Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in St Mary Cray, Greater London
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching for St Mary Cray and the rest of Greater London. We survey on any day of the week.
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- A chimney out of line
Do you need a chimney survey in St Mary Cray?
Where a chimney meets the roof, lead flashings keep water out. They can lift in wind, crack with age or pull out of the mortar joints. When flashings fail, water frequently shows up in the loft or on the chimney breast. Lead flashings can also be stolen.
People typically book a survey when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching that has broken away
- A chimney out of line
The streets around a church such as Church of St Mary are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Questions to ask before you book
- Their track record with similar roofs
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- How long the report takes to arrive
Chimney survey in St Mary Cray: what you get
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 photo-illustrated written report and our recommendations. It suits a single stack on a house as well as several on a larger building. We survey lead flashings, flaunching and shared and party-wall stacks, and people most frequently book us about loose, cracked or missing pots and flashings pulling away from the stack.
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, in St Mary Cray as anywhere. Leaks from a shared roof rarely affect just one home. With a written report and photographs, everyone can plan from the same facts.
You receive the findings by email, ready to forward to whoever needs them. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24–48 hours and Premium on the day.
- Place
- St Mary Cray (BR5, BR6, BR7)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens on the day
Safety comes first on every visit. Everything that can safely be seen is inspected, and if part of the roof can’t be seen, the report says so. The survey usually takes an hour or two for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. London terraces rarely offer a view of the whole roof from one spot, so in St Mary Cray 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? Let us know who holds the keys.
- You let us know whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
How to prepare
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
Getting a price
To get a price for chimney surveys in St Mary Cray, call 07833 053749 or email us. A few details about the property and the roof help us give you an accurate price.
Advice
Landlords, agents and block managers in St Mary Cray
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in St Mary Cray. For a price for a let property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too. Bigger roofs take more time.
Places near St Mary Cray
More services for St Mary Cray
What a chimney survey doesn’t cover
A survey is a proper look at the chimney stack, but it cannot do everything. The main limits are:
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll recommend the right survey. What a survey covers and does not.
What we check
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
Tips that help
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out:
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Make sure unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
After the visit, we write up the report with photos of each stack. 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.
Look at your chimneys from the ground now and then, especially after strong winds. With binoculars, you can frequently see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
St Mary Cray: your questions answered
Can a landlord with a rental near St Mary Cray station book a roof survey?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. Just ring 07833 053749 or email us with the details.
Is parking a problem for a survey in St Mary Cray?
London parking needs a little planning, so let us know about permits, bays or a driveway as you book. That way the visit can be planned around it.
What should I do with a chimney I don’t use?
There is no single answer. The survey shows its condition and how it’s been capped. If you’re thinking of removing it, check with the council first in a conservation area or on a listed building.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
What do you check on a chimney?
The whole stack, as far as it can be seen safely: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. We also note leaning, redundant stacks and damp inside.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. We look at the parts we can see safely and the parts you can give us access to. If a defect seems to be on your neighbour’s side, the report records it, so you can discuss it with them.
Can you survey in bad weather?
It can, depending on the survey. Drones cannot fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. We will rearrange with you if the weather is not right.
Chimney surveys around St Mary Cray
Outer London has a good many Victorian and Edwardian terraces with slate roofs, but also a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles. On a semi of that age, the small roofs over the bays, the hip tiles and any later dormer each need their own look. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look. Bromley Palace, about 3.8 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around St Mary Cray. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If you own a rental within reach of St Mary Cray station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let. If you live near a park like Jubilee Country Park, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching.
St Mary Cray is about 11 miles south-east of London, in Greater London. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in St Mary Cray can all book chimney surveys, with a written report and photographs every time. Our area takes in places right across Greater London. We also survey roofs in London.
Chimney surveys in BR5, BR6 and BR7 are booked the same way as anywhere else. That includes homes and businesses on New Road, Kent Road and Park Road. Main roads around St Mary Cray include the A224. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Poverest (1 mile south-west), St Paul's Cray (1 mile north), Orpington (1 mile south), Derry Downs (1 mile south-east) and Kevington (1 mile east). We also work in nearby towns like London (11 miles north-west), City of Westminster (14 miles north-west), Marylebone (14 miles north-west), Kensington (15 miles north-west), St Pancras (13 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (12 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in St Mary Cray
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Harris Academy Orpington, The Blue Anchor Public House and Walsingham School and the streets around them. There’s a railway station in St Mary Cray itself: St Mary Cray station. Well-known places in the area include London Borough of Bromley Museum (0.9 miles south) and Lullingstone Castle (4.5 miles south-east). Open spaces near St Mary Cray include Summer Hill and The Warren.
What happens if roof problems are left?
If you’re buying, find out about the stacks before you exchange. After that, any work is yours to arrange and pay for. A report gives you something specific to put to the seller. In St Mary Cray, as across London, an overflowing gutter soaks the wall below. A small blockage left for a few winters becomes a damp problem.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Our price is from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Why book us in St Mary Cray
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
- 98% customer satisfaction
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
Read what a roof survey costs or our case studies.