Greater London · London and the South East
West Kensington Chimney Survey
We take a careful look at the chimney stack at your property in West Kensington, and put it all in a written report with photos.
- Bricks with flaking faces
- A stack that appears to lean
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
Prices for chimney surveys in West Kensington
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before booking. These are the things that affect it:
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- The size of the roof
Every price we give includes VAT. Our price is from £150, including VAT. We confirm the price for your roof before booking.
What we need to know
What helps most when you contact us:
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- The type of building and roof, like pitched or flat
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
Unsure which package suits your roof? It is easiest to ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will explain the options and the price.
Chimney survey in West Kensington
Many homes have chimneys that are no longer used. Even when it is not used, a stack has to stay weathertight. Capping a stack without ventilation can trap moisture and lead to damp inside. We check how redundant stacks have been capped and look for damp in the chimney breasts. The report sets out what we found and what we recommend. If you’ve noticed loose, cracked or missing pots and gaps where the stack meets the roof, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Victorian and Edwardian terraces are found right across London, 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. Homes in West Kensington are no exception. Shared chimney stacks and the lead around them are just as important to check.
Where we can’t see part of the chimney stack, the report says so. That way, it is clear what was covered and what wasn’t.
- Location
- West Kensington (W14, SW6, SW5)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Towns and villages near West Kensington
Other services in West Kensington
What we’re asked to look at in West Kensington
Lots of homes have redundant stacks. If a stack is capped or blocked without ventilation, moisture can build up inside. That can lead to damp patches on chimney breasts, even with the roof in good order.
A survey can pick up problems such as:
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
If you let a flat or house near Kensington Olympia station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
What to check before booking
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Will the report include photos?
- Is VAT included in the price?
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
When you need someone else
Before you book, it is worth knowing what a survey won’t do:
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will suggest the right survey before you book. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
What we do, step by step
You do not need to do much on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we’ll get on with the inspection. The survey itself takes about one to two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. In a London conversion, the way into the loft space is often from a communal landing or the top flat. If that applies to your building, it helps to agree access with the neighbours or the managing agent first. Everything else is planned around the building, not the postcode.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- 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.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
Before the survey
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Let us know about parking near the property
Getting a price
To arrange a survey, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
Read more
Can I check my roof myself?
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That is where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
Different roofs, different checks
Brick stacks
Many older stacks were built with lime mortar. We note where repairs should match the original mortar.
Chimney pots and cowls
Pots sit in the flaunching on top of the stack, and cowls or caps sit on the pots. The survey looks for cracked, loose or missing pots and cowls.
Local roofs in West Kensington
Close to the centre of London, a great many houses are Victorian or Edwardian terraces, many of them roofed in Welsh slate. Many have butterfly roofs draining to a central valley gutter, with parapet walls and gutters hidden behind them. If your home in West Kensington is one of them, lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are part of the picture too. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. The wider area around West Kensington has a long history of building, with Garden Lodge about 0.4 miles north-east. 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.
For an older house near a landmark such as St Cuthbert's, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs. Trees in and around Gwendwr Garden shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters.
West Kensington is about 1 mile south of Kensington, in Greater London. Anywhere in West Kensington, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Across Greater London, we cover West Kensington and the places around it.
Chimney surveys in W14, SW6 and SW5 are booked the same way as anywhere else. That includes homes and businesses on Sun Road, Star Road and Field Road and the roads around them. Close by, we survey roofs in North End (1 mile west), Brook Green (1 mile north-west), Fulham (1 mile south), Hammersmith (1 mile west) and Brackenbury Village (1 mile north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (5 miles east), City of Westminster (3 miles north-east), Marylebone (3 miles north-east), St Pancras (5 miles north-east), Shoreditch (6 miles north-east) and Walthamstow (10 miles north-east).
Landmarks near West Kensington
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Avonmore Primary School, Gwendwr Garden and Seven Stars pub, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Kensington Olympia station, roughly 0.5 miles north. Nearby you will also find Chelsea Stadium Tour And Museum (1 mile south-east) and Fulham Hospital (0.6 miles south-west). The countryside around West Kensington includes Campden Hill and The Long Water.
West Kensington: your questions answered
Can a landlord with a rental near Kensington Olympia station book a roof survey?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you need.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in West Kensington?
In much of London, parking needs planning: a visitor permit or a bay close to the door helps a lot.
What do I do with the report?
You receive the written report by email, with photographs and recommendations. You can use it to talk to a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent, whichever applies.
What do you check on a chimney?
The whole stack, as far as it can safely be seen: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. Leaning, unused stacks and damp on chimney breasts are recorded too.
What should I do with a chimney I do not use?
It depends on its condition and your plans. The survey shows its condition and how it’s been capped. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need consent.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Only where it’s safe to do so. We check everything that can safely be seen: from ground level, from windows, from inside the loft space, from the roof where it is safe and by drone where applicable. The report says if anything couldn’t be seen.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.