Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in South Hampstead, Greater London
Chimney surveys in South Hampstead, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- A chimney out of line
Why act early in South Hampstead
A small amount of repointing or new flaunching is typically a modest job. Leave it, and frost can work the stack loose and the job gets bigger. Behind a London parapet, a blocked gutter can sit full of water without anyone seeing it. By the time a ceiling stains, the timbers underneath may have been wet for a while.
We offer three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, all including VAT. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Why book with us
- Over 20 years’ experience
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
How a chimney survey works in South Hampstead
Redundant chimneys are common, particularly where fires have been replaced by central heating. A disused stack still needs looking after. Capping a stack without ventilation can trap moisture and lead to damp inside. We check how redundant stacks have been capped and look for damp in the chimney breasts. The report sets out what we found and what we recommend. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, lead flashings and brick chimney stacks, and the problems we are asked to look at most are mortar washing out of the joints and signs that a stack is leaning.
London has a great many flats in converted houses and purpose-built blocks, so roofs are often shared between several households. 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. With a written report and photographs, everyone can plan from the same facts.
We keep jargon out of it: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, along with how urgent it is.
- Location
- South Hampstead (NW3, NW8, NW6)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Chimney surveys around South Hampstead
Winfield House, about 0.9 miles south-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around South Hampstead. If your home is one of 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. Close to the centre of London, a great many houses are Victorian or Edwardian terraces, many of them roofed in Welsh slate. From the street you may see only a parapet, with a butterfly roof and a valley gutter behind it draining to the back. Shared chimney stacks, party-wall upstands and lead work come with this kind of house. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
Living close to Primrose Hill is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls. If you live in an older home near Church of All Souls, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
South Hampstead is about 1 mile south of Hampstead, in Greater London. Roofs in South Hampstead get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Greater London. Across Greater London, we cover South Hampstead.
Surveys in NW3, NW8 and NW6 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Whether your property is on Avenue Road, Acacia Road and Harben Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. We also cover Swiss Cottage (1 mile north), St John's Wood (1 mile south), Haverstock (1 mile east), Belsize Park (1 mile east) and Primrose Hill (1 mile east). Within a short drive, we also cover London (4 miles south-east), Kensington (3 miles south-west), St Pancras (3 miles south-east), Shoreditch (4 miles east), Walthamstow (7 miles north-east) and Hoxton (4 miles east).
What’s near South Hampstead
We work in homes and buildings around Cafe Med pub, St. Mary's Town and Country School and Holy Trinity CofE Primary School and the streets around them. Other local landmarks include Cecil Sharp House (1.1 miles east) and Primrose Hill (0.6 miles east). South Hampstead has its own railway station: South Hampstead station. A little further out are Isokon Gallery (0.8 miles north-east) and O2 Centre (0.5 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Adelaide Nature Reserve and The Long Water.
Honest limits
Our survey isn’t a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roofs we survey in South Hampstead
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
What we do, step by step
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 about one to two hours on an ordinary house, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. London terraces rarely offer a view of the whole roof from one spot, so in South Hampstead 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 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.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Before we arrive
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Book a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine. To get started, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Related advice
Towns and villages near South Hampstead
More services for South Hampstead
Roof by roof
Rendered stacks
Some stacks are rendered, which can hide the condition of the brickwork beneath. The survey checks for cracking, bulging and staining in the render.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Damp patches on chimney breasts often point to a problem above. We check them and at the stack in the loft where there is safe access.
South Hampstead questions
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in South Hampstead?
It depends on the street. Where there are permit zones, a visitor permit or nearby pay-and-display bay works well, and a driveway is even better.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in South Hampstead?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it’s in a conservation area. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
What do you check on a chimney?
The whole stack, as far as it can safely be seen: from the pots and flaunching down to the flashings. Leaning, unused stacks and damp on chimney breasts are recorded too.
How do I book a survey in South Hampstead?
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address, the type of property and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price and agree a day with you.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. If you need a full building survey, you will need a RICS survey as well.
What happens next?
We email you the written report with photos and recommendations. It’s yours to share with a seller, insurer, roofer or managing agent, whichever applies.
How can you see the top of the stack?
Each stack is viewed from the safest viewpoints: from ground level, windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there is access. Our Premium Survey includes a drone inspection where it applies. If part of a stack cannot be seen, the report says so.
What affects the price in South Hampstead
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
Every price we give includes VAT. Prices start from £150, including VAT. You’ll know the price for your roof before you book.
Booking your survey
Before you get in touch, it’s useful to have:
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Dates you’re working to, such as exchange
A quick phone call is typically the easiest start: phone 07833 053749 or email us. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.
What we are asked to look at in South Hampstead
Flashings seal the gap where a stack passes through the roof. They can lift in wind, crack with age or pull out of the mortar joints. Failed flashings are one of the most common causes of damp around chimneys. Lead flashings can also be stolen.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Lifted or split lead flashings
For site and facilities teams at buildings like The UCL Academy, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- What follow-up you get after the report
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof