cost guide or two real surveys.
Common questions in South Bank
Does a conservation area affect roof work in South Bank?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
I let a flat near London Waterloo station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. Just call 07833 053749 or email us and let us know about the building, including who will give access on the day.
What does the report include?
You get our findings in writing, part by part, with photos. The most urgent items are made clear.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We don’t sample or test for asbestos. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it’s disturbed.
Are you insured?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We use safe viewpoints rather than climbing onto the stack. A drone inspection is part of the Premium Survey where applicable. The report is clear about anything that couldn’t be seen.
Do you cover South Bank?
Yes. Our area covers London and South East England, and that includes South Bank.
Before and after the survey
Nothing here needs a ladder. A few suggestions:
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
If the report recommends a structural engineer, a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer, it will say why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Look at your chimneys from the ground now and then, especially after strong winds. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.