Greater London · London and the South East
Blackfriars Gutter Survey
A survey of gutters, valleys, outlets and downpipes across Blackfriars, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Call or email for a price.
- Overflowing eaves gutters
- Gutters that have fallen out of line
- Soffits marked by water
Gutter survey in Blackfriars: what you get
Most blocked gutters are full of leaves, moss or silt. Homes close to trees fill their gutters faster and moss from the roof slopes makes it worse. Our survey shows which gutters are blocked or standing full and where outlets or hoppers are choked and whether any overflows are doing their job. Photos show each problem clearly. Blocked gutters are easy to put off but it rarely improves. We survey eaves gutters, parapet and box gutters and fascias and soffits, and people most often book us about dripping or leaking gutter joints and blocked outlets and hoppers.
Victorian and Edwardian terraces are found right across London, frequently with slate roofs, chimney stacks shared with neighbours and gutters hidden behind parapets. Slates can last a century or more, but the nails holding them corrode, and slates slip. Homes in Blackfriars are no exception. Shared chimney stacks and the lead around them are just as important to check.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Place
- Blackfriars (SE1, EC1M, EC1N)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Roof by roof
Box and secret gutters
A box gutter is built into the roof, often behind a parapet and when it overflows, water can get indoors. We check them where they can safely be seen.
Plastic (uPVC) gutters
Older plastic gutters can turn brittle and split. We look at the joints, brackets and falls.
Before and after the survey
A little preparation and a few simple habits help, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Our tips:
- Book gutter clearing once a year, more frequently near trees
- Check for spilling water in a downpour
- Don’t leave hidden gutters out of a clear-out
- Look for new stains on ceilings below valleys after rain
Questions about the report are welcome. With the Standard Survey there’s a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey comes with an in-person one.
Have overhanging branches and climbing plants cut back from the roof using someone with the right kit. Less debris means fewer blocked outlets.
What a gutter survey looks like in Blackfriars
Inner London’s Victorian and Edwardian terraces often have Welsh slate roofs. From the street you may see only a parapet, with a butterfly roof and a valley gutter behind it draining to the back. If your home in Blackfriars is one of them, lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are part of the picture too. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. About 0.2 miles north-west lies Dr Johnson's House, a reminder of how long the area around Blackfriars has been built on. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near St Ann Blackfriars, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs. Landlords with a home close to London Blackfriars station may find that knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints. Homes near green spaces like Bernie Spain Gardens can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Blackfriars is about 1 mile north-west of London, in Greater London. We cover Blackfriars and the rest of Greater London. We cover towns and villages across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages.
We cover every part of SE1, EC1M and EC1N for gutter surveys. We cover properties on Oat Lane, Bear Lane and Shoe Lane and the roads around them. Blackfriars sits on or near the A4 and A40, which makes travel easy. Close by, we survey roofs in Temple (1 mile west), Temple Bar (1 mile west), Bankside (1 mile south-east), Smithfield (1 mile north) and Clare Market (1 mile west). We also work in nearby towns like Kensington (4 miles west), Walthamstow (6 miles north-east), Hampstead (4 miles north-west), Ruislip (14 miles west), Brompton (3 miles south-west) and Stockwell (3 miles south).
Landmarks near Blackfriars
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Barts Health Archives, St Mary-at-Hill and St Alban's Church of England Primary School. Also close by are Bernie Spain Gardens (within half a mile south-west), London Nautical School (0.5 miles south-west) and The Black Friar pub (within half a mile south-east). There is a railway station in Blackfriars itself: London Blackfriars station. Other landmarks nearby include Montfichet's Tower (within half a mile north-east) and St Brides Crypt Museum (less than half a mile north-west). Not far away are Barnsbury Wood and St. James's Park Lake.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Blackfriars
With a portfolio of properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Blackfriars. To discuss a property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
FAQs for Blackfriars
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Blackfriars?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Blackfriars?
Parking in Blackfriars, as in most of London, takes a little planning: a visitor permit or a bay close to the door helps a lot, so mention what’s available when booking.
What’s in the survey report?
Written findings with photos, explaining the condition of the gutter, any defects and our recommendations, by urgency where it matters. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check, and the Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
How soon will I get the report?
It depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day. Reports are sent by email.
Do you use drones?
Where it’s applicable and safe, yes. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. It is included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where it applies, the Premium Survey.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. Our survey is not a structural engineer’s report, and it does not include calculations. We’ll recommend an engineer if we see signs that call for one.
Do you look in the roof space?
If the survey needs it and the roof space can be reached safely, yes. Please clear anything stored under the hatch, and if the loft can’t be reached safely, the report says so.
What you can safely check yourself
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 don’t climb up for a closer look.
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
Honest limits
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:
- Blockages deep inside downpipes
- Confirming asbestos in older rainwater goods
- Pipes below ground level
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Blackfriars
- Eaves gutters
- Downpipes
- Valley gutters
- Outlets and hoppers
- Parapet and box gutters
- Fascias and soffits
The survey, step by step
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. Then the inspection itself takes about one to two hours at a house, depending on how many gutter runs and downpipes there are. In converted houses and mansion blocks, the loft hatch is often on a shared landing. Where that’s the case, access needs agreeing with whoever controls that landing. Everything else is planned around the building, not the postcode.
- We agree which parts of the building you’re most worried about.
- We look along each run for debris, sagging and drips.
- We check the outlets, hoppers, downpipes and any overflows.
- We check fascias, soffits and walls for water damage.
- You get photos and written recommendations, prioritised where relevant.
How to prepare
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Check pets are kept safely away
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Booking a survey
We survey roofs on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To find a date that works for you, ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and the days you’d prefer.