Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Great Maplestead, Essex
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Great Maplestead, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Call or email for a price.
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
What you can safely check yourself
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. Photograph them and note the date.
Chimney survey in Great Maplestead: what you get
Our survey covers the structure of the stack and its weathering details. It is not a flue inspection, a sweep or a gas safety check. 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. If something we see points to the flue, we will say so. We survey chimney breasts, lead flashings and flaunching, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are flashings pulling away from the stack and disused chimneys trapping moisture.
Older buildings in small places like Great Maplestead 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. A roof report helps you plan work with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is frequently expected.
Most points in the report come with a picture, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Place
- Great Maplestead (CO9)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Places near Great Maplestead
What else we do in Great Maplestead
Great Maplestead: your questions answered
Do you cover smaller places like Great Maplestead?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Our area covers London and the South East. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there as you book.
Do you cover Great Maplestead?
We do. The survey and report are the same in Great Maplestead as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only when it is safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where it applies, a drone, and the report notes anything we couldn’t see.
What happens next?
You will receive the report by email, and what you do next is up to you: raise it with a seller, send it to an insurer, brief a roofer or share it with a managing agent.
Will I get photos?
Yes. Photos are taken throughout the survey, and the report uses them to show each finding alongside our recommendations.
Is a chimney survey the same as a flue inspection?
No. We survey the stack and its weathering, not the flue. For the flue, you’ll need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Do you use drones?
Where it helps and it is safe, yes. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, and we check for restrictions near airports before flying. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator.
Different roofs, different checks
Flaunching
Cracked flaunching is one of the most common chimney defects we record. It is usually a modest repair when it’s caught early.
Lead flashings
Some older stacks have mortar fillets instead of lead. They tend to crack, so we check them closely.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Great Maplestead
With Hedingham Castle about 1.6 miles north-west, Great Maplestead sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, alongside plenty of post-war and newer estates. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
If you live in an older home near Church of St Giles, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. Take a building like St Giles' Church of England Primary School: a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Great Maplestead is about 3 miles north of Halstead, in Essex. Wherever you are in Great Maplestead, we can carry out chimney surveys at your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Across Essex, we cover Great Maplestead and the places around it. Our Chelmsford page covers surveys nearby.
Every address in CO9 is covered for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Streets in the area include Monks Lodge Road and Church Street, all of which we cover. If you’re just outside Great Maplestead, we cover Little Maplestead (1 mile east), Wickham St Paul (2 miles north-east), Halstead (3 miles south), Pebmarsh (3 miles east) and Colne Engaine (4 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover Colchester (13 miles south-east), Braintree (7 miles south-west), Witham (12 miles south), Camulodunum (12 miles south-east), Great Dunmow (14 miles south-west) and Greenstead (14 miles south-east).
What’s near Great Maplestead
We work in homes and buildings around Hedingham School and Sixth Form and the streets around them. Other landmarks nearby include Halstead Hospital (2.2 miles south) and Hedingham Castle (1.6 miles north-west). The countryside around Great Maplestead includes Belcher's and Broadfield Woods.
Prices for chimney surveys in Great Maplestead
Prices vary from roof to roof, and it comes down to:
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- The roof’s overall size
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Height and safe access
For a price for your roof in Great Maplestead, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and let us know about the roof. We will confirm the figure before booking.
What we need to know
You do not need to know any roofing terms. Just tell us:
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- The type of building and roof, like pitched or flat
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine, and please do not climb up for a closer look. To get started, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
The survey, step by step
There is not much for you to do on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we’ll take it from there. A typical survey takes an hour or two on an ordinary house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Around Great Maplestead, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so tell us about the loft hatch and any ladder. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- You let us know whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- We check the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Before we arrive
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
Getting a price
Unsure which package suits your roof? The easiest way is to phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
Read more
For landlords and managing agents
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed in advance. Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, which can make access easier.
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work around your tenants.
Why act early in Great Maplestead
If you’re buying, find out about the stacks before you exchange. After that, any work is yours to arrange and pay for. Our report gives you facts to raise with the seller or agent. In a place like Great Maplestead, a barn or garage roof left to fail puts whatever is inside at risk. It is worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Why book us in Great Maplestead
- Over 20 years’ experience
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- An independent look at the roof
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.