Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Cold Christmas, Hertfordshire
Chimney surveys in Cold Christmas from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Mortar washing out of the joints
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget.
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf, with the report sent to whoever needs it. Access is agreed with the tenant ahead of time.
Chimney survey in Cold Christmas: what you get
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. We are often asked to look into bricks with flaking faces and redundant stacks capped without ventilation, across lead flashings, chimney breasts and chimney pots and cowls.
Village roofs often 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 roof report shows what needs attention first. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are frequently where weather gets in first.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Cold Christmas (SG12)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Your questions about chimney surveys in Cold Christmas
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Cold Christmas?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
I let a flat near Ware station. Can you check the roof?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. Just phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the details.
What does a chimney survey cover?
The survey covers the pots and cowls, the flaunching, the pointing, the bricks and the flashings. We also check chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach. You get a written report with photos.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, once access has been agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is often shared, so we need permission from whoever owns or manages the building. We inspect only the parts we’re allowed to reach.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We note visible signs such as sagging or deflection, but we don’t carry out calculations or give an engineer’s opinion. If we think you need an engineer, the report says so.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
How do I book a survey in Cold Christmas?
Simply phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address. We will ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date, weekday or weekend.
Do you need a chimney survey in Cold Christmas?
Many chimneys are no longer used. 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.
Common reasons to book include:
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
Take a building like Thundridge Church of England Primary School: large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Questions to ask before you book
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- Which limits apply to the survey
- Are they insured for the work?
- Whether you get a written report with photos
Can I check my roof myself?
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Do not go up yourself.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
What we look for on each type of roof
Lead flashings
Where the chimney meets the roof slopes, lead flashings keep water out. The survey looks at whether the lead is tight, sound and well fixed.
Chimney breasts and the loft
In the loft, staining around the stack often shows where water is getting in. What we find is photographed and described.
What a chimney survey looks like in Cold Christmas
Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates, with flat-roofed extensions, dormers and garages common everywhere. Whatever the covering, it is often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. Much Hadham Palace, about 3.9 miles north-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Cold Christmas. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
If you own a rental within reach of Ware station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant. For an older house near a landmark such as Parish Church of St Mary, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Cold Christmas is about 2 miles north-east of Ware, in Hertfordshire. We carry out chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Cold Christmas. Cold Christmas is one of the places in Hertfordshire we cover for chimney surveys. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
All of SG12 is covered for chimney surveys. Other places close to Cold Christmas include Wadesmill (1 mile north-west), Thundridge (1 mile west), High Cross (1 mile north-west), Babbs Green (1 mile south-east) and Wareside (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover Stevenage (9 miles north-west), St Albans (15 miles south-west), Bishop's Stortford (7 miles east), Welwyn Garden City (8 miles west), Harpenden (15 miles west) and Hitchin (14 miles north-west).
What’s near Cold Christmas
Around Cold Christmas, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Windmill Public House and The Chauncy School. For rail, the closest station is Ware station, roughly 2.1 miles south-west. Nearby you will also find Museum of Street Lighting (2.5 miles south) and Hertford County Hospital (4.4 miles south-west). For a walk, there’s King's Meads.
Also near Cold Christmas
What else we do in Cold Christmas
Tips that help
Nothing here needs a ladder. Our suggestions:
- Make sure fixings on the stack are secure
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. With the same list in front of each contractor, comparing quotes is simpler.
Keep an eye on chimney breasts for new damp patches. Early signs are easier to trace.
How the survey works
Once we have finished looking, we write up our findings in a report with photographs, sent to you by email. As for time on site, most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Somewhere like Cold Christmas needs a little journey planning: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect everything that’s safely in view, inside and out.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the roof space.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Preparing for the visit
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Tell us where we can park nearby
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Arrange a survey
A quick phone call is usually the easiest start: call 07833 053749 or use the contact form, and we’ll ask about the building and what you need. The price is agreed before a date is set.