Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Almshouse Green, Essex
Find out what’s going on with the chimney stack before you spend money on it. Chimney surveys in Almshouse Green, with photos and a clear written report.
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
Leave it or get it looked at?
If you are thinking of removing or reducing a stack, it’s useful to know its condition first. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need permission from the council and the council can advise. Outbuildings and barns around Almshouse Green are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. A quick look before winter can save a lot.
There are three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, all with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
What you get with us
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
- 20+ years’ experience
- An independent view of the roof
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
Read our cost guide and two real surveys.
How a chimney survey works in Almshouse Green
Our survey covers the structure of the stack and its weathering details. It is not a flue inspection, a chimney sweep or a gas safety inspection. If you use a fire or a gas appliance, the flue should be checked by a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer as appropriate. If something we see points to the flue, we will say so. Common reasons to book are damp on a chimney breast inside and loose, cracked or missing pots, on chimney breasts, brick chimney stacks and lead flashings.
Somewhere as small as Almshouse Green, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. On older roofs, it is normally the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
After the visit, you get a photo-illustrated written report, emailed to you. It explains the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Location
- Almshouse Green (CO9)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What a chimney survey looks like in Almshouse Green
In Essex, older buildings are frequently clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, and plenty of post-war and modern estates besides. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. About 2.4 miles north-east lies Hedingham Castle, a reminder of how long the area around Almshouse Green has been built on. 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.
Anyone responsible for a site like Hedingham School and Sixth Form will know that its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Almshouse Green is about 4 miles north-west of Halstead, in Essex. Bookings from Almshouse Green are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Almshouse Green is one of the places in Essex we cover. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: CO9. We also cover Harrowcross (1 mile east), Sible Hedingham (2 miles east), Castle Hedingham (2 miles north-east), Gosfield (3 miles south-east) and Sand Hill (3 miles south-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Braintree (6 miles south), Witham (12 miles south), Saffron Walden (14 miles west), Camulodunum (15 miles south-east), Halstead (4 miles south-east) and Great Dunmow (11 miles south-west).
Landmarks near Almshouse Green
A little further out are Zero2 Bus Museum (2.3 miles north) and Halstead Hospital (3.8 miles south-east).
What affects the price in Almshouse Green
Our packages start from £150, including VAT. The price for your roof depends on:
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
- How big the roof is
- How many separate roofs there are, like extensions, dormers and garages
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) come with the Premium Survey, from £400 inc. VAT. We will tell you which package suits the questions you have.
What to let us know when you get in touch
Before you get in touch, it’s useful to have:
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- What’s prompted the survey
We confirm the exact price before booking, so you know where you stand. Prices start from £150, including VAT. To book, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney pots and cowls
A loose or cracked pot can fall from height. We photograph each pot and note any damage.
Lead flashings
Over time, lead can lift or come away from the brickwork. We photograph any we find that look loose or damaged.
Towns and villages near Almshouse Green
Also in Almshouse Green
What this survey cannot tell you
We only report whatever is safely visible on the day, so there are some things a survey can’t cover:
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll tell you. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
What happens on the day
The aim of the visit is simple: to see as much of the chimney stack as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Notes and photos go into the written report. It typically takes about 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Older roofs in small places like Almshouse Green can have low, tight loft spaces, so tell us about the loft hatch and any ladder. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can safely be seen.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Where there is safe access, we look at the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- You get a photo-illustrated written report and our recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
Getting a price
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, so ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the details.
Related advice
Landlord and commercial surveys in Almshouse Green
We survey roofs for letting agents and landlords as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photographs.
With a portfolio of properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To discuss a number of properties, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Almshouse Green: your questions answered
Is Almshouse Green within the area you cover?
Yes, we do. We work right across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
How do I find out if my home in Almshouse Green is listed?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
What does the report include?
You get our findings in writing, part by part, with photos. Points are put in order of urgency where relevant.
Why is my chimney breast damp?
There are a few common causes: cracked flaunching, worn pointing, failed flashings, uncapped pots, or damp trapped in an unventilated stack. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause.
Does the weather affect the survey?
It depends on the weather and the survey. In strong wind or heavy rain, a drone cannot fly and access may not be safe, and we’d agree another day.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We use safe viewpoints rather than climbing onto the stack. A drone inspection is part of the Premium Survey where it applies. The report is clear about anything that couldn’t be seen.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not always. Safety comes first, and fragile or steep roofs can’t always be walked on. We use safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where applicable.