Greater London · London and the South East
Upper Holloway Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Upper Holloway, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Worn or missing pointing
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
How the survey works
We photograph the roof as we go, so the report shows exactly what we saw. We take close-ups from wherever is safe. A typical visit takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Surveys in Upper Holloway can be booked for any day of the week. London parking is often by permit or pay-and-display, so it helps to know what’s near you, and to clear a path to the loft hatch. Upstairs rooms at the back are useful too, as they often give the best view of a rear addition.
- You tell us whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- We look at the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Preparing for the visit
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
Booking a survey
Unsure which package suits your roof? The easiest way is to call 07833 053749 or email us and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll explain the options and the price.
Related advice
About our chimney survey in Upper Holloway
A chimney survey looks at the stack and everything around it: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and the flashings at the roof line. Inside, we check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft where it is safe to reach. You get a photo-illustrated written report and our recommendations. We survey single stacks on houses and groups of stacks on bigger buildings. We’re often asked to look into flashings pulling away from the stack and disused chimneys trapping moisture, on chimney pots and cowls, lead flashings and shared and party-wall stacks.
Much of London’s housing is flats, in converted houses or 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 Upper Holloway as anywhere. A defect on a shared roof can reach more than one flat. With a written report and photographs, everyone can plan from the same facts.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photographs, emailed to you. It explains the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Place
- Upper Holloway (N19, N7, N6)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
DIY checks: what’s safe
A lot can be seen from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Don’t go up yourself.
Why get it checked now?
Loose pots and bricks on a stack are a safety concern. A survey picks them out so they can be made safe by a roofer. A hidden valley or parapet gutter on a London house can hold water for weeks before anyone notices. When the stain finally shows, the damage underneath is frequently older than it looks.
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we can help you choose.
Why us?
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Visits on any day of the week
- Package prices that include VAT
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
See our cost guide and two real surveys.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Upper Holloway
Many homes in inner London are Victorian and Edwardian terraces, often with Welsh slate roofs. A butterfly roof with a central valley gutter, tucked behind a parapet wall, is common on these houses. Lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are typical of these houses, if yours is one of them. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. Historic houses such as Witanhurst, about 0.9 miles west, show how far back building in the area around Upper Holloway goes. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead.
For landlords with property near Upper Holloway station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. Take an older house close to St Andrew's Whitehall Park: the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Upper Holloway is about 2 miles east of Hampstead, in Greater London. Surveys in Upper Holloway work the same way as everywhere we cover: a proper look at whatever is safely visible, photos and a clear written report. We cover towns and villages across Greater London.
We work across N19, N7 and N6 for chimney surveys and the streets around it. We cover properties on Ward Road, Kiver Road and Foxham Road and the roads around them. Upper Holloway is on the A103, which makes it simple to reach. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Tufnell Park (1 mile south), Dartmouth Park (1 mile south-west), Highgate (1 mile north-west), Nag's Head (1 mile south-east) and Holloway (1 mile south-east). We also work in nearby towns such as London (5 miles south), City of Westminster (4 miles south), Marylebone (3 miles south), Kensington (5 miles south-west), St Pancras (3 miles south) and Shoreditch (4 miles south-east).
Around Upper Holloway
Around Upper Holloway, our work takes us to homes and buildings near City of London Academy, Whittington Park and The Mother Red Cap pub. Other local landmarks include Asanté Academy of Chinese Medicine (1.2 miles north-west) and Vaughan Williams Memorial Library (2 miles south). There is a railway station in Upper Holloway itself: Upper Holloway station. Nearby you’ll also find The Mall Wood Green (2.3 miles north-east) and Royal Northern Hospital (0.5 miles south-east). Not far away are Dartmouth Park Hill and Parkland Walk.
Common questions in Upper Holloway
How do I find out if my home in Upper Holloway is listed?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
I let a flat near Upper Holloway station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, letting agents and landlords book with us as well as owners. You can ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and a few details.
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.
Will you check the chimney is safe to use with a fire?
No. We survey the stack and its weathering, not the flue. For the flue, you’ll need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
How many surveys have you done?
We have completed more than 5,000 surveys, across 20+ years of surveying roofs.
Is this a RICS 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.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing are not part of what we do. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, like cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
Nearby places to Upper Holloway
Other services in Upper Holloway
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Landlords, agents and building managers in Upper Holloway and across Greater London can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work with less disruption.
When you need someone else
Every survey has limits, and it is better to know them up front. Bear these in mind:
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Hidden damage within the stack
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or email us and we will give you a straight answer before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
What we look at
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
When to book a survey in Upper Holloway
Chimney stacks stand above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Frost works into cracks in the flaunching and pointing, and rain soaks into worn brickwork. Most people book after spotting damp or a loose pot, or before buying.
We are often asked to look at:
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
Anyone responsible for a site like St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School will know that a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Questions to ask before you book
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- How soon the report will arrive