Essex · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Basildon
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Basildon. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Bricks with flaking faces
- A stack that appears to lean
Chimney survey in Basildon: what you get
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. Condensation inside an unventilated stack is another common cause. We look at each possibility and record what we find. You then know where to start. Typical surveys look at flashings pulling away from the stack and staining on walls around the chimney, across chimney pots and cowls, chimney breasts and flaunching.
Basildon is big enough to have roofs from every era, from slate on older terraces to clay and concrete tiles on later houses and flat roofs on extensions and shops. Typical faults range from slipped slates and cracked ridges to tired flashings, chimneys and blocked gutters. Knowing which you have shapes the survey.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photographs, sent by email. It sets out the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our written recommendations.
- Place
- Basildon (SS16, SS15, SS14, SS13)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Do you need a chimney survey in Basildon?
Years of fires can affect the mortar inside a stack. Flue gases and damp can break down the mortar, sometimes more on one side than the other, which is one reason stacks start to lean.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Cracked or missing flaunching
For businesses in and around places like Eastgate Shopping Centre, a written record of the roof’s condition helps you plan maintenance rather than react to leaks.
Before booking anyone
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
- What they won’t be able to tell you
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- What exactly goes into their report
Leave it or get it looked at?
If a stack seems to lean, do not leave it. We record its condition and recommend a structural engineer where needed, so you can decide what to do next. Whatever the age of a roof in Basildon, small defects only grow if they’re left. A loose ridge, a cracked flashing or a blocked outlet is a small job today and a bigger one after a wet winter.
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) come with the Premium Survey, which starts from £400, including VAT. We can help you choose the package that fits what you need to know.
Why book us in Basildon
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- Surveys seven days a week
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
Take a look at what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
To price your survey, we look at:
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- House, block, shop or office
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
One thing that affects the price is the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all inc. VAT. The roof’s size, height and access matter as well.
Helping us price your survey
If you can, have these to hand when you contact us:
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Access details, like a loft hatch or a shared roof
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
When you are ready to go ahead, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Basildon
The coast is about 5 miles or less from Basildon, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Near the sea, metal fixings wear faster and loose pieces on a roof are more likely to lift. Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, and a good many post-war and modern estates besides. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
If you live near a park like Gloucester Park, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching. Take an older house close to St Martin of Tours: old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Basildon is about 24 miles east of London, in Essex. Anywhere in Basildon, we can carry out chimney surveys at your property. Our area takes in places right across Essex, from the larger towns to small villages. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
Here we cover the SS16, SS15, SS14 and SS13 postcode area for chimney surveys. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Town Square, St Martins Square and Market Square or anywhere close by, we can survey it. With the A13 and A127 close by, Basildon is easy for us to reach for chimney surveys. Other places close to Basildon include Lee Chapel (1 mile south-west), Noak Bridge (1 mile north-west), Vange (1 mile south-east), Steeple View (2 miles north-west) and Laindon (2 miles west). We also work in nearby towns like Chelmsford (11 miles north), Brentwood (8 miles north-west), Maldon (14 miles north-east), Canvey Island (6 miles south-east), Billericay (4 miles north) and Rayleigh (6 miles east). Being one of Essex’s larger places, Basildon has every kind of building, from houses and flats to offices.
Around Basildon
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Gloucester Park, Sigered pub and Woodlands School. Basildon has its own railway station: Basildon station. Nearby you will also find Eastgate Shopping Centre (under half a mile south) and Basildon University Hospital (1 mile south). Green spaces nearby include Vange Marsh RSPB nature reserve.
How the survey works
We will ask a few questions first, like when any problem began and what work has been done before. Then the inspection itself takes an hour or two at a typical home, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. For a commercial building or block in Basildon, roof access is agreed with whoever manages it ahead of the visit. For homes, clear the way to the loft hatch and tell us about any leaks you know of. You then get a report with photos.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Before the survey
- Check pets are kept safely away
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Booking a survey
To get a price for chimney surveys in Basildon, call 07833 053749 or email us. The address, the type of property and what you want to find out help us price the survey accurately.
Read more
Can I check my roof myself?
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
A lot can be seen from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
Your questions about chimney surveys in Basildon
Is the coastal weather around Basildon hard on roofs?
Places near the sea get more wind and more salt in the air than inland, and both are hard on roofs. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, while strong wind lifts anything already loose.
I let a flat near Basildon station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, that’s a common request. We just need to know who will give access, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
What happens next?
The report arrives by email, with photographs and clear recommendations. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation, and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation, so you can talk the findings through.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not always. Some roofs are too steep or fragile to walk on safely. We use safe viewpoints, the loft space and a drone where it applies.
What insurance do you have?
We’re covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
Don’t ignore it. Leaning frequently comes from mortar breaking down unevenly. The survey records what we can see, and a structural engineer can assess whether it needs work.
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.
How the survey changes by roof type
Chimney breasts and the loft
Where a breast has been taken out, we look at what supports the stack. A structural engineer should confirm whether it’s adequate.
Brick stacks
Spalled bricks, where the face has flaked off, are a sign of water and frost. Any spalling is noted with photos.