Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Southwark
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Southwark, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- A stack that appears to lean
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
How a chimney survey works in Southwark
Our chimney survey covers the stack and the details that keep water out around it: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and the flashings at the roof line. We also look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. You get a report with photos and our recommendations. We survey single stacks on houses and groups of stacks on bigger buildings. Common reasons to book are damp patches on chimney breasts and flaunching that has broken away, across chimney pots and cowls, shared and party-wall stacks and flaunching.
London has Victorian and Edwardian terraces in almost every borough, often with slate roofs, chimney stacks shared with neighbours and gutters hidden behind parapets. Slates can last a century or more, but the nails holding them corrode, and slates slip. In Southwark, as across London, that’s why a roof needs a close look rather than a glance from the street. Lead flashings and shared chimney stacks on these houses need a proper look too.
The report records the chimney stack as we found it on the day. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, for instance when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Where
- Southwark (SE1, SE11)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
FAQs for Southwark
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Southwark?
London parking needs a little planning, so let us know about permits, bays or a driveway when booking. The visit is then planned around what’s available.
How do I find out if my home in Southwark is listed?
We can’t confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
How quickly is the report sent?
Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24–48 hours and Premium reports on the same day. Each one is emailed, ready to forward.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning. Mention it when you contact us and we will plan the survey around it.
Will you check the loft?
If there is a loft and safe access to it, yes. The loft space can show things the outside can’t, such as damp timbers, staining or daylight.
Do you inspect the flue?
No. We survey the stack and its weathering, not the flue. For the flue, you’ll need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We are experienced roof surveyors, and visible signs such as sagging are noted, but we don’t provide calculations or an engineer’s opinion. If one is needed, the report says so.
Honest limits
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- Parts of the stack that cannot be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we cannot access
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll recommend the right survey. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roofs we survey in Southwark
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
Towns and villages near Southwark
Also in Southwark
Why it is worth a survey now in Southwark
A loose pot or brick can fall from height. A survey picks them out so they can be made safe by a suitable contractor. Many older London roofs have only old felt under the slates, or no underlay at all, so a slipped slate can soon mean water inside. Left unchecked, water soaks into timber and plaster and the damage spreads.
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and the package you choose.
What you get with us
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- An independent view of the roof
- Every finding written up with photos
- Packages from £150, including VAT
Take a look at what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
Roof by roof
Chimney pots and cowls
A loose or cracked pot can fall from height. We photograph each pot and note any damage.
Rendered stacks
What’s behind the render can’t be seen without removing some, so the report explains what we could and couldn’t assess.
Chimney surveys in Southwark: local notes
Historic houses such as Mansion House, about 0.9 miles north, show how far back building in the area around Southwark goes. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. Welsh slate on Victorian and Edwardian terraces is a familiar sight across inner London. From the street you may see only a parapet, with a butterfly roof and a valley gutter behind it draining to the back. Lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are typical of these houses, if yours is one of them. Whatever the covering, it’s often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
The streets around a church such as Borough Welsh Congregational Chapel are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs. If you live near a park such as Little Dorrit's Playground, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
Southwark is about 0 miles north-west of London, in Greater London. In Southwark, as across Greater London, every roof gets the same careful survey. Southwark is one of the towns and villages in Greater London where we work.
Every address in SE1 and SE11 is covered for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Borough Square, Trinity Church Square and Merrick Square or anywhere close by, we can survey it. With the A300 and B240 close by, Southwark is simple for us to get to for chimney surveys. We also cover Tower Hill (1 mile north-east), City of London (1 mile north), Aldgate (1 mile north-east), Bishopsgate (1 mile north-east) and Barbican Estate (1 mile north). Larger places within reach include City of Westminster (3 miles west), Kensington (5 miles west), Walthamstow (7 miles north-east), Hampstead (5 miles north-west), Ruislip (14 miles west) and Brompton (3 miles west).
Near you in Southwark
Around Southwark, our work takes us to homes and buildings near London School of Musical Theatre, Little Dorrit's Playground and St Mary-at-Hill. Also close by are Ark Globe Academy (less than half a mile south-east), The BFI Reuben Library (0.9 miles north-west) and The Gladstone Arms (less than half a mile north-east). Southwark’s nearest station is Elephant & Castle station, roughly 0.5 miles south of the centre. A little further out are Gabriel's Wharf (0.7 miles north-west) and Baynard's Castle (0.8 miles north). For a walk, there is Ludgate Hill and Bellenden Road Nature Garden.
Do you need a chimney survey in Southwark?
Many chimneys are no longer used. If a stack is capped or blocked without ventilation, moisture can build up inside. That can lead to damp patches on chimney breasts, even with the roof in good order.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Worn or missing pointing
- Signs that a stack is leaning
Anyone responsible for a site like Charles Dickens Primary School will know that large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether the price includes VAT
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- How long the report takes to arrive
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
The survey, step by step
You do not need to do much on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, such as stains, drips or loose pieces, and we’ll get on with the inspection. The survey itself takes an hour or two on an ordinary house, and longer for a large or complex roof. London terraces rarely offer a view of the whole roof from one spot, so a visit in Southwark moves between viewpoints: the pavement, upstairs windows, the loft and any safe spot at the back. Shared stairs or a basement flat? Let us know who holds the keys.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We check the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Before we arrive
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
Getting a price
Not sure which survey you need? It’s easiest to call 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
Read more
Useful tips for Southwark property owners
Small things make a difference, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Our tips:
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
Where another specialist is needed, like a structural engineer or sweep, we explain why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Make sure fixings on the stack are sound and taken off if they’re no longer needed. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.