Greater London · London and the South East
Upminster Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching for Upminster, from an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photographs.
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
About our chimney survey in Upminster
Many terraced and semi-detached homes share their chimney stacks with a neighbour. We look at everything that’s safely in view and what the owner gives us access to. Where a problem seems to involve a neighbour’s side, the report records it and you can then discuss it with them. Everything is written up with photos and our recommendations. We survey brick chimney stacks, lead flashings and chimney breasts, and people most often book us about flashings pulling away from the stack and staining on walls around the chimney.
Much of London’s housing is flats, in converted houses or purpose-built blocks, so roofs are frequently shared between several households. Landlords, managing agents and residents’ companies need to know what condition it is in and what work is coming up. A defect on a shared roof can reach more than one flat. A report gives everyone the same picture to plan from, with photos.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets. You’ll see the good as well as the bad.
- Place
- Upminster (RM14, RM11)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What this survey cannot tell you
It’s a careful look at the chimney stack, not the whole story. The main limits are:
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll point you to the right survey. The full list of what we check.
What we check
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
Common questions in Upminster
Is parking a problem for a survey in Upminster?
Normally it is manageable with a little notice. Let us know what parking is available nearby, and the visit is planned around it.
Is my home in Upminster listed or in a conservation area?
We can’t confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
What happens after the survey?
The report arrives by email, with photos and clear recommendations. With Standard there’s a follow-up consultation; with Premium, an in-person consultation.
How long is the visit?
It usually takes about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. The report follows by email.
How many surveys have you done?
We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys, across 20+ years of surveying roofs.
Our stack is shared. Can you still survey it?
Yes. Shared stacks are common on terraced and semi-detached houses. We record the stack as far as we can see it and flag anything on the neighbour’s side.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and details are available on request.
Places near Upminster
More services for Upminster
Chimney surveys in Upminster: local notes
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. Whatever the covering, it is often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. The wider area around Upminster has a long history of building, with Hare Hall about 2.6 miles north-west. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
If you look after a building such as Upminster Junior School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. Landlords with a home close to Upminster station may find that the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. For businesses in and around places like The Mercury Mall, a dated report on the roof is useful for planning and for any lease discussions.
Upminster is about 2 miles east of Hornchurch, in Greater London. If you are in Upminster, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Our area takes in places right across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages. There is also a page for London.
Here we cover the RM14 and RM11 postcode area for chimney surveys. We offer chimney surveys to properties on Station Road, Latham Place and Deyncourt Gardens and the roads around them. If you’re just outside Upminster, we cover Upminster Bridge (1 mile west), Cranham (1 mile east), Emerson Park (1 mile north-west), Hornchurch (2 miles west) and Puddle Dock (2 miles east). Further out, we also cover Shoreditch (14 miles west), Walthamstow (12 miles west), Hoxton (15 miles west), Whitechapel (14 miles west), Orpington (14 miles south-west) and Highbury (15 miles west).
What’s near Upminster
We work in homes and buildings around Eastbrook School, St. Andrew's Park and The Crumpled Horn pub, among other places. There’s a railway station in Upminster itself: Upminster station. Well-known places in the area include Upminster Tithe Barn Museum of Nostalgia (0.5 miles north) and The Mercury Mall (3.2 miles north-west). For a walk, there is Cranham Marsh.
Before and after the survey
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Don’t use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
Once we have been, the findings are written up with photos. It covers the pots, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings, and any damp we found inside. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
What affects the price in Upminster
Prices vary from roof to roof, for these reasons:
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Height and safe access
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we will tell you which fits.
Getting in touch
You do not need to know any roofing terms. It’s enough to tell us:
- Anything about access we should know
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- What’s prompted the survey
We survey roofs on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To find a date that works for you, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
What we look for on each type of roof
Lead flashings
Where the chimney meets the roof slopes, lead flashings keep water out. We check for lifting, splits and gaps in the joints.
Brick stacks
Older brick stacks often have soft lime mortar. Repairs should suit the original materials, which we mention where relevant.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Upminster
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps with budgets and planning.
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, putting the urgent items at the top.
The survey, step by step
The aim of the visit is simple: to see as much of the chimney stack as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It normally takes roughly 1–2 hours for most houses, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. In a London area like Upminster, the main things to sort out are parking and access: tell us about permits, visitor bays or off-street space, which floor the property is on and how to get into the loft. We then look at what can be seen safely from the ground, windows, the loft and, where it is safe, the roof itself.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- We check every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
How to prepare
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Getting a price
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine; never climb up to get a better view. To get started, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.