Essex · London and the South East
Great Braxted Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching for Great Braxted, from an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photographs.
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
Chimney survey in Great Braxted: what you get
Our survey covers the structure of the stack and its weathering details. It’s not a flue inspection, a chimney sweep or a gas safety inspection. If you use a fire or a gas appliance, the flue should be checked by a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer as appropriate. We’ll tell you if we see anything that suggests they should take a look. If you’ve noticed a stack that appears to lean and lifted or split lead flashings, we can find out what’s behind it, on brick chimney stacks, shared and party-wall stacks and chimney pots and cowls alike.
Older buildings in small places like Great Braxted may be listed or in a conservation area. If yours is, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so the council is the place to check. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is frequently expected.
If any part of the chimney stack couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. That way, it is clear what was covered and what wasn’t.
- Where
- Great Braxted (CM8)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Landlords, agents and block managers in Great Braxted
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on.
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the addresses.
Places near Great Braxted
More services for Great Braxted
Practical tips
Most of what helps is simple and safe from the ground. Our suggestions:
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
If anything in the report isn’t clear, just ask us. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
Why act early in Great Braxted
Cracked flaunching and worn pointing are frequently modest repairs when they’re caught early. Leave it, and frost can work the stack loose, and the work grows. In a place like Great Braxted, a barn or garage roof left to fail puts whatever is inside at risk. A quick look before winter can save a lot.
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how safely it can be seen. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT.
What you get with us
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
- Prices that include VAT
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- PI and public liability insurance
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced or our case studies.
Common roof problems in Great Braxted
The flaunching on top of a stack holds the pots in place and sheds water. Cracked flaunching lets water in, and each winter makes it worse. In time, the pots can become loose.
Look out for signs like these:
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- A stack that appears to lean
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
Trees in and around Whet Mead shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
Local roofs in Great Braxted
Great Braxted is within about 5 miles of the coast, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, and strong wind lifts anything already loose on a roof, while driving rain finds any gap. Older buildings in Essex often have clay tiles and weatherboarding, and lots of post-war and modern estates besides. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
If you live in an older home near Church of All Saints, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs. For landlords with property near Witham station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Great Braxted is about 3 miles east of Witham, in Essex. Bookings from Great Braxted are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Our Essex coverage includes Great Braxted and the places around it. There’s also a page for Chelmsford.
Chimney surveys in CM8 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Local streets include Bung Row and Tiptree Road, and we cover them all. We also cover Beacon Hill (1 mile south-west), Great Totham (2 miles south), Wickham Bishops (2 miles south-west), Broad Street Green (3 miles south) and Langford (3 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Colchester (11 miles north-east), Chelmsford (10 miles south-west), Braintree (8 miles north-west), Maldon (5 miles south), Rayleigh (15 miles south) and Witham (3 miles west).
What’s near Great Braxted
In Great Braxted, that means homes and buildings near The Green Man pub and Whet Mead and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Witham station, roughly 2.6 miles west. Nearby you’ll also find Anchor Press Museum (2.7 miles north-east). Not far away are Shut Heath Wood.
Your questions about chimney surveys in Great Braxted
Can a landlord with a rental near Witham station book a roof survey?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. You can phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and a few details, including who will give access on the day.
Is the coastal weather around Great Braxted hard on roofs?
Yes, coastal weather is harder on roofs: there is more wind, and more salt in the air. Exposed details such as ridges, verges, flashings and metal fixings are the ones to watch, and Great Braxted is within about 5 miles of the coast.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, over more than 20 years, and 98% of clients are satisfied.
Will you go up on the roof?
Only when it’s safe. Safety comes first, and fragile or steep roofs cannot always be walked on. We use safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where it applies, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
Does someone need to be in?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. We will talk about access when booking.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Just tell us the days that suit you.
Do you look in the loft space?
If the survey needs it and the loft space can be reached safely, yes. A clear path to the hatch helps, and if the loft cannot be reached safely, the report says so.
Honest limits
No survey can tell you everything, and we’d rather be clear about that before you book. Bear these in mind:
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
What happens on the day
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof; as a rough guide, the survey takes about 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. If you have questions on the day, just ask. Cottages and farmhouses around Great Braxted often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen.
- You tell us whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
How to prepare
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the freeholder or managing agent
- Jot down any questions you want answered
How to book
Getting a price is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email, tell us about the property and we will suggest the right survey. We confirm the price before anything is booked.