Greater London · London and the South East
West Hendon Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys in West Hendon, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. You get a clear report with photos.
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
Chimney surveys in West Hendon: local notes
Alongside Victorian and Edwardian terraces, outer London has a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs of clay or concrete tiles. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. Heath House, about 3.2 miles south-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around West Hendon. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for example near Brent Cross Shopping Centre, knowing the roof’s condition lets you budget for work rather than pay for emergencies. Take a building like The Hyde School: long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
West Hendon is about 2 miles north of Neasden, in Greater London. Bookings from West Hendon are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Our Greater London coverage includes West Hendon and the places around it. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
Every address in NW9 and NW4 is within our area for chimney surveys. We offer chimney surveys to properties on Alpini Road, Catkin Road and Garrick Road and the roads around them. Being close to the A5, West Hendon is easy for us to reach for chimney surveys. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include The Hyde (1 mile south), Colindale (1 mile north), The Burroughs (1 mile north-east), Hendon (1 mile east) and Staples Corner (1 mile south-east). Larger places within reach include London (9 miles south-east), City of Westminster (6 miles south-east), Marylebone (6 miles south-east), Kensington (6 miles south), St Pancras (7 miles south-east) and Shoreditch (8 miles south-east).
What’s near West Hendon
Around West Hendon, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Woodfield School, Moon Under Water pub and Brampton College. West Hendon has its own railway station: Hendon station. Nearby you’ll also find Brent Cross Shopping Centre (1.1 miles east) and Church Farmhouse Museum (1 mile north-east). For a walk, there’s Masons Field and Parliament Hill.
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in West Hendon
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. It might come in at the top, through worn pointing or porous bricks, or where the flashings meet the roof. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. You then know where to start. If you are worried about spalled or crumbling bricks and unused flues sealed without airflow, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Much of London’s housing is flats, in converted houses or purpose-built blocks, so roofs are often shared between several households. Landlords, managing agents and residents’ companies need to know what condition it’s 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.
Report times depend on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Location
- West Hendon (NW9, NW4)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey works
The visit typically starts outside and finishes in the loft: outside views come first, then the roof space if there is safe access. All told, expect between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. For a visit in West Hendon, parking and access are the things to plan: let us know about parking, the floor the property is on, any shared entrance and loft access. We then look at whatever is safely visible from ground level, windows, the loft and, where it is safe, the roof itself.
- You let us know 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.
- Where there’s safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
Preparing for the visit
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Check pets are kept safely away
Booking a survey
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, so phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the details.
Advice
What happens if roof problems are left?
A small amount of repointing or new flaunching is usually a modest job. Leave it, and frost can work the stack loose, and the work grows. Work on a London roof is rarely simple to arrange, with parking, neighbours and access all to think about. Knowing what’s needed early gives you time to plan it calmly, rather than in a rush after a leak.
Prices start from £150, with VAT included, for a Basic Survey. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400. You will know the price for your survey before booking.
Why book us in West Hendon
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- Packages from £150, inc. VAT
- 20+ years’ experience
- Plain-English reports with photos
See our cost guide and two real surveys.
Nearby places to West Hendon
More services for West Hendon
Tips that help
Getting the most from a chimney survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Tips:
- Check fixings on the stack are secure
- Do not use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
If the stack is shared, you can pass the report to your neighbour. It shows what we found and where, as far as we could see.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. With binoculars, you can often see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
Do you need a chimney survey in West Hendon?
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.
It’s worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- A chimney out of line
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
If you let a flat or house near Hendon station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What they will not be able to tell you
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- Whether VAT is added on top
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
Prices vary from roof to roof, for these reasons:
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how it can be reached and seen safely. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT.
What we need to know
Some details help us point you to the right survey and price. When you get in touch, it helps to mention:
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
- What’s prompted the survey
- Anything about access we should know
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
If you’re buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email when you are ready.
West Hendon questions
Is my home in West Hendon listed or in a conservation area?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Can a landlord with a rental near Hendon station book a roof survey?
Of course. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
How quickly is the report sent?
That depends on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day. Reports are sent by email.
Do you use drones?
Yes, where it applies and safe. We fly a sub-250g drone and we are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). It’s included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where it applies, the Premium Survey.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
It’s worth having a leaning stack checked. We record the lean, the brickwork and the pointing, and if it may be a structural issue, we recommend a structural engineer.
What if it rains on the day?
Light rain is normally fine; heavy rain and wind are different. Strong wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, so we’d move the date with you.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing are not part of what we do. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as 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.
Surveys for landlords and agents in West Hendon
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, putting the urgent items at the top.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on.