Essex · London and the South East
Blake End Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Blake End, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photographs.
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Cracked or missing flaunching
Blake End homes and their roofs
Before planning roof work on an older home, find out whether it is listed or in a conservation area. Changes that affect a listed building’s special interest need listed building consent, and councils can also use Article 4 directions to control changes in conservation areas. Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, alongside lots of post-war and newer estates. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
If you own a rental within reach of Braintree station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Blake End is about 4 miles west of Braintree, in Essex. We provide chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Blake End and nearby. Our Essex coverage includes Blake End. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
We survey roofs across the CM77 postcode area for chimney surveys. Close by, we survey roofs in Watch House Green (1 mile south-west), Bannister Green (1 mile south), Felsted (2 miles south-west), Willows Green (2 miles south-east) and Causeway End (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Chelmsford (10 miles south), Braintree (4 miles east), Maldon (14 miles south-east), Witham (9 miles south-east), Saffron Walden (14 miles north-west) and Halstead (8 miles north-east).
Near you in Blake End
Blake End’s nearest station is Braintree station, roughly 3.7 miles east. Other landmarks nearby include Braintree Community Hospital (2.9 miles east) and Tudor House Museum (Braintree) (3.7 miles east). For a walk, there is Phyllis Currie Nature Reserve.
Chimney survey in Blake End: what you get
Redundant chimneys are common, particularly where fires have been replaced by central heating. A disused stack still needs looking after. 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. We are frequently asked to look into signs that a stack is leaning and frost-damaged brickwork on the stack, across flaunching, shared and party-wall stacks and chimney breasts.
In a village or hamlet like Blake End, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are frequently old. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs frequently need the most attention.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets. You will see the good as well as the bad.
- Where
- Blake End (CM77)
- Region
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Blake End: your questions answered
Is Blake End within the area you cover?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
Is my home in Blake End listed or in a conservation area?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
How long is the visit?
Time on site depends on the roof, but most surveys take about one to two hours for most houses, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. The written report follows by email.
What do you check on a chimney?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. We also check chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach. You get a written report with photos.
What does the report include?
It works through the roof part by part, in writing and with photos, finishing with recommendations. Points are put with the most urgent first where relevant.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling aren’t something we do. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
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.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Blake End
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. Recommendations are set out with the most urgent first where relevant, which helps with budgets and planning.
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To discuss a number of properties, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Useful tips for Blake End property owners
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
Once we have been, the findings are written up with photos. It covers the pots, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings, and any damp we found inside. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.
Places near Blake End
More services for Blake End
What a chimney survey does not cover
We only report whatever is safely visible on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Conditions inside walls
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will give you a straight answer before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roofs we survey in Blake End
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
How it works
The visit has one job: to look at the chimney stack as closely as is safe and record what we find. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It usually takes an hour or two for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Older rural homes like those around Blake End can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- The stacks are looked at from ground level, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
How to prepare
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
How to book
Unsure which package suits your roof? It’s easiest to ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
Read more
When to book a survey in Blake End
Lots of homes have redundant stacks. If a stack is capped or blocked without ventilation, moisture can build up inside. Damp patches can appear on chimney breasts even when nothing is leaking.
Problems we come across frequently include:
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Signs that a stack is leaning
Around Blake End, as everywhere, small roof faults are simplest to sort before they let water in.
What to check before booking
- Which limits apply to the survey
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- What experience they bring
- How long the report takes to arrive
What affects the price in Blake End
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. That comes down to:
- The roof’s overall size
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
Price depends partly on the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, including VAT. The roof’s size, height and access matter as well.
Getting in touch
You don’t need to know any roofing terms. Just let us know:
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
- What’s prompted the survey
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. You will know the price before anything is booked.