Essex · London and the South East
East Mersea Chimney Survey
A careful look at the chimney stack at your property in East Mersea, and put it all in a photo-illustrated written report.
- Worn or missing pointing
- A stack that appears to lean
- Flaunching that has broken away
How the survey works
The visit has one job: to see as much of the chimney stack as can be seen safely and record it clearly. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It usually takes about one to two hours for most houses, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. In a hamlet or village like East Mersea, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, 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.
- The stacks are looked at from the ground, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- You get a written report with photographs and our recommendations.
How to prepare
- Keep pets in another room
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
Booking a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or email us. You will have a price before anything is arranged.
Related advice
Chimney survey in East Mersea: what you get
Many terraced and semi-detached homes share their chimney stacks with a neighbour. We check what can be seen safely and what the owner gives us access to. If a defect appears to be on the neighbour’s side, we note it, so you can talk to them. You get a photo-illustrated written report and what we recommend. We survey lead flashings, brick chimney stacks and chimney pots and cowls, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are cracked or missing flaunching and signs that a stack is leaning.
In a village or hamlet like East Mersea, older cottages and farmhouses frequently sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent, whichever applies.
- Where
- East Mersea (CO5)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the price in East Mersea
Our packages start from £150, with VAT included. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Height and safe access
- The size of the roof
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on the size and height of the roof, how it can be seen safely and which survey you book.
What to tell us when you get in touch
What helps most when you contact us:
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Dates you’re working to, like exchange
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form when you’re ready.
What happens if roof problems are left?
If a stack seems to lean, do not leave it. Our survey records it and says when a structural engineer should look at it, so you know where you stand. Around East Mersea, older homes often have old roof timbers, where water from a failed roof can cause rot if it’s left.
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) come with the Premium Survey, which starts from £400, inc. VAT. We can help you choose the package that fits what you need to know.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in East Mersea
- Package prices that include VAT
- An independent view of the roof
- Over 20 years’ experience
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
See what a roof survey costs and two real surveys.
Common roof problems in East Mersea
Aerials and dishes are often fixed to stacks. The extra load in wind can work bricks and joints loose. Any fixings on the stack are checked and recorded.
It’s worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
For landlords with property near Alresford station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Will the report include photos?
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in East Mersea. To discuss a property or a block, call 07833 053749 or email us.
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
What a chimney survey looks like in East Mersea
East Mersea is within about 2 miles of the coast, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces. Older buildings may be listed or sit in a conservation area. Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the council can say whether a street is in a conservation area. Re-roofing in different materials may need permission there.
For an older house near a landmark such as Parish Church of St Edmund King and Martyr, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
East Mersea is about 7 miles west of Clacton-on-Sea, in Essex. We survey roofs in East Mersea and the rest of Essex, as part of our work across London and South East England. We cover towns and villages across Essex. Chelmsford is in our area too.
All of CO5 is within our area for chimney surveys. That includes homes and businesses on East Road, Shop Lane and Broman's Lane and the roads around them. Close by, we survey roofs in Barrow Hill (2 miles west), Brightlingsea (2 miles north-east), Point Clear (2 miles east), West Mersea (3 miles west) and Lee-over-Sands (3 miles south-east). Larger places within reach include Colchester (8 miles north-west), Clacton-on-Sea (7 miles east), Maldon (14 miles west), Witham (15 miles west), Harwich (15 miles north-east) and Camulodunum (8 miles north-west).
Around East Mersea
We work in homes and buildings around Dog And Pheasant Public House and the streets around them. East Mersea’s nearest station is Alresford station, roughly 4.2 miles north. For a walk, there is Fingringhoe Wick.
What you can safely check yourself
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.
It is useful to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry.
East Mersea: your questions answered
Is East Mersea within the area you cover?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Alresford station?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you need, and we will talk through which survey suits.
What if it rains on the day?
It depends on the weather and the survey. In high wind or heavy rain, a drone can’t fly and access may not be safe, so we’d move the date with you.
How soon will I get the report?
The Premium Survey report comes the same day, the Standard within 24–48 hours and the Basic within 48 hours. All of them come by email, ready to forward.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first. Let us know about it as you book and we will plan the survey around it.
Do you use drones?
Yes, where applicable and safe. We fly a sub-250g drone and we’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where it applies.
Will you check the chimney is safe to use with a fire?
No. It is not a flue, sweep or gas safety inspection. We check the structure and weathering of the stack and any damp and flag anything that suggests the flue needs a look.