Essex · London and the South East
Gambles Green Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Gambles Green, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photographs.
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Signs that a stack is leaning
Common questions in Gambles Green
Is Gambles Green within the area you cover?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and the South East, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
How do I find out if my home in Gambles Green is listed?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. It is a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof and can sit alongside a RICS survey.
Should a redundant chimney be removed?
There’s no single answer. The survey shows its condition and how it’s been capped. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need consent.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
It depends on what we need to see. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in; we’ll agree the details as you book.
Will you check the chimney is safe to use with a fire?
No. Our survey covers the outside of the stack and the roof around it. For the flue, you’ll need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We do not sample or test for asbestos. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it’s disturbed.
Chimney survey in Gambles Green: what you get
If you’re buying a home with chimneys, it is worth knowing their condition before you exchange. Cracked flaunching, failed flashings and worn pointing are common findings on older stacks. Our report gives you specific points to raise with the seller or agent. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it. We survey flaunching, chimney breasts and brick chimney stacks, and the problems we are asked to look at most are a chimney out of line and redundant stacks capped without ventilation.
In a small place like Gambles Green, many roofs stand in the open, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A roof report shows what needs attention first. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are often the first to give way.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- Gambles Green (CM3)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Towns and villages near Gambles Green
Also in Gambles Green
Why it’s worth a survey now in Gambles Green
If you’re thinking of removing or reducing a stack, it is useful to know its condition first. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need permission from the council, so check with them first. Older cottages and farmhouses around Gambles Green can have roof timbers that have been there a very long time, where water from a failed roof can cause rot if it’s left.
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where it applies, from £400 with VAT included. We can help you choose the package that fits what you’d like to know.
Why us?
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
Read our cost guide and what we found on two real jobs.
Chimney surveys around Gambles Green
In Essex, older buildings are frequently clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, alongside lots of post-war and newer estates. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. 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. In either case, a change of roofing material may need consent.
Take a building like Terling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School: a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time. Landlords with a home close to Hatfield Peverel station may find that a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Gambles Green is about 3 miles west of Witham, in Essex. Gambles Green is one of many places we visit across Essex, for homes and businesses alike. Our area takes in places right across Essex, from the larger towns to small villages. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
Surveys in CM3 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Streets in the area include Mill Lane, Hull Lane and Norman Hill, and we cover them all. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Flacks Green (1 mile south), Terling (1 mile east), Fairstead (1 mile north), Fuller Street (1 mile north-west) and Gubbion's Green (2 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Chelmsford (6 miles south-west), Braintree (5 miles north), Maldon (8 miles south-east), Billericay (14 miles south-west), Rayleigh (15 miles south) and Witham (3 miles east).
Around Gambles Green
Around Gambles Green, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Rayleigh Arms. The closest station to Gambles Green is Hatfield Peverel station, roughly 2.3 miles south-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Broomfield Hospital (4.5 miles south-west) and Cressing Temple (3.2 miles north-east). For a walk, there’s Sandylay and Moat Woods.
When you need someone else
No survey can tell you everything, and it’s better to know them up front. Keep these in mind:
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
- Flue inspections or sweeping
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
What happens on the day
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. Then the inspection itself takes about one to two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Cottages and farmhouses around Gambles Green often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely, and anything we cannot 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.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the roof space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
How to prepare
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
Getting a price
Not sure which survey you need? It’s easiest to ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We will explain the options and the price.
Advice
Practical tips
Getting the most from a chimney survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Tips:
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Don’t use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
Once we have 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.
Have aerial and dish brackets on the stack checked and taken off if they’re no longer needed. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
Signs you need a chimney survey in Gambles Green
Flaunching is the mortar bed that holds the pots and throws water off the top. Once it cracks, water gets in and frost makes the cracks bigger. In time, the pots can become loose.
We’re frequently asked to look at:
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Bricks with flaking faces
For an older house near a landmark like United Reformed Church, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- What the survey will not cover
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
When we price a survey, we consider:
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Roof area
We offer three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all inc. VAT. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you’d like to know.
Helping us price your survey
Getting the details right at the start saves time. Please include:
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- The property’s address and postcode
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
A quick phone call is normally the easiest start: call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.