Essex · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Barnston
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching for Barnston, from an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photos.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
Chimney survey in Barnston
Each stack is looked at from the safest viewpoints available: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the loft space where it’s safe. A drone inspection is part of our Premium Survey where it applies. Where part of a stack cannot be seen, the report says so. Each defect is recorded with a photo and a plain description. We’re frequently asked to look into staining on walls around the chimney and damaged chimney pots and cowls, across flaunching, chimney breasts and lead flashings.
Village roofs often face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
If any part of the chimney stack couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. You’ll know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Where
- Barnston (CM6)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What you can safely check yourself
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
It helps to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us as you book, as it helps us focus the survey.
Also in Barnston
What affects the price in Barnston
Not every roof costs the same to survey, and it comes down to:
- How big the roof is
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package you pick makes a difference too. We’ll give you the figure before anything is booked.
Helping us price your survey
What helps most when you contact us:
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- The type of building and roof, like pitched or flat
Booking is simple: just call 07833 053749 or send us an email and give us a few details about the property and we will suggest the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Barnston
Where a roof is shared: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you contact us and we’ll plan the survey around it.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, including offices, shops and units. Bigger roofs take more time, so they’re priced to suit.
Your questions about chimney surveys in Barnston
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Barnston?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is in a conservation area. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Do you cover Barnston?
Yes, Barnston is within the area we cover. We work right across London and the South East. You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and a few details.
How long does the survey take?
That depends on the size and shape of the roof, but most surveys take about one to two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. The written report follows by email.
What if it rains on the day?
It depends on the weather and the survey. In strong wind or a downpour, a drone can’t fly and access may not be safe, so we’d move the date with you.
How soon will I get the report?
Report times are set by the package. Basic: within 48 hours. Standard: 24 to 48 hours. Premium: the same day. If you have a deadline, such as an exchange date, let us know as you book.
Do you inspect shared chimneys?
Yes. Shared stacks are common on terraced and semi-detached houses. We survey what we can see safely, and note anything that seems to involve next door.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it is applicable and safe, yes. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where applicable.
Why get it checked now?
Damp in a chimney breast normally gets worse while the cause is left. It can spoil decoration and plaster. Finding the cause means the right work can be planned. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Barnston, driving rain gets into any weakness, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
One thing that affects the price is the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all inc. VAT. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
Why book with us
- Photographs and a written report every time
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- An independent look at the roof
How the survey changes by roof type
Rendered stacks
Some stacks are rendered, which can hide the condition of the brickwork beneath. The survey checks for cracking, bulging and staining in the render.
Chimney breasts and the loft
In the loft, staining around the stack often shows where water is getting in. We record what we see with photographs.
Local roofs in Barnston
In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, while many towns grew with post-war and newer estates. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. If your home is older, it is worth knowing whether it’s listed or in a conservation area before planning roof work. Listed building consent covers changes to a listed building’s special interest, and an Article 4 direction can bring extra controls in a conservation area.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Helena Romanes School and Sixth Form Centre, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. For an older house near a landmark like Church of St Andrew, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Barnston is about 8 miles west of Braintree, in Essex. Barnston gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photographs and a written report. Our area takes in places right across Essex, from the larger towns to small villages. Our Chelmsford page covers surveys nearby.
We cover every part of the CM6 postcode area for chimney surveys. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Mill Field, Hylands Close and Berners End or a nearby road, we can survey it. We also cover the places around Barnston: Great Dunmow (2 miles north-west), Church End (2 miles north-west), High Roding (3 miles south-west), Stagden Cross (3 miles south) and Great Canfield (3 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Chelmsford (9 miles south-east), Braintree (8 miles east), Harlow (13 miles south-west), Maldon (15 miles south-east), Witham (11 miles east) and Saffron Walden (13 miles north-west).
Near you in Barnston
A little further out are Little Easton Moat (3.3 miles north-west). Not far away are Phyllis Currie Nature Reserve.
The survey, step by step
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the loft space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging. All in, the survey normally takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Older roofs in small places like Barnston can have low, tight loft spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Before the survey
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
How to book
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, call 07833 053749 or email us.