Essex · London and the South East
Cressing Chimney Survey
Wondering about the chimney stack at a property in Cressing? You can book a chimney survey in Cressing and across Essex.
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Cressing
What can be done to an older roof may depend on listing or a conservation area. Your council and Historic England’s list will tell you where you stand. Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, alongside lots of post-war and newer estates. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
Take an older house close to Parish Church of All Saints: old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs. If you own a rental within reach of Cressing station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Cressing is about 2 miles south-east of Braintree, in Essex. We cover Cressing and the rest of Essex, as part of our work across London and the South East. Cressing is one of the towns and villages in Essex where we work. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: CM77. If you need a chimney survey at a property on The Street, Church Road and Ashes Road or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Other places close to Cressing include Lanham Green (1 mile north-east), Perry Green (1 mile north-east), Silver End (1 mile south-east), Bradwell (1 mile north-east) and Faulkbourne (2 miles south). Larger places within reach include Colchester (13 miles east), Chelmsford (10 miles south-west), Maldon (10 miles south), Witham (4 miles south), Camulodunum (12 miles east) and Halstead (6 miles north).
Near you in Cressing
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Three Ashes pub and Alec Hunter Academy. Cressing’s nearest station is Cressing station, about 1.1 miles south-west of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include William Julien Courtauld Hospital (2.7 miles north-west) and Cressing Temple (1.5 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Belcher's and Broadfield Woods.
About our chimney survey in Cressing
For buyers, a chimney survey before exchange can flag work you may want to raise. 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 complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it. We’re often asked to look into redundant stacks capped without ventilation and mortar washing out of the joints, on brick chimney stacks, chimney pots and cowls and flaunching.
Older buildings in small places like Cressing 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. Older materials like clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Location
- Cressing (CM77)
- Region
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Places near Cressing
More services for Cressing
How the survey works
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof; as a rough guide, the survey takes roughly 1–2 hours at a typical home, and longer for a large or complex roof. If you have questions on the day, just ask. Somewhere as small as Cressing, access is often the only tricky part. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Before we arrive
- Keep pets in another room
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Arrange a survey
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
Advice
What affects the price in Cressing
Prices vary from roof to roof, for these reasons:
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- The roof’s overall size
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
Prices start from £150, inc. 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.
Booking your survey
You do not need to know any roofing terms. It’s enough to let us know:
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
When you’re ready to go ahead, call 07833 053749 or email us. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day.
What a chimney survey doesn’t cover
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Hidden damage within the stack
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will suggest the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Cressing
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
Roof by roof
Chimney pots and cowls
A loose or cracked pot can fall from height. We record their condition with photographs.
Brick stacks
Older brick stacks often have soft lime mortar. We note where repairs should match the original mortar.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That is where a survey comes in.
A lot can be seen from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Questions from Cressing
Do you cover smaller places like Cressing?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We work right across London and the South East. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when booking.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Cressing station?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you need.
Will you go up on the roof?
Not unless it’s safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where applicable, a drone, and anything out of sight is recorded in the report.
What do you check on a chimney?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. We also check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach. You get a written report with photos.
Do you need to get into the loft?
If the survey needs it and the loft space can be reached safely, yes. Please clear anything stored under the hatch, and if the loft can’t be reached safely, the report says so.
Do you inspect the flue?
No. We survey the stack and its weathering, not the flue. For the flue, you will need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
How do I book a survey in Cressing?
Just phone 07833 053749 or email us. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day.
When to book a survey in Cressing
Where a chimney meets the roof, lead flashings keep water out. They can lift in wind, crack with age or pull out of the mortar joints. Failed flashings are one of the most common causes of damp around chimneys. Lead flashings can also be stolen.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- A stack that appears to lean
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
Anyone responsible for a site like Cressing Primary School will know that long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Before booking anyone
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Which limits apply to the survey
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- Whether you get a written report with photos