Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in St Johns, Greater London
We take a careful look at the chimney stack at your property in St Johns, with photographs and a written report.
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in St Johns
Our chimney survey covers the stack and the details that keep water out around it: the pots and cowls, the flaunching on top, the pointing, the brickwork and the flashings where it meets the roof. Inside, we check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft where it’s safe to reach. The findings come in a written report with photos and recommendations. It suits a single stack on a house as well as several on a larger building. We’re often asked to look into a stack that appears to lean and lifted or split lead flashings, across lead flashings, shared and party-wall stacks and brick chimney stacks.
A London butterfly roof slopes down to a central valley gutter that drains to the back of the house. Hidden behind the parapet, that gutter can block or split without anyone seeing it. If your home in St Johns has one, it needs checking from somewhere that can actually see it.
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.
- Place
- St Johns (SE13, SE10, SE8)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
How it works
We photograph the roof as we go, so the report shows exactly what we saw. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available. A typical visit takes about 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In a London conversion, the way into the loft space is often from a communal landing or the top flat. If that applies to your building, it’s useful to agree access with the neighbours or the managing agent first. Otherwise, the visit in St Johns runs like any other.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- The stacks are looked at from ground level, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
Before we arrive
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the building owner or managing agent
How to book
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form when you are ready.
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What else we do in St Johns
What this survey can’t tell you
To be straight with you, a roof survey has limits:
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll tell you. What a survey covers and does not.
What we check
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
Practical tips
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Do not use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
Once we have been, the findings are written up with photos. It explains the condition of each part of the stack and any damp inside. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24 to 48 hours and Premium reports the same day.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. That helps stop damp building up inside.
Surveys for landlords and agents in St Johns
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords, from shops and offices to industrial units. Larger roofs take longer.
Landlords, agents and building managers in St Johns and across Greater London can book any of our surveys. To discuss a property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
St Johns: your questions answered
Does a conservation area affect roof work in St Johns?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near St Johns station?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and a few details, including who will give access on the day.
Will you check the chimney is safe to use with a fire?
No. We survey the stack and its weathering, not the flue. The flue should be checked by a sweep, or by a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing are not part of what we do. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
Do you cover St Johns for chimney surveys?
Yes, we do. We carry out chimney surveys in St Johns, and the service is the same as everywhere else we work.
Why is my chimney breast damp?
It can come from several places: water getting in at the top, through the brickwork or at the flashings, or moisture trapped in a stack with no ventilation. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause.
Does the weather affect the survey?
It can, depending on the survey. Drone flights need calm, dry weather, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. If the conditions aren’t right, we’ll talk to you about another date.
What we are asked to look at in St Johns
Many chimneys are no longer used. A stack sealed without ventilation can trap damp. That can lead to damp patches on chimney breasts, even with the roof in good order.
A survey can pick up problems such as:
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
If you live in an older home near Church of St John, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- What they won’t be able to tell you
- Whether VAT is added on top
What happens if roof problems are left?
Most people never get a proper look at their chimney stacks. Defects tend to go unseen until there is a stain. A survey gives you a clear picture before that happens. A hidden valley or parapet gutter on a London house can hold water for weeks before anyone notices. By the time a ceiling stains, the timbers underneath may have been wet for a while.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Our price is from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Why book with us
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- 98% customer satisfaction
- Every finding written up with photos
- Surveys seven days a week
See what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
St Johns homes and their roofs
About 1.1 miles north-east lies Queen's House, a reminder of how long the area around St Johns has been built on. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Close to the centre of London, a great many houses are Victorian or Edwardian terraces, many of them roofed in Welsh slate. Behind many of their parapets sit butterfly roofs and valley gutters that cannot be seen from the pavement. Lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are typical of these houses, if yours is one of them. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
For businesses in and around places such as Lewisham Shopping Centre, a dated report on the roof is useful for planning and for any lease discussions. Homes near green spaces like Brookmill Park can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
St Johns is about 4 miles south-east of London, in Greater London. We provide chimney surveys for homeowners, landlords and businesses in St Johns. Our area takes in places right across Greater London.
We cover every part of the SE13, SE10 and SE8 postcode area for chimney surveys. That includes homes and businesses on Avon Road, Mill Lane and Clare Road. Main roads around St Johns include the A2210 and A2211. If you are just outside St Johns, we cover New Cross (1 mile west), Deptford (1 mile north), Lewisham (1 mile south-east), Telegraph Hill (1 mile west) and Ladywell (1 mile south). Further out, we also cover London (4 miles north-west), City of Westminster (6 miles north-west), Marylebone (6 miles north-west), Kensington (8 miles west), St Pancras (6 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (5 miles north-west).
Landmarks near St Johns
Around St Johns, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Wickham Arms, Brookmill Park and Addey and Stanhope School, among other places. Nearby too are St. Paul's (0.7 miles north) and Laban Centre (0.8 miles north). There’s a railway station in St Johns itself: St Johns station. Well-known places in the area include Fan Museum (0.9 miles north-east) and Lewisham Shopping Centre (0.7 miles south-east). Not far away are Brookmill Road Local Nature Reserve and Tower Hill.