Essex · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Great Baddow
Independent chimney surveys in Great Baddow. We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Bricks with flaking faces
Your questions about chimney surveys in Great Baddow
Do you cover smaller places like Great Baddow?
Yes, Great Baddow is covered. We cover the whole of London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Can a landlord with a rental near Chelmsford station book a roof survey?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. Just phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the details.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Only where it’s safe to do so. We check everything that can safely be seen: from ground level, from windows, from inside the loft space, from the roof where it’s safe and by drone where it applies. The report says if anything couldn’t be seen.
Does the weather affect the survey?
A survey can typically go ahead in light rain, and it can even help show where water is getting in. High wind or heavy rain can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so if conditions aren’t right we will arrange another day with you.
How soon will I get the report?
Each package has its own report time. Basic is within 48 hours, Standard is 24–48 hours and Premium is the same day. Mention any deadline as you book.
Will you photograph what you find?
Yes, every report has them. Pictures sit next to the findings they show, which makes the report easy to follow.
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.
About our chimney survey in Great Baddow
We inspect chimneys from wherever they can safely be seen: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the loft space where it’s safe. A drone inspection is part of our Premium Survey where applicable. Where part of a stack cannot be seen, the report says so. Each defect is recorded with a photo and a plain description. We survey chimney breasts, shared and party-wall stacks and brick chimney stacks, and common reasons people get in touch are gaps where the stack meets the roof and frost-damaged brickwork on the stack.
Around Great Baddow, older cottages sit alongside bungalows and newer houses. Older roofs can have slate, clay tiles or other traditional coverings, while many later ones have concrete tiles. On older homes, chimney stacks, valleys and gutters are usually where the work is. The fixings under an older roof often fail before good slates or tiles do.
After the visit, you get a photo-illustrated written report, sent by email. It sets out the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our written recommendations.
- Place
- Great Baddow (CM2)
- Region
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What a survey costs
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. That comes down to:
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- Height and safe access
- Basic, Standard or Premium
Every price we give includes VAT. Our price is from £150, including VAT. We confirm the price for your roof before booking.
Booking your survey
There is no need for technical words. It’s enough to tell us:
- Access details, like a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
Once you know what you need, call 07833 053749 or send us an email. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date.
What we can’t see
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will recommend the right survey. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
Also near Great Baddow
More services for Great Baddow
DIY checks: what’s safe
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it.
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney pots and cowls
On redundant flues, we look at how the pots are capped. Capping without ventilation can trap moisture.
Lead flashings
Lead flashings seal the joint between the stack and the roof. The survey looks at whether the lead is tight, sound and well fixed.
Useful tips for Great Baddow property owners
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner:
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
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. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. It is far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
Chimney surveys around Great Baddow
Older buildings in Essex frequently have clay tiles and weatherboarding, alongside plenty of post-war and newer estates. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. The wider area around Great Baddow has a long history of building, with Danbury Place about 2.3 miles east. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead.
If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for example near Bond Street Chelmsford, a written record of the roof’s condition helps you plan maintenance rather than react to leaks. If you live in an older home near Church of St Mary, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. If you let a flat or house near Chelmsford station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
Great Baddow is about 2 miles south-east of Chelmsford, in Essex. Surveys in Great Baddow work the same way as everywhere we cover: a careful look at whatever is safely visible, photos and a clear written report. We cover towns and villages across Essex, from the larger towns to small villages.
We cover every part of CM2 for chimney surveys and the streets around it. We cover properties on New Road, High Street and Colley Road and the roads around them. If you are just outside Great Baddow, we cover Sandon (1 mile east), Butt's Green (2 miles south-east), Springfield (2 miles north), Little Baddow (3 miles north-east) and Boreham (4 miles north-east). Further out, we also cover Basildon (10 miles south), Braintree (12 miles north), Brentwood (10 miles south-west), Maldon (8 miles east), Canvey Island (14 miles south) and Billericay (7 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Great Baddow
Around Great Baddow, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Oaklands Park, White Horse Inn and The Sandon School. The nearest railway station is Chelmsford station, about 2 miles north-west. A little further out are Bond Street Chelmsford (1.6 miles north-west) and Baddow Hospital (0.6 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Newland Grove.
How the survey works
The visit normally starts outside and finishes in the loft: outside views come first, then the roof space if there’s safe access. All told, expect an hour or two at most homes, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. For a survey in Great Baddow, we agree the time, the access and parking before the day. Weekday and weekend visits are both possible. Let us know about any garages, outbuildings or extensions you want included.
- You tell us how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
How to prepare
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
Booking a survey
Getting a price is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or email us and give us some details about the property and we’ll explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.