Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Tower Hamlets, Kent
Wondering about the chimney stack at a property in Tower Hamlets? We carry out chimney surveys in Tower Hamlets and across Kent, with plain-English findings.
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Lifted or split lead flashings
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Tower Hamlets
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. We look at each possibility and record what we find. That points the work in the right direction. We’re often asked to look into worn or missing pointing and disused chimneys trapping moisture, across brick chimney stacks, lead flashings and flaunching.
In a smaller place like Tower Hamlets, homes range from older cottages to bungalows and newer houses. Older roofs can have slate, clay tiles or other traditional coverings, while many later ones have concrete tiles. Chimneys, valleys and gutters on older homes frequently need the most attention. The fixings under an older roof frequently fail before good slates or tiles do.
You receive the findings by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Place
- Tower Hamlets (CT17, CT16, CT15)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How it works
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. Most visits take roughly 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. In a smaller place like Tower Hamlets, parking is seldom the issue; lanes, gates and long drives are worth mentioning. Low roofs on bungalows can often be seen well from the ground, and the loft shows the rest.
- 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.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access.
- You get a written report with photos and our recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
Book a survey
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Related advice
How we price chimney surveys
To price your survey, we look at:
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- The shape of the roof and its details
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
Price depends partly on the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, including VAT. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
What we need to know
To price your survey accurately, we will ask about:
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Access details, like a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Where the property is, with the postcode
We confirm the price for your roof before you book, so you know the cost up front. Prices start from £150, including VAT. To book, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Your questions about chimney surveys in Tower Hamlets
Can a landlord with a rental near Dover Priory station book a roof survey?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. Just ring 07833 053749 or email us with the details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Do you cover smaller places like Tower Hamlets?
Yes, Tower Hamlets is covered. Our area covers London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
How do I book a survey in Tower Hamlets?
It’s easiest to call 07833 053749 or email us. Tell us the address and a little about the roof, and we will point you to the right survey. Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day, which suits people who work during the week. Let us know your preferred days when you book.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey is a roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey of the whole building. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it is applicable and safe, yes. We fly a sub-250g drone and we’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). It is included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where it applies, the Premium Survey.
What do I do with the report?
The report arrives by email. With Standard there’s a follow-up consultation; with Premium, an in-person consultation.
Chimney surveys in Tower Hamlets: local notes
The coast is about 1 mile or less from Tower Hamlets, so there’s more wind and more salt in the air than further inland. Near the sea, metal fixings wear faster and loose pieces on a roof are more likely to lift, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. Many older homes in Kent have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles held by pegs through two holes, and tile-hanging on their upper walls. Kent’s older buildings take in oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses as well. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
If you look after a building such as Priory Fields School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. Take an older house close to Church of St Peter and St Paul: old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs. Living close to High Meadow is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn.
Tower Hamlets is about 1 mile south of Dover, in Kent. We survey roofs in Tower Hamlets and the surrounding area as part of our work across London and the South East. Our Kent coverage includes Tower Hamlets and the places around it. Canterbury is in our area too.
Chimney surveys in CT17, CT16 and CT15 are booked the same way as anywhere else. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Cow Lane, Odo Road and Eric Road or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Tower Hamlets sits on or near the A256. We also cover Charlton-in-Dover (1 mile north-east), Guston (2 miles north-east), Church Whitfield (2 miles north), East Langdon (3 miles north-east) and West Cliffe (3 miles north-east). Larger places within reach include Canterbury (14 miles north-west), Folkestone (7 miles south-west), Ramsgate (15 miles north), Deal (7 miles north-east), Hythe (10 miles south-west) and Walmer (7 miles north-east).
Local landmarks in Tower Hamlets
Around Tower Hamlets, our work takes us to homes and buildings near St Edmund's Catholic School, High Meadow and Dover Grammar School for Girls, among other places. Tower Hamlets has its own railway station: Dover Priory station. Other landmarks nearby include Dover Castle (1 mile east) and Royal Victoria Hospital (less than half a mile east). The countryside around Tower Hamlets includes Dover Western Heights.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
It helps to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry.
You can learn a lot from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
Tips that help
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Some pointers:
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Check unused flues are capped with ventilation
Many people use the report to get quotes for the work. Because everyone is pricing the same findings, the quotes are easier to compare.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. That helps stop damp building up inside.
What this survey can’t tell you
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll point you to the right survey. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What this survey covers
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
Why get it checked now?
A loose pot or brick can fall from height. Finding them early means they can be dealt with before they come down by a suitable contractor. Around Tower Hamlets, a leak in an older house can soak into timbers and plaster, which is far harder to put right than the roof fault itself.
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, including VAT, and we will tell you which fits.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Tower Hamlets
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- 98% customer satisfaction
- An independent view of the roof