Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Doddinghurst, Essex
Chimney surveys around Doddinghurst, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Mortar washing out of the joints
How a chimney survey works in Doddinghurst
For buyers, a chimney survey before exchange can flag work you may want to raise. Cracked flaunching, failed flashings and worn pointing are common findings on older stacks. You get photos and findings you can take back to the seller or agent. It works alongside a RICS home survey, not instead of one. If you are worried about cracked or missing flaunching and damaged chimney pots and cowls, we can find out what’s behind it.
Somewhere as small as Doddinghurst, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are frequently old. We report on whatever is safely visible, and thatch is a specialist material. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Place
- Doddinghurst (CM15)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Before and after the survey
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
Once we’ve been, the findings are written up with photos. It explains the condition of each part of the stack and any damp inside. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24 to 48 hours and Premium reports the same day.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. That helps stop damp building up inside.
Doddinghurst questions
How do I find out if my home in Doddinghurst is listed?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Shenfield station?
Of course. We just need to know who will give access, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
Do you use drones?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Do you take photos of the roof?
Yes, every report has them. Pictures sit next to the findings they show.
What’s the best way to book?
To arrange a survey, call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address, the type of property and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price and agree a day with you.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We’re experienced roof surveyors, and our survey covers the roof rather than the whole building. If you need a full building survey, you’ll need a RICS survey as well.
How experienced are you?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, across 20+ years of surveying roofs.
Also near Doddinghurst
Other services in Doddinghurst
Different roofs, different checks
Brick stacks
Most chimney stacks are built of brick, with mortar joints that wear over time. The survey looks for crumbling bricks and worn or missing mortar.
Rendered stacks
Some stacks are rendered, which can hide the condition of the brickwork beneath. We look for cracks, hollow areas and staining.
What we are asked to look at in Doddinghurst
The flaunching on top of a stack holds the pots in place and sheds water. Once it cracks, water gets in and frost makes the cracks bigger. Loose pots can follow.
It is worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- A chimney out of line
Landlords with a home close to Shenfield station may find that knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Questions to ask before booking
- What happens after the report arrives
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
Landlord and commercial surveys in Doddinghurst
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client, photos included.
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf, and the report can go to both. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
Chimney surveys in Doddinghurst: local notes
Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. Ingatestone Hall, about 3.8 miles east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Doddinghurst. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Anyone responsible for a site like Doddinghurst Infant School will know that its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. Take an older house close to Church of All Saints: its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Doddinghurst is about 3 miles north of Brentwood, in Essex. From houses to flats and shops in Doddinghurst, we can survey the roof on a weekday or at the weekend. We cover towns and villages across Essex, from the larger towns to small villages. Chelmsford is in our area too.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: CM15. Local streets include Rectory Chase, Bakers Meadow and Priory Mead, all of which we cover. If you are just outside Doddinghurst, we cover Wyatt's Green (1 mile north-east), Swallows Cross (1 mile east), Blackmore (2 miles north), Green Street (2 miles east) and Mountnessing (2 miles east). We also work in nearby towns like Chelmsford (9 miles north-east), Basildon (9 miles south-east), Harlow (11 miles north-west), Brentwood (3 miles south), Billericay (6 miles south-east) and Rayleigh (14 miles east).
What’s near Doddinghurst
Around Doddinghurst, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Shenfield High School. For rail, the closest station is Shenfield station, about 2.8 miles south-east of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Brentwood Community Hospital (3.1 miles south). The countryside around Doddinghurst includes Thorndon Park.
What we do, step by step
You don’t need to do much on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, such as stains, drips or loose pieces, and we will get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes roughly 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Cottages and farmhouses around Doddinghurst frequently have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- 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 the survey
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
Getting a price
If you’re buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form when you’re ready.
Advice
Should I look at the roof myself first?
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey.