Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Craig's End, Essex
Get a clear view of the chimney stack at a property in Craig's End from an independent roof surveyor. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
How a chimney survey works in Craig's End
A chimney stands up above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Over the years, the flaunching cracks, the pointing wears and flashings lift. Water then gets into the stack and can show as damp on a chimney breast or a stain in the loft. A survey finds these problems and records them with photos. We are frequently asked to look into lifted or split lead flashings and redundant stacks capped without ventilation, across lead flashings, shared and party-wall stacks and brick chimney stacks.
Some older homes in villages like Craig's End are listed or in a conservation area. If yours is, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so the council is the place to check. A roof report helps you plan work with that in mind. Older materials such as clay tiles, slate and stone are frequently matched when work is done.
Where we cannot see part of the chimney stack, the report says so. That way, it is clear what was covered and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Location
- Craig's End (CO9)
- Region
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Checking the roof from ground level
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
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.
Common questions in Craig's End
Do you cover smaller places like Craig's End?
Yes, we do. We survey roofs across London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
Do you carry out roof surveys in Craig's End?
Yes. We work right across London and the South East, and Craig's End is part of that. Just ring 07833 053749 or email us and let us know about the property, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. We check the parts we can see safely and the parts you can give us access to. If a defect seems to be on your neighbour’s side, the report records it and you can raise it with them.
What happens next?
You will get the report by email. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation, and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation, so you can talk the findings through.
How much is a survey?
Prices start from £150, including VAT. We confirm the price for your survey before you book, based on the roof’s size, access and package. To get a price, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day, which suits people who work during the week. Let us know your preferred days as you book.
Does the report include photos?
Yes, every report has them. Each finding is shown in a picture where possible, which makes the report easy to follow.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords, from shops and offices to industrial units. Bigger roofs take more time, and they’re priced for the size.
Landlords and agents in Craig's End book surveys as well as homeowners. A photo-illustrated written report gives you a clear record of the chimney stack.
What a survey costs
To price your survey, we look at:
- Height and safe access
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Getting in touch
What helps most when you contact us:
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
- Anything about access we should know
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, so ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details.
Chimney surveys in Craig's End: local notes
Historic houses such as Hedingham Castle, about 4.6 miles east, show how far back building in the area around Craig's End goes. On older houses around here, roofs often 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. Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, alongside a good many post-war and newer estates. Whatever the covering, it’s often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
For an older house near a landmark like Parish Church of St Peter and St Thomas, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Craig's End is in Essex. Wherever you are in Craig's End, we can carry out chimney surveys at your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Craig's End is one of the places in Essex where we work. We also survey roofs in Chelmsford.
We survey roofs across CO9 for chimney surveys. We also cover the places around Craig's End: Stambourne Green (1 mile north-west), Cornish Hall End (2 miles west), Birdbrook (2 miles north) and New England (3 miles north). Larger places within reach include Braintree (9 miles south), Saffron Walden (11 miles west), Halstead (8 miles south-east), Great Dunmow (11 miles south-west), Stansted Mountfitchet (15 miles south-west) and Great Notley (10 miles south).
Landmarks near Craig's End
In Craig's End, that means homes and buildings near The Red Lion Public House, among other places. Other landmarks nearby include Hedingham Castle (4.6 miles east) and Toppesfield Museum of The Working Horse (1.5 miles east).
How the survey changes by roof type
Chimney breasts and the loft
Inside, chimney breasts can show damp when water gets into the stack. We look at them and at the stack in the loft where there is safe access.
Chimney pots and cowls
For unused flues, we check whether caps or cowls allow ventilation. Capping without ventilation can trap moisture.
Towns and villages near Craig's End
Also in Craig's End
Why get it checked now?
If a stack seems to lean, do not leave it. We record its condition and recommend a structural engineer where needed, so you can decide what to do next. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Craig's End, driving rain gets into any weakness, and damp in older walls is slow to dry out.
We offer three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Why book with us
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Surveys on any day of the week
- 20+ years’ experience
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Take a look at what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
How it works
The aim of the visit is simple: to see as much of the chimney stack as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Notes and photographs go into the written report. The visit usually takes between one and two hours for most houses, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. Rural addresses near Craig's End can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- You tell us how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can safely be seen.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access.
- You get a photo-illustrated written report and our recommendations.
How to prepare
- Find any records of previous roof work
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Arrange a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from the ground or a window. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.