Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Bradwell, Essex
Chimney surveys in Bradwell from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
What a chimney survey doesn’t cover
No survey can tell you everything, and we’d rather be clear about that before you book. Keep these in mind:
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- Hidden damage within the stack
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
Chimney survey in Bradwell
A chimney stands up above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. In time, flaunching cracks, mortar washes out and flashings come loose. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the roof space. A survey finds these problems and records them with photos. Typical surveys look at a chimney out of line and gaps in the mortar around the pots, on chimney breasts, shared and party-wall stacks and brick chimney stacks.
Village roofs frequently face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are often the first to give way.
The written findings come by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Location
- Bradwell (CM77)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Why it’s worth a survey now in Bradwell
Most people never get a proper look at their chimney stacks. Problems often go unnoticed until damp appears inside. Surveying the stack now can catch problems first. In a small place like Bradwell, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and damp in older walls is slow to dry out.
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package matters as well. The price is always agreed first.
Why book with us
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Visits on any day of the week
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- Clear package prices, including VAT
Read our cost guide and our case studies.
Can I check my roof myself?
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.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Towns and villages near Bradwell
Other services in Bradwell
How the survey works
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof, but as a rough guide the survey takes roughly 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. You are welcome to ask questions while we’re there. For a village or hamlet like Bradwell, the journey is planned in advance: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect what can safely be seen, inside and out.
- You let us know how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Where there is safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Preparing for the visit
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Booking a survey
Once you know what you need, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Read more
Do you need a chimney survey in Bradwell?
Flaunching is the mortar bed that holds the pots and throws water off the top. Cracked flaunching lets water in, and each winter makes it worse. In time, the pots can become loose.
Here are some of the things we see frequently:
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
For site and facilities teams at buildings like Alec Hunter Academy, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
What to check before booking
- Their track record with similar roofs
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
Your questions about chimney surveys in Bradwell
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Bradwell?
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.
Do you cover smaller places like Bradwell?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and the South East, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
Will you go up on the roof?
Only where it is safe to do so. We inspect whatever is safely visible: from ground level, from windows, from inside the roof space, from the roof where it is safe and by drone where it applies. The report says if anything couldn’t be seen.
Do you look in the loft space?
If there’s a loft and safe access to it, yes. The roof space can show things the outside cannot, like damp timbers, staining or daylight.
Do I need to be at home?
Not always. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
What do you check on a chimney?
Every part of the stack we can see from safe positions: from the pots and flaunching down to the flashings. We also note leaning, redundant stacks and damp inside.
How soon will I get the report?
Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24–48 hours and Premium reports on the same day. Each one is emailed.
Chimney surveys around Bradwell
Older buildings in Essex often have clay tiles and weatherboarding, alongside lots of post-war and newer estates. Whatever the covering, it’s often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. Listing and conservation areas can both shape what roof work is allowed on an older home. Your council and Historic England’s list will tell you where you stand.
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Parish Church of the Holy Trinity, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first. If you let a flat or house near Braintree Freeport station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
Bradwell is about 3 miles east of Braintree, in Essex. We provide chimney surveys for homeowners, landlords and businesses in Bradwell and the surrounding area. Bradwell is one of the places in Essex where we work. We also survey roofs in Chelmsford.
Here we cover the CM77 postcode area for chimney surveys. Streets in the area include The Street, Church Road and Rectory Meadow, all of which we cover. Close by, we survey roofs in Perry Green (1 mile south), Lanham Green (1 mile south-west), Pattiswick (1 mile north-east), Stisted (1 mile north) and Cressing (1 mile south-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Colchester (12 miles east), Chelmsford (11 miles south-west), Braintree (3 miles west), Maldon (11 miles south), Witham (5 miles south) and Camulodunum (11 miles east).
Landmarks near Bradwell
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Dolphin Public House, among other places. The nearest railway station is Braintree Freeport station, about 2.3 miles west of the centre. A little further out are Laundry & Mangle Museum (2.2 miles east) and William Julien Courtauld Hospital (3.3 miles west). Green spaces nearby include Belcher's and Broadfield Woods.
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
To price your survey, we check:
- Which survey package you book
- House, block, shop or office
- How big the roof is
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we can help you choose.
Getting in touch
A little information up front helps. It is useful to include:
- What’s prompted the survey
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- The property’s address and postcode
Unsure which package suits your roof? The easiest way is to ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.