Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Great Parndon, Essex
Find out the condition of the chimney stack at your property in Great Parndon from an independent roof surveyor. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
Chimney survey in Great Parndon: what you get
A chimney survey is about the outside of the stack and the roof around it. It is not a flue inspection, a chimney sweep or a gas safety inspection. For the flue itself, you will need a sweep or, for gas appliances, a Gas Safe registered engineer. We’ll tell you if we see anything that suggests they should take a look. If you’re worried about mortar washing out of the joints and damaged chimney pots and cowls, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on flaunching, lead flashings and brick chimney stacks alike.
Around Great Parndon, older cottages sit alongside bungalows and newer houses. Coverings range from slate and clay tiles on older homes to concrete tiles on many later ones. Chimneys, valleys and gutters on older homes often need the most attention. Nails and battens under older coverings often give out before the slates or tiles themselves.
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.
- Location
- Great Parndon (CM19, CM18)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Why get it checked now?
Before deciding what to do with a redundant stack, a survey shows how it is doing. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need permission from the council, so check with them first. Around Great Parndon, leaves and moss in gutters lead to overflowing water and damp walls. It’s easy to sort the cause early and slow to dry a damp wall.
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how safely it can be seen. Our price is from £150, including VAT.
Why us?
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
- Over 20 years’ experience
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
Take a look at what a roof survey costs and our case studies.
What we can’t see
Some things cannot be seen without opening up the roof, and that sets some limits:
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- Whether the flue is safe to use
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we check
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
Common questions in Great Parndon
I let a flat near Harlow Town station. Can you check the roof?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. Just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details, and we will talk through which survey suits.
Do you cover smaller places like Great Parndon?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
What will the report tell me?
You get our findings in writing, part by part, with photos. Points are put in order of urgency where relevant.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. It’s a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
How long does the survey take?
It usually takes about 1–2 hours at most homes; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. We’ll confirm the timing when booking.
Should a redundant chimney be removed?
An unused stack still needs to stay weathertight and ventilated. If it is capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside. Our survey records its condition and how it is capped, so you can plan what to do with it.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. Access is agreed with you when you book.
How it works
We check the roof from outside and, where it is relevant and there’s safe access, from inside the loft space too. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging. All in, the survey typically takes about 1–2 hours for most houses, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. For a survey in Great Parndon, we agree the time, the access and parking before the day. Weekday and weekend visits are both possible. If there are outbuildings or garages you want looked at, mention them.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- 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.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Before the survey
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Arrange a survey
We confirm the exact price before booking, so you know where you stand. Prices start from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Read more
Tips that help
Getting the most from a chimney survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Tips:
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
With a shared stack, the report can help when talking to next door. It shows what we found and where, as far as we could see.
Check redundant flues are capped with ventilation. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Don’t go up yourself.
You can learn a lot from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
Towns and villages near Great Parndon
Other services in Great Parndon
Great Parndon homes and their roofs
Listing and conservation areas can both shape what roof work is allowed on an older home. The council is the place to check, along with Historic England’s list, before anyone quotes for re-roofing. Great Parndon is part of Harlow, one of the post-war new towns. Homes from the post-war decades are common in the new towns, many with low-pitched roofs in concrete tiles and flat-roofed garages or porches. Low-pitched roofs shed water more slowly, and older concrete tiles, felt and gutters on these homes may be nearing the end of their life.
Take an older house close to Church of St Mary the Virgin: its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. For landlords with property near Harlow Town station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Great Parndon is about 2 miles south-west of Harlow, in Essex. We survey roofs in Great Parndon and the rest of Essex. Great Parndon is one of the towns and villages in Essex we cover for chimney surveys. We also survey roofs in Chelmsford.
Surveys in CM19 and CM18 are booked the same way as anywhere else. That includes homes and businesses on Rectory Lane, Pyenest Road and Paycock Road. Other places close to Great Parndon include Staple Tye (1 mile south-east), Tylerscross (1 mile south-west), Jack's Hatch (1 mile south), Little Parndon (1 mile north) and Broadley Common (1 mile south-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Brentwood (13 miles south-east), Loughton (8 miles south), Waltham Abbey (6 miles south-west), Great Dunmow (14 miles north-east), Epping (4 miles south) and Stansted Mountfitchet (11 miles north-east).
Around Great Parndon
We work in homes and buildings around Hawkenbury Meadow, Stewards Academy - Science Specialist and The Cock Inn. The nearest railway station is Harlow Town station, about 1.8 miles north of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Mark Hall Cycle Museum (2.4 miles north-east) and Princess Alexandra Hospital (1 mile north). Not far away are Hunsdon Mead.
When to book a survey in Great Parndon
Flashings seal the gap where a stack passes through the roof. With age they can lift, split or come away from the joints. Failed flashings are one of the most common causes of damp around chimneys. Lead flashings can also be stolen.
People normally book a survey when they’ve noticed something like this:
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
If you live near a park such as Hawkenbury Meadow, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- What they will not be able to tell you
- How soon the report will arrive