Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Greenstead Green, Essex
Find out the condition of the chimney stack at your property in Greenstead Green from an independent roof surveyor. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Bricks with flaking faces
About our chimney survey in Greenstead Green
For buyers, a chimney survey before exchange can flag work you may want to raise. On older stacks, we often find cracked flaunching, loose flashings and worn pointing. Our report gives you specific points to raise with the seller or agent. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it. If you’ve noticed disused chimneys trapping moisture and spalled or crumbling bricks, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on brick chimney stacks, chimney breasts and chimney pots and cowls alike.
Some older homes in villages like Greenstead Green are 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. Older materials such as clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
Where we can’t see part of the chimney stack, the report says so. You’ll know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Place
- Greenstead Green (CO9)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we do, step by step
We check the roof from outside and, where it is relevant and there’s safe access, from inside the roof space too. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging. All in, the survey typically takes between one and two hours for most houses, and longer for a large or complex roof. Older roofs in small places like Greenstead Green can have low, tight loft spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Before the survey
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Tell us about parking before the day
Booking a survey
If you’re buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. Otherwise, simply ring 07833 053749 or email us whenever suits you.
Advice
Greenstead Green homes and their roofs
In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, 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. Older buildings may be listed or sit in a conservation area. To find out, check Historic England’s list and ask the council about conservation areas. Re-roofing in different materials may need permission there.
Landlords with a home close to Chappel & Wakes Colne station may find that knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints. Anyone responsible for a site like The Ramsey Academy will know that its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Greenstead Green is about 1 mile south-east of Halstead, in Essex. We survey roofs in Greenstead Green and the rest of Essex, as part of our work across London and South East England. Our Essex coverage includes Greenstead Green. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
Surveys in CO9 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Church Road and Burton's Green Road or a nearby road, we can help. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Halstead (1 mile north-west), Earls Colne (2 miles east), Colne Engaine (2 miles north-east), Little Maplestead (4 miles north) and Pebmarsh (4 miles north-east). We also work in nearby towns like Colchester (11 miles east), Chelmsford (15 miles south-west), Braintree (5 miles south-west), Maldon (14 miles south), Witham (8 miles south) and Camulodunum (10 miles east).
Around Greenstead Green
Greenstead Green’s nearest station is Chappel & Wakes Colne station, roughly 4.6 miles east. Nearby you will also find Bung Chapel Museum (1.6 miles north-west) and Halstead Hospital (1.8 miles north). The countryside around Greenstead Green includes Belcher's and Broadfield Woods.
What we are asked to look at in Greenstead Green
Flashings seal the gap where a stack passes through the roof. They can lift in wind, crack with age or pull out of the mortar joints. When flashings fail, water often shows up in the loft or on the chimney breast. Lead is also a target for theft.
Typical things we are asked to look at include:
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Staining on walls around the chimney
Take an older house close to Parish Church of St James: its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Is VAT included in the price?
- What the survey will not cover
- Their track record with similar roofs
- When you’ll get the report
What you can safely check yourself
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. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
It is useful to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry and it will help the survey.
Tips from our surveys
You don’t need to be a roofer to help. What helps most:
- Check your stacks from ground level after strong winds
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
If anything in the report isn’t clear, just ask us. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. It’s far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
Why it is worth a survey now in Greenstead Green
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. Matching old materials, such as handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. That is one more reason to find defects before they become urgent.
Every price we give includes VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Why us?
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
Towns and villages near Greenstead Green
What else we do in Greenstead Green
Different roofs, different checks
Flaunching
The sloping mortar around the pots is called flaunching. Cracks in it let water into the stack.
Brick stacks
Many older stacks were built with lime mortar. Repairs should suit the original materials, which we mention where relevant.
Greenstead Green questions
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Greenstead Green?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Can a landlord with a rental near Chappel & Wakes Colne station book a roof survey?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and a few details.
How much does a chimney survey cost in Greenstead Green?
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. The final figure depends on the roof and the package you choose.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Tell us which days suit you when you book.
My chimney looks like it’s leaning. What should I do?
It is worth having a leaning stack checked. We record the lean, the brickwork and the pointing, and recommend a structural engineer where it may be a structural concern.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Not unless it’s safe. Safe viewpoints, the loft space and a drone where applicable cover most of what’s needed, and the report notes anything we couldn’t see.
Should a redundant chimney be removed?
A redundant chimney needs looking after like any other. If it’s capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside. We check how it is capped and its condition, so you can decide with a builder what to do.