Greater London · London and the South East
Staples Corner Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Staples Corner, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- A stack that appears to lean
How a chimney survey works in Staples Corner
For buyers, a chimney survey before exchange can flag work you may want to raise. On older stacks, we often find cracked flaunching, loose flashings and worn pointing. You get photographs and findings you can take back to the seller or agent. It works alongside a RICS home survey, not instead of one. We are frequently asked to look into pots or cowls that look unsafe and frost-damaged brickwork on the stack, across lead flashings, shared and party-wall stacks and chimney pots and cowls.
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. For a house in Staples Corner with this kind of roof, the hidden gutter is one of the first things to check.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photos, emailed to you. It explains the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Where
- Staples Corner (NW2, NW4, NW9)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Staples Corner
In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older slate-roofed terraces. On a semi of that age, the small roofs over the bays, the hip tiles and any later dormer each need their own look. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. Historic houses such as Heath House, about 2.2 miles east, show how far back building in the area around Staples Corner goes. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
If you look after a building like Parkfield Primary School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. Trees in and around Clarefield Park shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching. For landlords with property near Brent Cross West station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
Staples Corner is about 1 mile south of Hendon, in Greater London. In Staples Corner, as across Greater London, every roof gets the same careful survey. Our area takes in places right across Greater London, large and small. You can also see our page for London.
We work across the NW2, NW4 and NW9 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. Whether your property is on Park Road, Humber Road and Oxgate Lane or anywhere close by, we can survey it. If you’re just outside Staples Corner, we cover Brent Cross (1 mile north-east), Dollis Hill (1 mile south-west), Hendon (1 mile north), The Hyde (1 mile north-west) and West Hendon (1 mile north-west). Further out, we also cover London (8 miles south-east), City of Westminster (5 miles south-east), Marylebone (5 miles south-east), Kensington (5 miles south), St Pancras (6 miles south-east) and Shoreditch (7 miles south-east).
Landmarks near Staples Corner
Around Staples Corner, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Clarefield Park, Clarion and Woodfield School. Staples Corner has its own railway station: Brent Cross West station. Other landmarks nearby include St Andrew's Hospital (0.7 miles south) and Church Farmhouse Museum (1.3 miles north). Open spaces near Staples Corner include Westbere Copse and Darland's Lake.
How the survey changes by roof type
Rendered stacks
A rendered stack can mask problems in the bricks below. The survey checks for cracking, bulging and staining in the render.
Brick stacks
Many older stacks were built with lime mortar. Repairs should suit the original materials, which we mention where relevant.
Before and after the survey
Getting the most from a chimney survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Tips:
- Don’t use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
If anything in the report isn’t clear, just ask us. Standard Surveys come with a follow-up consultation, and Premium Surveys with an in-person one.
Make sure fixings on the stack are sound 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 small amount of repointing or new flaunching is normally a modest job. Leave it, and frost can work the stack loose, and the work grows. Behind a London parapet, a blocked gutter can sit full of water without anyone seeing it. By the time a ceiling stains, the timbers underneath may have been wet for a while.
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package you pick makes a difference too. We will give you the figure before anything is booked.
Why book with us
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Over 20 years’ experience
- Surveys seven days a week
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
See our cost guide and two real surveys.
What a survey costs
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. That comes down to:
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, access and which survey you book.
What we need to know
The more you let us know, the easier it is to price the survey. When you contact us, let us know:
- Dates you’re working to, such as exchange
- Anything about access we should know
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
- Where the property is, with the postcode
If you are buying, it’s useful to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. Otherwise, simply phone 07833 053749 or send us an email whenever suits you.
Places near Staples Corner
Also in Staples Corner
Questions from Staples Corner
Can a landlord with a rental near Brent Cross West station book a roof survey?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. You can phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and a few details, including who will give access on the day.
Is my home in Staples Corner listed or in a conservation area?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. For the rest of the building, a RICS home survey is a separate job.
What happens after the survey?
You receive the written report by email, with photographs and recommendations. It’s yours to share with a seller, insurer, roofer or managing agent, whichever applies.
Can you find out why my chimney breast is damp?
Typically it’s water getting in from outside, or condensation in a sealed stack. We check the stack, the flashings and how unused flues are capped, and record what we find.
Do you cover Staples Corner for chimney surveys?
Yes. Our area covers London and South East England, Staples Corner included.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime, which suits people who work during the week. Just say which days work for you.
The survey, step by step
On the day, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that is worrying you. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen. The survey usually takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. In Staples Corner, 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. If the building has a managing agent or access rules, tell us when booking.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Where there’s safe access, we look at the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
Before the survey
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
How to book
To get a price for chimney surveys in Staples Corner, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. A few details about the property and the roof help us give you an accurate price.
Related advice
Landlords, agents and block managers in Staples Corner
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work around your tenants.
Letting agents and landlords in Staples Corner book surveys as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photographs, which helps you plan work between tenancies.