Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Clapgate Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Clapgate, using drones and thermal imaging where it applies. Call or email for a price.
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- A stack that appears to lean
Signs you need a chimney survey in Clapgate
Flashings seal the gap where a stack passes through the roof. With age they can lift, split or come away from the joints. Failed flashings are one of the most common causes of damp around chimneys. Lead is also a target for theft.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
For an older house near a landmark such as Church of St Mary, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
What to check before booking
- When you will get the report
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- What follow-up you get after the report
- Will the report include photos?
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Clapgate
If you’re buying a home with chimneys, it is worth knowing their condition before you exchange. On older stacks, we often find cracked flaunching, loose flashings and worn pointing. Our report gives you specific points to raise with the seller or agent. It works alongside a RICS home survey, not instead of one. If you’ve noticed damaged chimney pots and cowls and spalled or crumbling bricks, we can find out what’s behind it.
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. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Place
- Clapgate (SG11)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Nearby places to Clapgate
Also in Clapgate
Why it is worth a survey now in Clapgate
Loose pots and bricks on a stack are a safety concern. A survey picks them out so they can be made safe by a roofer. Older cottages and farmhouses around Clapgate can have roof timbers that have been there a very long time, where water from a failed roof can cause rot if it is left.
Prices start from £150, including VAT, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both with VAT included. We confirm the price for your survey before booking.
Why book with us
- An independent look at the roof
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- Package prices that include VAT
- 20+ years’ experience
Take a look at our cost guide or two real surveys.
How the survey changes by roof type
Rendered stacks
Some stacks are rendered, which can hide the condition of the brickwork beneath. The survey checks for cracking, bulging and staining in the render.
Flaunching
Cracked flaunching is one of the most common chimney defects we record. Caught early, it’s often a small job.
DIY checks: what’s safe
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
How it works
When we arrive, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that is worrying you. After that, we check everything we can see safely, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where applicable. Most surveys take between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Somewhere as small as Clapgate, access is often the only tricky part. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- We check the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Before we arrive
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Booking a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine, and please don’t climb up for a closer look. To get started, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Related advice
When you need someone else
A survey is a proper look at the chimney stack, but it cannot do everything. Its limits include:
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
What a chimney survey looks like in Clapgate
Older houses in the South East frequently have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. With Much Hadham Palace about 3.4 miles south, Clapgate sits in an area with a long building history. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Landlords with a home close to Bishops Stortford station may find that a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant. Take a building like Albury Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School: large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Clapgate is about 4 miles north-west of Bishop's Stortford, in Hertfordshire. Clapgate is one of many places we visit across Hertfordshire. Across Hertfordshire, we cover Clapgate. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
Here we cover the SG11 postcode area for chimney surveys. If you’re just outside Clapgate, we cover Gravesend (1 mile north-west), Albury (1 mile north-west), Furneux Pelham (2 miles north), Braughing (3 miles west) and Hay Street (3 miles west). Larger places within reach include Stevenage (12 miles west), Bishop's Stortford (4 miles south-east), Welwyn Garden City (14 miles south-west), Hoddesdon (11 miles south-west), Cheshunt (15 miles south-west) and Hertford (11 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Clapgate
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Catherine Wheel pub. Clapgate’s nearest station is Bishops Stortford station, roughly 3.9 miles south-east. Other landmarks nearby include Moated mound (1.2 miles south-east) and Herts and Essex Hospital (4.2 miles south-east). For a walk, there is Rushy Mead.
Clapgate questions
I let a flat near Bishops Stortford station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. Just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and tell us about the building.
Is my home in Clapgate listed or in a conservation area?
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.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To find a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, if the freeholder or managing agent agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we’re allowed to reach.
Are you structural engineers?
No. Our survey is not a structural engineer’s report, and it does not include calculations. If we see signs that need an engineer’s opinion, we’ll recommend one.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
Have it checked rather than leaving it. Leaning frequently comes from mortar breaking down unevenly. We record its condition with photographs, and a structural engineer can confirm whether it’s stable.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.