Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Great Hormead Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys in Great Hormead from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys.
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
Chimney survey in Great Hormead
Chimney stacks take more weather than almost any other part of a house. In time, flaunching cracks, mortar washes out and flashings come loose. Water then gets into the stack and can show as damp on a chimney breast or a stain in the loft. A survey finds these problems and records them with photos. We survey flaunching, chimney breasts and brick chimney stacks, and common reasons people get in touch are damp patches on chimney breasts and gaps where the stack meets the roof.
Older buildings in small places like Great Hormead may be listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. A roof report helps you plan work with that in mind. Older materials such as clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Location
- Great Hormead (SG9)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Common questions in Great Hormead
Do you carry out roof surveys in Great Hormead?
Yes, Great Hormead is within the area we cover. We work right across London and the South East. You can ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and a few details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Is Great Hormead within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We work right across London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when booking.
Does someone need to be in?
It depends on what we need to see. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in; we will agree the details when you book.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To find a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Can you find out why my chimney breast is damp?
It can come from several places: water getting in at the top, through the brickwork or at the flashings, or moisture trapped in a stack with no ventilation. We look at each one and note the most likely cause.
How experienced are you?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years, across London and South East England.
What do I do with the report?
The report arrives by email, with photos and clear recommendations. With Standard there is a follow-up consultation; with Premium, an in-person consultation, so you can talk the findings through.
Nearby places to Great Hormead
More services for Great Hormead
Prices for chimney surveys in Great Hormead
Survey packages start from £150, inc. VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Which survey package you book
- Height and safe access
- The shape of the roof and its details
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, including VAT, and we can help you choose.
What to tell us when you get in touch
A little information up front helps. It is useful to include:
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply ring 07833 053749 or email us whenever suits you.
What happens on the day
Once we have finished looking, we write up our findings in a report with photographs, sent to you by email. On timing, it typically takes about 1–2 hours for a house, and more on a big or complicated roof. Around Great Hormead, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Getting ready for the survey
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
How to book
We confirm the price for the job before booking, so you know the cost up front. Prices start from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Related advice
What we can’t see
It is a careful look at the chimney stack, not the whole story. Its limits include:
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- Parts of the stack that can’t be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we cannot access
- A structural engineer’s assessment
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer before booking. The full list of what we check.
What we check
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
Great Hormead homes and their roofs
What can be done to an older roof may depend on listing or a conservation area. The council is the place to check, along with Historic England’s list, ideally before any re-roofing is planned. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles, and flat-roofed additions turn up almost everywhere. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
Take a building like Hormead Church of England (VA) First School: long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. The streets around a church like Church of St Nicholas are often among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Great Hormead is in Hertfordshire. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Great Hormead can all book chimney surveys, with a written report and photographs every time. Across Hertfordshire, we cover Great Hormead and the places around it. Our Chelmsford page covers surveys nearby.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: SG9. Whether your property is on Anderson's Lane, Halfacre Lane and Horseshoe Lane or anywhere close by, we can help. If you’re just outside Great Hormead, we cover Daw's End (1 mile north), Anstey (2 miles north), Wyddial (2 miles north-west), Layston (2 miles west) and Brent Pelham (2 miles east). Within a short drive, we also cover Stevenage (10 miles west), Bishop's Stortford (8 miles south-east), Welwyn Garden City (14 miles south-west), Hitchin (13 miles west), Hoddesdon (14 miles south) and Hertford (12 miles south-west).
Around Great Hormead
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Beehive pub and the streets around them. Well-known places in the area include Brent Pelham (1.7 miles north-east).
Before and after the survey
Nothing here needs a ladder. A few suggestions:
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
You get the report by email and can pass it to whoever does the work. We use plain English and a photo for each defect, so it is easy to follow.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
What happens if roof problems are left?
A leaning stack should be looked at sooner rather than later. Our survey records it and says when a structural engineer should look at it, so you can decide what to do next. Around Great Hormead, older homes frequently have old roof timbers, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it is left.
To find out what your survey will cost, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and some details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Great Hormead
- Package prices that include VAT
- Surveys on weekdays and at weekends
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
See how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.
How the survey changes by roof type
Lead flashings
Flashings can lift in wind or pull out of their mortar joints. We photograph any we find that look loose or damaged.
Brick stacks
Spalled bricks, where the face has flaked off, are a sign of water and frost. We record any we can see.