Thurrock · London and the South East
Grays Chimney Survey
Find out what’s going on with the chimney stack before you spend money on it. We carry out chimney surveys in Grays.
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
Chimney survey in Grays
A chimney stands up above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Over the years, the flaunching cracks, the pointing wears and flashings lift. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the roof space. A survey finds these problems and records them with photographs. We are often asked to look into bricks with flaking faces and staining on walls around the chimney, on flaunching, lead flashings and shared and party-wall stacks.
Most homes in a town like Grays are houses, so the roof is typically the owner’s to look after. A slipped tile or blocked gutter costs far less to sort than the damp it causes later. The report sets out what needs attention, prioritised by urgency where relevant, whether you live in the house or let it. The photographs let you see the parts of the roof you can’t get to.
What you get is a clear record of the chimney stack on the day we saw it. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later.
- Place
- Grays (RM17, RM16, RM20, RM18)
- Region
- Thurrock
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens on the day
Photographs are taken throughout the visit, so you can see in the report what we found and where. We take close-ups from wherever is safe. A typical visit takes an hour or two for most houses, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. Most visits in a town like Grays start at the front of the house and work round to the back. The back garden is often where extensions, dormers and rear slopes are best seen, so unlocked gates help. The loft comes next, where there is safe access.
- You tell us how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can safely be seen.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach them.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
How to prepare
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Jot down any questions you want answered
Booking a survey
To get a price for chimney surveys in Grays, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. The address, the type of property and what you need to know help us give you an accurate price.
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Signs you need a chimney survey in Grays
A stack takes the weather from every direction. Frost works into cracks in the flaunching and pointing, and rain soaks into worn brickwork. Most people book after spotting damp or a loose pot, or before buying.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
If you run a business near Lakeside Shopping Centre, a roof report helps plan work around trading rather than after a leak.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Which limits apply to the survey
- Whether you get a written report with photos
Local roofs in Grays
Grays is within about 4 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, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. 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.
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near St John the Evangelist, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs. If you own a rental within reach of Grays station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
Grays is about 5 miles north-east of Dartford, in Thurrock. We provide chimney surveys for householders, landlords and businesses in Grays and nearby. Grays is one of the towns and villages in Thurrock where we work. There is also a page for Maidstone.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: RM17, RM16, RM20 and RM18. Local streets include London Road, College Avenue and Cresthill Avenue. Grays sits on or near the A126 and B149. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Little Thurrock (1 mile north-east), Chafford Hundred (1 mile north-west), Orsett Heath (1 mile north-east), North Stifford (2 miles north-west) and Chadwell St Mary (2 miles east). Further out, we also cover Stanford-le-Hope (5 miles north-east), South Ockendon (3 miles north-west), Balstonia (5 miles north-east), Corringham (6 miles north-east), Aveley (4 miles west) and Purfleet-on-Thames (4 miles west).
Local landmarks in Grays
Around Grays, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Thurrock and Basildon College, Grays Convent High School and The Traitors Gate pub and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Grays station, about 0.6 miles south-west. Nearby you’ll also find Stone Castle (3.6 miles south-west) and Thurrock Community Hospital (0.9 miles north). The countryside around Grays includes Chafford Gorges Nature Park and Sawyers Lake.
Towns and villages near Grays
Also in Grays
Different roofs, different checks
Flaunching
Flaunching takes the worst of the weather. The survey checks for cracking and gaps around each pot.
Chimney pots and cowls
Damaged pots are a safety concern as well as a leak risk. We record their condition with photographs.
Why act early in Grays
If you’re buying, find out about the stacks before you exchange. Once you’ve exchanged, the work is down to you. Our report gives you facts to raise with the seller or agent. Around Grays, gutters that overflow soak the wall below, and damp follows inside. At roof level, a loose tile or tired flashing does the same. Neither gets better on its own.
Prices start from £150, inc. VAT, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both inc. VAT. You will know the price for your survey before booking.
Why book with us
- Surveys seven days a week
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
See what a roof survey costs and two real surveys.
Questions from Grays
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Grays station?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. Just ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the details.
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Grays, take more of a battering?
Yes, coastal weather is harder on roofs: there’s more wind, and more salt in the air. Ridges, verges, flashings and fixings are where it typically shows.
How do I book a survey in Grays?
To book, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address, the type of property and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price and agree a day with you.
Do you need to get into the loft?
Yes, where the survey calls for it and there is safe access. Inside, we look for damp, staining, gaps and sagging, as far as the space allows.
Do you work in Grays?
Yes. Our area covers London and South East England, Grays included.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing aren’t part of what we do. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, like cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them.
Will I get photos?
Yes. The report includes photographs of what we found.
What you can safely check yourself
It is useful to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Share it with us when booking and it will help the survey.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
What a chimney survey does not cover
A survey is a close look at the chimney stack, but it can’t do everything. The main limits are:
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Grays
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls