Greater London · London and the South East
South Hornchurch Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys across South Hornchurch, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in South Hornchurch
Many terraced and semi-detached homes share their chimney stacks with a neighbour. We look at everything that’s safely in view and what the owner gives us access to. If a defect appears to be on the neighbour’s side, we note it, so you can talk to them. Everything is written up with photos and our recommendations. We survey lead flashings, shared and party-wall stacks and brick chimney stacks, and common reasons people get in touch are eroded joints in the brickwork and a chimney out of line.
London has a great many flats in converted houses and purpose-built blocks, so roofs are often shared between several households. Landlords, managing agents and residents’ companies need to know what condition it’s in and what work is coming up. Leaks from a shared roof rarely affect just one home. With a written report and photographs, everyone can plan from the same facts.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Location
- South Hornchurch (RM13, RM10, RM12)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in South Hornchurch
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. Hips, bay roofs and later loft conversions are typical of those semis, if your home is one of them. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look. The wider area around South Hornchurch has a long history of building, with Rainham Hall about 0.9 miles south. 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 the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
The streets around a church such as St John's Parish Church are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. If you live near a park such as Beam Valley Country Park, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall. If you let a flat or house near Rainham (Essex) station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
South Hornchurch is about 3 miles south of Romford, in Greater London. South Hornchurch is one of many places we visit across Greater London. We cover towns and villages across Greater London. London is in our area too.
We survey roofs across the RM13, RM10 and RM12 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. You’ll find streets such as Hood Road, Ford Lane and Philip Road, all of which we cover. Close by, we survey roofs in Beam Park (1 mile south-west), Rainham (1 mile south-east), Hornchurch Marshes (1 mile south-west), Dagenham (1 mile north-west) and Elm Park (1 mile north-east). Larger places within reach include London (12 miles west), City of Westminster (15 miles west), Marylebone (14 miles west), St Pancras (13 miles west), Shoreditch (11 miles west) and Walthamstow (10 miles north-west).
What’s near South Hornchurch
We work in homes and buildings around The Bell pub, The Brittons Academy and Beam Valley Country Park, among other places. The nearest railway station is Rainham (Essex) station, about 0.9 miles south. Other landmarks nearby include St George's Hospital (1.9 miles north-east) and The Brewery (3.1 miles north). Open spaces near South Hornchurch include Ingrebourne Marshes.
Also near South Hornchurch
What else we do in South Hornchurch
What affects the price in South Hornchurch
Survey packages start from £150, with VAT included. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Which survey package you book
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
We offer three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all including VAT. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
What we need to know
A little information up front helps. It is useful to include:
- Whether there is a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- The address and postcode of the property
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
We confirm the price for your roof before booking, so you know where you stand. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
FAQs for South Hornchurch
Is my home in South Hornchurch listed or in a conservation area?
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. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
I let a flat near Rainham (Essex) station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you need, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning, with the building owner or managing agent. Let us know about it when booking and we will plan the survey around it.
How many surveys have you done?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys, across London and South East England.
Do you look in the roof space?
Normally, if there is one and it can be reached safely. From inside, the underside of the roof often shows damp, staining or daylight that can’t be seen from outside.
What’s the best way to book?
The quickest way is to ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. Give us the address and some details about the roof, and we will take it from there. We survey on weekdays and at weekends.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. Many houses share stacks with a neighbour. We survey what we can see safely, and note anything that seems to involve next door.
When you need someone else
It’s a careful look at the chimney stack, not the whole story. The main limits are:
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll recommend the right survey. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
Tips from our surveys
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They apply to most roofs:
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Do not use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
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.
Have aerial and dish brackets on the stack checked and taken off if they’re no longer needed. Less load on the stack means less strain in wind.
What happens if roof problems are left?
A loose pot or brick can fall from height. Finding them early means they can be dealt with before they come down by a suitable contractor. Blocked gutters and hoppers on London houses overflow and soak brickwork, which can lead to damp inside. A blocked outlet ignored for a winter or two can mean damp walls inside.
Every price we give includes VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
What you get with us
- An independent view of the roof
- Surveys on weekdays and at weekends
- Package prices that include VAT
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
Read what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
Roof by roof
Rendered stacks
Cracked render can let water in and trap it behind. We record any cracking and where it is.
Lead flashings
Some older stacks have mortar fillets instead of lead. They crack with age, and we check them too.
The survey, step by step
The visit typically starts outside and finishes in the loft: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the loft space where it can be reached. All told, expect about 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In South Hornchurch, as in much of London, plenty of properties are flats or terraces without side access, so rear slopes are viewed from windows, the loft or, where a flight is allowed, by drone. Mention any building rules, key holders or managing agents when you book.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- The stacks are looked at from the ground, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- Find any records of previous roof work
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- Check pets are kept safely away
How to book
Most bookings start with a short call: phone 07833 053749 or email us. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.