Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Braughing, Hertfordshire
Know where you stand with the chimney stack before you decide what to do next. We carry out chimney surveys in Braughing.
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- A chimney out of line
How a chimney survey works in Braughing
Many terraced and semi-detached homes share their chimney stacks with a neighbour. We check everything that’s safely in view and what the owner gives us access to. Where a problem seems to involve a neighbour’s side, the report records it, so you can talk to them. Everything is written up with photos and our recommendations. We survey chimney pots and cowls, chimney breasts and shared and party-wall stacks, and the problems we are asked to look at most are flashings pulling away from the stack and loose, cracked or missing pots.
Older buildings in small places like Braughing may be listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is frequently expected.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Place
- Braughing (SG11)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What this survey can’t tell you
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Parts of the stack that can’t be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we can’t access
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- Whether the flue is safe to use
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Braughing
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
Signs you need a chimney survey in Braughing
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. Loose pots can follow.
It is worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
The streets around a church such as Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Before booking anyone
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
Chimney surveys around Braughing
The wider area around Braughing has a long history of building, with Much Hadham Palace about 4 miles south-east. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile, with flat-roofed extensions, dormers and garages common everywhere. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
For site and facilities teams at buildings like Jenyns First School and Nursery, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Braughing is about 6 miles north-west of Bishop's Stortford, in Hertfordshire. Surveys in Braughing work the same way as everywhere we cover: a careful inspection, photographs and a written report. Braughing is one of the towns and villages in Hertfordshire we cover. We also survey roofs in Chelmsford.
All of SG11 is covered for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Whether your property is on The Street, Pentlows and Northfield or a nearby road, we can survey it. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Hay Street (1 mile north-west), Westmill (2 miles north-west), Albury (2 miles east), Gravesend (3 miles east) and Furneux Pelham (3 miles north-east). Further out, we also cover Stevenage (9 miles west), Bishop's Stortford (6 miles south-east), Welwyn Garden City (12 miles south-west), Hitchin (13 miles west), Hoddesdon (11 miles south) and Cheshunt (14 miles south).
Local landmarks in Braughing
Around Braughing, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Axe And Compasses Public House and the streets around them. Other landmarks nearby include Moated mound (3.7 miles east).
Different roofs, different checks
Lead flashings
Flashings can lift in wind or pull out of their mortar joints. Any loose or split flashings are recorded.
Chimney pots and cowls
Damaged pots are a safety concern as well as a leak risk. We record their condition with photos.
Tips that help
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out:
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- Make sure unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
With a shared stack, the report can help when talking to next door. It shows what we found and where from the viewpoints we used.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. The sooner damp is spotted, the easier the cause is to find.
FAQs for Braughing
Do you cover Braughing?
Yes. We survey roofs across London and South East England, and Braughing is part of that. Just phone 07833 053749 or email us and tell us about the property, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Braughing?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. 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.
Should a redundant chimney be removed?
An unused stack still needs to stay weathertight and ventilated. Capping without airflow can lead to damp. Our survey records its condition and how it is capped, so you can decide with a builder what to do.
How long does the survey take?
Time on site depends on the roof; most visits take about 1–2 hours at most homes, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. The written report follows by email.
Why is my chimney breast damp?
It can come from several places: water getting in at the top, through the brickwork or at the flashings, or moisture trapped in a stack with no ventilation. We look at each one and note the most likely cause.
Do you need to get into the loft?
Normally, if there is one and it can be reached safely. From inside, the underside of the roof often shows damp, staining or daylight that can’t be seen from outside.
Will you photograph what you find?
Yes. Photos are taken throughout the survey, and the report uses them to show each finding.
What a survey costs
All our prices include VAT. What changes the price is:
- How big the roof is
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
One thing that affects the price is the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, with VAT included. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
What to let us know when you get in touch
What helps most when you contact us:
- Dates you are working to, like exchange
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
To arrange a survey, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We’ll confirm the price before booking.
Nearby places to Braughing
Also in Braughing
What happens on the day
It is useful to start with what’s prompted the survey: buying, a leak, storm damage, new work or just wanting to know where things stand. It helps us focus on what matters most to you. Most visits take between one and two hours for a house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. In a hamlet or village like Braughing, a postcode does not always lead to the right gate, so a few directions are welcome. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- 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 checked: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- 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.
How to prepare
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
Book a survey
Getting a price is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and give us some details about the property and we’ll explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.