Essex · London and the South East
Great Dunmow Chimney Survey
Not sure what state the chimney stack is in? We carry out chimney surveys in Great Dunmow and across Essex.
- Worn or missing pointing
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, with the most urgent items set out first.
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Great Dunmow. To discuss a property or a block, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
How a chimney survey works in Great Dunmow
On terraced and semi-detached houses, a chimney stack is often shared with next door. We inspect the parts we can see safely and the parts the owner gives us access to. If a defect appears to be on the neighbour’s side, we note it and you can then discuss it with them. You get a photo-illustrated written report and what we recommend. We survey chimney breasts, lead flashings and chimney pots and cowls, and common reasons people get in touch are gaps where the stack meets the roof and damp on a chimney breast inside.
Around Great Dunmow, gardens, hedges and nearby trees can mean leaves and moss end up on roofs and in gutters. Once gutters and outlets block, water spills over and soaks the walls. A report spots that kind of slow problem before it becomes damp inside. Moss on the roof and weeds in the gutter are both easy to spot from ground level.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent, whichever applies.
- Location
- Great Dunmow (CM6)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Nearby places to Great Dunmow
More services for Great Dunmow
What happens if roof problems are left?
Before deciding what to do with a redundant stack, a survey shows how it’s doing. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need permission from the council and the council can advise. With lower homes, common in places like Great Dunmow, there’s little between a roof defect and the ceiling, so a small leak can mark a ceiling within a few storms. Finding the cause first saves a second job inside.
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where applicable, from £400 including VAT. We can help you choose the package that fits what you want to find out.
What you get with us
- Photos and a written report every time
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
- Clear package prices, including VAT
See what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
When to book a survey in Great Dunmow
Many chimneys are no longer used. A stack sealed without ventilation can trap damp. Damp patches can appear on chimney breasts even when nothing is leaking.
A survey can pick up problems like:
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Worn or missing pointing
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- A chimney out of line
If you look after a building such as Dunmow St Mary's Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- When you’ll get the report
- What insurance they carry
- Their track record with similar roofs
- Will the report include photos?
Local roofs in Great Dunmow
In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. Whatever the covering, it is frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. There are about 500,000 buildings on England’s list of listed buildings, and around 10,000 conservation areas. If your home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission, so check with the council.
Landlords with a home close to Stansted Airport station may find that a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak. If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Great Dunmow is about 9 miles west of Braintree, in Essex. Great Dunmow is one of many places we visit across Essex. Great Dunmow is one of the places in Essex where we work for chimney surveys. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
We work across the CM6 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. You will find streets such as Market Place, High Street and Station Road, and we cover them all. With the B1008 and B1057 close by, Great Dunmow is easy for us to reach. We also cover Church End (1 mile north-east), Little Easton (2 miles north-west), Barnston (2 miles south-east), High Roding (3 miles south-west) and Great Canfield (3 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Chelmsford (11 miles south-east), Braintree (9 miles east), Harlow (13 miles south-west), Witham (13 miles south-east), Saffron Walden (11 miles north-west) and Halstead (13 miles east).
Near you in Great Dunmow
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Helena Romanes School and Sixth Form Centre and The Chequers Public House. The closest station to Great Dunmow is Stansted Airport station, about 4.3 miles west of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Little Easton Moat (1.6 miles north-west).
When you need someone else
It’s a careful look at the chimney stack, not the whole story. Its limits include:
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll tell you before booking. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Great Dunmow
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
Different roofs, different checks
Lead flashings
Where the chimney meets the roof slopes, lead flashings keep water out. We check for lifting, splits and gaps in the joints.
Flaunching
Cracked flaunching is one of the most common chimney defects we record. Caught early, it is often a small job.
Questions from Great Dunmow
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Great Dunmow?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Do you cover smaller places like Great Dunmow?
Yes. Great Dunmow is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We work right across London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
What if it rains on the day?
It depends on the weather and the survey. High wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, and we’d agree another day.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it’s applicable. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Why is my chimney breast damp?
Usually it is water getting in from outside, or condensation in a sealed stack. We check the stack, the flashings and how unused flues are capped and records the likely cause.
How do I book a survey in Great Dunmow?
Simply ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day, weekday or weekend.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Not always. Safety comes first, and fragile or steep roofs cannot always be walked on. Safe viewpoints, the loft and a drone where applicable let us see the rest.
What happens on the day
We do not take risks to get a closer look. Everything that can be seen safely is inspected, and if part of the roof can’t be seen, the report says so. The survey usually takes about one to two hours for most houses, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. Parking around Great Dunmow is typically easier than in a town centre, but mention lanes, gates or long drives. Low roofs on bungalows can frequently be seen well from ground level, and the loft shows the rest.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can safely be seen.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Where there is safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
Before we arrive
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the freeholder or managing agent
Getting a price
Booking is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email, tell us about the property and we will explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.