Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Southborough, Greater London
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching for Southborough, from an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photos.
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
Common roof problems in Southborough
Chimney stacks stand above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Frost works into cracks in the flaunching and pointing, and rain soaks into worn brickwork. Most people book after spotting damp or a loose pot, or before buying.
A survey can pick up problems such as:
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
If you own a rental within reach of Bickley station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Before you book anyone
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
- Are they insured for the work?
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Southborough
Redundant chimneys are common, especially where fires have been replaced by central heating. A disused stack still needs looking after. If it has been capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside it. 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 lead flashings, chimney breasts and shared and party-wall stacks, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are worn or missing pointing and signs that a stack is leaning.
Many London terraces have a butterfly roof, with two slopes meeting in a central valley gutter that drains to the rear. Hidden behind the parapet, that gutter can block or split without anyone seeing it. If your home in Southborough has one, it needs checking from somewhere that can actually see it.
Nothing in the report is left vague: if work is needed, the report says so clearly.
- Location
- Southborough (BR2, BR1)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Southborough
Alongside Victorian and Edwardian terraces, outer London has a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs of clay or concrete tiles. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. About 1.4 miles north-west lies Bromley Palace, a reminder of how long the area around Southborough 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.
The streets around a church such as St Augustine's Church are often 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. Homes near green spaces such as Jubilee Country Park can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn.
Southborough is about 2 miles south-east of Bromley, in Greater London. If you are in Southborough, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Across Greater London, we cover Southborough and the places around it. Our London page covers surveys nearby.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: BR2 and BR1. Streets in the area include Pope Road, Crown Lane and Union Road, all of which we cover. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Bromley Common (1 mile south-west), Petts Wood (1 mile east), Locksbottom (2 miles south-east), Shortlands (2 miles west) and Crofton (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover London (10 miles north-west), City of Westminster (12 miles north-west), Marylebone (12 miles north-west), Kensington (13 miles north-west), St Pancras (12 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (11 miles north-west).
Near you in Southborough
Typical jobs here are in homes near Bishop Justus CofE School, Jubilee Country Park and The Chequers Public House, among other places. The closest station to Southborough is Bickley station, roughly 0.7 miles north. Other landmarks nearby include Bethlem Museum of the Mind (0.9 miles south-west) and Bridgeways Day Hospital (within half a mile south). Green spaces nearby include Summer Hill and Downham Woodland Walk.
Common questions in Southborough
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Bickley station?
Yes, that’s a common request. We just need to know who will give access, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
Is parking a problem for a survey in Southborough?
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.
Do you look in the roof space?
If the survey needs it and the loft space can be reached safely, yes. Please clear anything stored under the hatch, and if the loft can’t be reached safely, the report says so.
What happens after the survey?
You receive the written report by email, with photographs and recommendations. You can use it to talk to a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent, whichever applies.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, once access has been agreed. Roofs over flats are frequently shared, so the freeholder or managing agent needs to agree access. We can only inspect what we’re given access to.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only when it’s safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where applicable, a drone, and anything out of sight is recorded in the report.
Places near Southborough
More services for Southborough
Should I look at the roof myself first?
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Do not go up yourself.
What a chimney survey does not cover
It’s a careful look at the chimney stack, not the whole story. The main limits are:
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will point you to the right survey. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
Surveys for landlords and agents in Southborough
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait.
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the addresses.
How it works
We’ll ask a few questions first, 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. For a visit in Southborough, parking and access are the things to plan: let us know about parking, the floor the property is on, any shared entrance and loft access. On the day, the roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from inside the roof space and from the roof where it’s safe.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- 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.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access.
- You get a written report with photos and our recommendations.
Before the survey
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Booking a survey
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Read more
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
Our packages start from £150, with VAT included. The price for your roof depends on:
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Roof area
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with VAT included. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both with VAT included. We confirm the price for your survey before you book.
Getting in touch
What helps most when you contact us:
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- The address and postcode of the property
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- What kind of property and roof it is
Once you know what you need, call 07833 053749 or email us. From there it is a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day.