Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Totteridge, Greater London
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching for Totteridge, from an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photos.
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Worn or missing pointing
Tips that help
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Check unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
If the report recommends a structural engineer, a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer, it will say why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Check fixings on the stack are sound and taken off if they’re no longer needed. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Totteridge
For buyers, a chimney survey before exchange can flag work you may want to raise. Cracked flaunching, failed flashings and worn pointing are common findings on older stacks. Our report gives you specific points to raise with the seller or agent. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it. We survey lead flashings, brick chimney stacks and chimney pots and cowls, and common reasons people get in touch are gaps in the mortar around the pots and signs that a stack is leaning.
London has Victorian and Edwardian terraces in almost every borough, many with Welsh slate roofs, shared chimney stacks and parapet or valley gutters. Slates can last a century or more, but the nails holding them corrode, and slates slip. In Totteridge, 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.
After the visit, you get a report with photos, emailed to you. It explains the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Place
- Totteridge (N20, EN5)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Chimney surveys around Totteridge
Alongside Victorian and Edwardian terraces, outer London has a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs of 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. Whatever the covering, it’s frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. The wider area around Totteridge has a long history of building, with Wyllyotts Manor about 4.2 miles north. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for example near Spires Shopping Centre, knowing the roof’s condition lets you budget for work rather than pay for emergencies. Anyone responsible for a site like The Totteridge Academy will know that its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. If you let a flat or house near Oakleigh Park station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
Totteridge is about 1 mile south-west of Barnet, in Greater London. Totteridge is part of the area we cover as part of our work across London and South East England. Our Greater London coverage includes Totteridge. London is in our area too.
Every address in N20 and EN5 is within our area for chimney surveys. Whether your property is on Barnet Lane, Grange Avenue and Chestnut Lane or a nearby road, we can survey it. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Hadley (1 mile north), High Barnet (1 mile north), Arkley (2 miles north-west), Mill Hill (2 miles south-west) and Rowley Green (2 miles north-west). Larger places within reach include London (10 miles south-east), City of Westminster (9 miles south), Marylebone (8 miles south), Kensington (9 miles south), St Pancras (8 miles south-east) and Shoreditch (9 miles south-east).
Near you in Totteridge
We work in homes and buildings around Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum, Susi Earnshaw Theatre School and Brook Farm Open Space and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Oakleigh Park station, about 1.5 miles east. A little further out are Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum (1.5 miles south-east) and Barnet General Hospital (1.3 miles north-west). Open spaces near Totteridge include Totteridge Green and Darland's Lake.
What we can’t see
This isn’t a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- Conditions inside walls
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will give you a straight answer before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we look at
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Letting agents and landlords in Totteridge book surveys as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photographs, useful for planning maintenance.
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work around your tenants.
Why it is worth a survey now in Totteridge
Most people never get a careful 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. Blocked gutters and hoppers on London houses overflow and soak brickwork. A small blockage left for a few winters becomes a damp problem.
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so the price reflects that. You will know the figure before booking.
Why book us in Totteridge
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- A report with photos
Read our cost guide or our case studies.
Prices for chimney surveys in Totteridge
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. That comes down to:
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- How big the roof is
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
For a price for your roof in Totteridge, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and a few details. We’ll confirm the figure before booking.
Helping us price your survey
If you can, have these to hand when you contact us:
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- What kind of property and roof it is
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, and you can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form to find out.
Places near Totteridge
More services for Totteridge
FAQs for Totteridge
How do I find out if my home in Totteridge is listed?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Is parking a problem for a survey in Totteridge?
It rarely stops a survey, but it’s worth planning. Let us know the parking rules on your street and we will work around them.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not unless it is safe. Safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where applicable cover most of what’s needed, and the report notes anything we couldn’t see.
What if it rains on the day?
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. We’ll rearrange with you if the weather isn’t right.
Does someone need to be in?
It depends on what we need to see. For inside areas and the roof space, someone has to give us access, while outside access can be discussed as you book.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
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. We check each one and note the most likely cause.
What should I do with a chimney I do not use?
A redundant chimney needs looking after like any other. If it’s capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside. Our survey records its condition and how it’s capped, so you can plan what to do with it.
What we do, step by step
We’ll ask a few questions first, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. Then the inspection itself takes between one and two hours at a typical home, or half a day or so for a commercial building. In a London conversion, the way into the roof space is often from a communal landing or the top flat. If that applies to your building, it is useful to agree access with the neighbours or the managing agent first. Everything else is planned around the building, not the postcode.
- You tell us how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach them.
- You get a written report with photos and our recommendations.
Before the survey
- Leave side gates unlocked
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- Find any records of previous roof work
Getting a price
Booking is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and give us a few details about the property and we will recommend the right survey. The price is agreed up front.