Essex · London and the South East
Burnt Heath Chimney Survey
Know where you stand with the chimney stack before you decide what to do next. We carry out chimney surveys in Burnt Heath, with photographs and a clear written report.
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- A stack that appears to lean
- Lifted or split lead flashings
How the survey changes by roof type
Flaunching
Flaunching takes the worst of the weather. The survey checks for cracking and gaps around each pot.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Inside, chimney breasts can show damp when water gets into the stack. We check them and at the stack in the loft where there is safe access.
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Burnt Heath
If you are buying a home with chimneys, it is worth knowing their condition before you exchange. On older stacks, we frequently find cracked flaunching, loose flashings and worn pointing. Our report gives you specific points to raise with the seller or agent. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it. We survey brick chimney stacks, shared and party-wall stacks and lead flashings, and common reasons people get in touch are damaged chimney pots and cowls and staining on walls around the chimney.
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. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are frequently the first to give way.
What you get is a clear record of the chimney stack on the day we saw it. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, for instance when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Location
- Burnt Heath (CO7)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Places near Burnt Heath
More services for Burnt Heath
FAQs for Burnt Heath
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Manningtree station?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. Just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and let us know about the building.
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Burnt Heath?
Near the coast, roofs face more wind and more salt than further inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, while strong wind lifts anything already loose.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. Visible signs like deflection or sagging are recorded, but we do not provide calculations or an engineer’s opinion. The report will say if you need an engineer.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, once access has been agreed. Roofs over flats are frequently shared, so the freeholder or managing agent needs to agree access. We inspect only the parts we’re allowed to reach.
What do you check on a chimney?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. Everything is written up with photographs.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey seven days a week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Just let us know the days that suit you.
How long does the survey take?
That depends on the size and shape of the roof; most visits take between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. The written report follows by email.
What affects the price in Burnt Heath
We confirm the price for your roof before you book. This is what makes a difference:
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Basic, Standard or Premium
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package you pick makes a difference too. The price is always agreed first.
Helping us price your survey
A little information up front helps. Please include:
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
When you are ready to go ahead, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Tips that help
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Check your stacks from ground level after strong winds
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
Where another specialist is needed, such as a structural engineer or sweep, we explain why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Look at your chimneys from ground level now and then, particularly after strong winds. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.
What we cannot see
We only report what can safely be seen on the day, so there are some things a survey can’t cover:
- Parts of the stack that cannot be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we can’t access
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
How it works
Every visit follows the same pattern: we hear what you’ve seen, inspect the roof from every safe vantage point, photograph what we find and record our findings for the written report. Most visits take between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Older rural homes like those around Burnt Heath can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
How to prepare
- Tell us about parking before the day
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- Leave side gates unlocked
Getting a price
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, so ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the details.
Read more
Landlords, agents and block managers in Burnt Heath
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too. Larger roofs take longer, so they’re priced to suit.
What a chimney survey looks like in Burnt Heath
Burnt Heath lies within about 4 miles of the sea, so there’s more wind and more salt in the air than further inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, and strong wind lifts anything already loose on a roof. In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. Whatever the covering, it is frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
Castle House, about 2.6 miles north, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Burnt Heath. Older homes in the area may have roofs that need matching materials when work is done. If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of St Mary, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs. If you live near a park such as Ardleigh Park, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
Burnt Heath is about 5 miles east of Colchester, in Essex. In Burnt Heath, as across Essex, every roof gets the same careful survey. Burnt Heath is one of the places in Essex we cover. Chelmsford is in our area too.
We cover every part of CO7 for chimney surveys and the streets around it. You will find streets such as Waterhouse Lane, Back Road and Frating Road, and we cover them all. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Bromley Cross (1 mile south), Foxash Estate (1 mile north), Little Bromley (2 miles east), Lawford (3 miles north-east) and Manningtree (3 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Colchester (5 miles west), Clacton-on-Sea (10 miles south-east), Harwich (11 miles east), Camulodunum (6 miles west), Greenstead (3 miles south-west) and Tiptree (13 miles south-west).
Around Burnt Heath
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Cross Inn and Ardleigh Park. The nearest railway station is Manningtree station, roughly 3.1 miles north-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Colchester Castle (4.5 miles west) and The Munnings Museum (2.6 miles north). Not far away are Cattawade Marshes.