Essex · London and the South East
Great Wigborough Chimney Survey
Find out the condition of the chimney stack at your property in Great Wigborough. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
Chimney survey in Great Wigborough: what you get
Many homes have chimneys that are no longer used. Even when it is not used, a stack has to stay weathertight. Capping a stack without ventilation can trap moisture and lead to damp inside. We check how redundant stacks have been capped and look for damp in the chimney breasts. You get photos of each stack and our recommendations. Common reasons to book are a stack that appears to lean and damp patches on chimney breasts, on chimney breasts, lead flashings and brick chimney stacks.
In a village or hamlet like Great Wigborough, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Location
- Great Wigborough (CO5)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps when budgeting.
How we price chimney surveys
Survey packages start from £150, including VAT. The price for your roof depends on:
- How many separate roofs there are, like extensions, dormers and garages
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
Every price we give includes VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
What to let us know when you contact us
A little information up front helps. It helps to include:
- What’s prompted the survey
- Dates you are working to, like exchange
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Where the property is, with the postcode
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine; never climb up to get a better view. To get started, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Chimney surveys in Great Wigborough: local notes
Great Wigborough lies within about 3 miles of the sea, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, while gales work at loose ridges, slates and tiles, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. About 2.8 miles north-west lies Layer Marney Tower, a reminder of how long the area around Great Wigborough has been built on. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Great Wigborough is about 6 miles south of Colchester, in Essex. We cover Great Wigborough and the rest of Essex, as part of our work across London and the South East. Across Essex, we cover Great Wigborough. Chelmsford is in our area too.
Here we cover the CO5 postcode area for chimney surveys. Local streets include School Lane and Maldon Road. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Little Wigborough (1 mile east), Peldon (2 miles north-east), Layer Breton (2 miles north-west), Birch Green (3 miles north-west) and Layer-de-la-Haye (3 miles north). Further out, we also cover Colchester (6 miles north), Braintree (14 miles north-west), Clacton-on-Sea (13 miles east), Maldon (9 miles south-west), Witham (9 miles west) and Camulodunum (6 miles north).
What’s near Great Wigborough
Typical jobs here are in homes near Kings Head Public House. Nearby you will also find Birch Castle (3.2 miles north-west). Open spaces near Great Wigborough include Abbotts Hall Farm.
How the survey changes by roof type
Chimney breasts and the loft
Where a breast has been taken out, we look at what supports the stack. Confirming the support is a job for a structural engineer.
Chimney pots and cowls
On redundant flues, we check how the pots are capped. Capping without ventilation can trap moisture.
When to book a survey in Great Wigborough
Aerials and dishes are frequently fixed to stacks. The extra load in wind can work bricks and joints loose. Any fixings on the stack are checked and recorded.
Things that frequently lead to a survey include:
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
If you live in an older home near Church of St Stephen, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- What insurance they carry
- Their report turnaround times
- What they will not be able to tell you
- Whether you get a written report with photos
How the survey works
Every roof is different; 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. You are welcome to ask questions while we’re there. Older roofs in small places like Great Wigborough can have low, tight loft spaces, so it helps to know whether there is a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. We only go where it is safe.
- 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.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Before the survey
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the building owner or managing agent
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
Booking a survey
Unsure which package suits your roof? The easiest way is to ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
Read more
Leave it or get it looked at?
A damp chimney breast seldom dries out until the cause is found. It can spoil decoration and plaster. Finding the cause means the right work can be planned. Older cottages and farmhouses around Great Wigborough can have roof timbers that have been there a very long time, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it is left.
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how it can be reached and seen safely. Our price is from £150, including VAT.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Great Wigborough
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Package prices that include VAT
Read how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.
Questions from Great Wigborough
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Great Wigborough?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Will you come out to Great Wigborough?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We note visible signs such as sagging or deflection, but we do not carry out calculations or give an engineer’s opinion. Where an engineer is needed, we say so in the report.
Is a chimney survey the same as a flue inspection?
No. A flue inspection, sweep or gas safety check is a separate job. We look at the stack, pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings, and damp inside and flag anything that suggests the flue needs a look.
When does the report arrive?
Report times are set by the package. Basic is within 48 hours, Standard is 24–48 hours and Premium is the same day. If you have a deadline, such as an exchange date, tell us when booking.
What happens after the survey?
The report arrives by email. With Standard there is a follow-up consultation; with Premium, an in-person consultation, so you can talk the findings through.
How long is the visit?
Most surveys take about 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. The report follows by email.