Essex · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Goldhanger
Get a clear view of the chimney stack at a property in Goldhanger. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Goldhanger
Redundant chimneys are common, particularly where fires have been replaced by central heating. A disused stack still needs looking after. If it has been capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside it. Our survey looks at how each unused stack has been capped and checks the breasts for damp. The report sets out what we found and what we recommend. We survey chimney pots and cowls, lead flashings and shared and party-wall stacks, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are flashings pulling away from the stack and signs that a stack is leaning.
In a small place like Goldhanger, many roofs stand in the open, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
We write the report in plain English, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Photographs show what each point refers to, with the urgent items made clear.
- Location
- Goldhanger (CM9)
- 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
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens on the day
We look at the roof from outside and, where it’s relevant and there’s safe access, from inside the loft space too. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement, as far as the space allows. All in, the survey typically takes about one to two hours for a house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Older rural homes like those around Goldhanger can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely.
- 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.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Before the survey
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Tell us about parking before the day
Booking a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine. To send them or to book, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Read more
Prices for chimney surveys in Goldhanger
We confirm the price for the job before booking. These are the things that affect it:
- How big the roof is
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) come with the Premium Survey, from £400 with VAT included. We will tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Booking your survey
If you can, have these to hand when you contact us:
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
How the survey changes by roof type
Chimney pots and cowls
Pots sit in the flaunching on top of the stack, and cowls or caps sit on the pots. The survey looks for cracked, loose or missing pots and cowls.
Brick stacks
Most chimney stacks are built of brick, with mortar joints that wear over time. We check the bricks for spalling and the joints for erosion.
What you can safely check yourself
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it.
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That is where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
Signs you need a chimney survey in Goldhanger
Aerials and dishes are often fixed to stacks. Their weight and the wind on them can loosen bricks and pointing. We check fixings on the stack as part of the survey.
We’re frequently asked to look at:
- Flaunching that has broken away
- A stack that appears to lean
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
If you live in an older home near Church of St Peter, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Before booking anyone
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Whether VAT is added on top
- Which limits apply to the survey
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
Towns and villages near Goldhanger
Also in Goldhanger
Before and after the survey
Getting the most from a chimney survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
Where another specialist is needed, such as a structural engineer or sweep, we explain why. That helps you brief them.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. It is far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Goldhanger
The coast is about 1 mile or less from Goldhanger, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, while gales work at loose ridges, slates and tiles. Older buildings in Essex often have clay tiles and weatherboarding, and plenty of post-war and modern estates besides. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
For any home in Goldhanger, it’s the small, early fault that is cheapest to put right.
Goldhanger is about 3 miles north-east of Maldon, in Essex. Anywhere in Goldhanger, we can carry out chimney surveys at your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Across Essex, we cover Goldhanger and the places around it. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
Every address in CM9 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Local streets include Sorrell Close, Hall Estate and Peartree Close. If you are just outside Goldhanger, we cover Tolleshunt Major (1 mile north), Little Totham (2 miles north), Osea Island (2 miles south), Heybridge Basin (2 miles south-west) and Tolleshunt D'Arcy (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Colchester (12 miles north-east), Chelmsford (12 miles west), Braintree (12 miles north-west), Maldon (3 miles south-west), Rayleigh (13 miles south-west) and Witham (6 miles north-west).
Near you in Goldhanger
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Chequers pub and the streets around them. Nearby you will also find Maldon & District Agricultural & Domestic Museum (under half a mile east). Open spaces near Goldhanger include Chigborough Lakes.
Common questions in Goldhanger
Is my home in Goldhanger listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you’re planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do you cover smaller places like Goldhanger?
Yes, Goldhanger is covered. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. This is a survey of the roof only, so it’s not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. Many buyers have both.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only when it’s safe. Some roofs are too steep or fragile to walk on safely. We use safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where it applies, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
Do you need to go on the roof to check the chimney?
Each stack is viewed from the safest viewpoints: from the ground, windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there is access. A drone inspection is included in our Premium Survey where it applies. If part of a stack cannot be seen, the report says so.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing are not part of what we do. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
Does the report include photographs?
Yes. Photographs are part of every report.