Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Greensted, Essex
An experienced roof surveyor for chimney surveys in Greensted. Over 5,000 surveys and 20+ years behind us.
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Mortar washing out of the joints
How the survey works
Every visit follows the same pattern: we hear what you’ve seen, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photographs as we go and record our findings for the written report. Most visits take roughly 1–2 hours for a house, and more on a big or complicated roof. In a hamlet or village like Greensted, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, so a few directions are welcome. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We check every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Before we arrive
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Getting a price
Getting a price is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or email us and give us a few details about the property and we will recommend the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Related advice
How a chimney survey works in Greensted
If a chimney looks out of line, it’s worth getting it checked. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down, frequently after years of flue gases and damp. We record the lean and the condition of the brickwork and pointing. Where it may be a structural concern, we’ll recommend a structural engineer. If you’ve noticed spalled or crumbling bricks and damp patches on chimney breasts, we can find out what’s behind it.
Some older homes in villages like Greensted 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. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
Most points in the report come with a picture, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. If something couldn’t be seen safely, the report is clear about it.
- Location
- Greensted (CM5)
- Region
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Nearby places to Greensted
More services for Greensted
Do you need a chimney survey in Greensted?
Where a chimney meets the roof, lead flashings keep water out. With age they can lift, split or come away from the joints. When flashings fail, water often shows up in the loft or on the chimney breast. Lead flashings can also be stolen.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Worn or missing pointing
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Bricks with flaking faces
Take a building like Chipping Ongar Primary School: its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Questions to ask before you book
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- How long the report takes to arrive
Questions from Greensted
How do I find out if my home in Greensted is listed?
We can’t confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Do you carry out roof surveys in Greensted?
Yes, Greensted is within the area we cover. Our area covers London and the South East. You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and some details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
How experienced are you?
We’ve been surveying roofs for over 20 years and have completed over 5,000 surveys.
How can you see the top of the stack?
Each stack is viewed from the safest viewpoints: from ground level, windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there is access. A drone inspection is included in our Premium Survey where it applies. We note anything we couldn’t see.
What’s in the report?
You get our findings in writing, part by part, with photos, finishing with recommendations. The most urgent items are made clear.
Do you need to get into the loft?
Normally, if there’s one and it can be reached safely. The loft space can show things the outside can’t, such as damp timbers, staining or daylight.
What do you check on a chimney?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access. You get a written report with photos.
For landlords and managing agents
We survey roofs for landlords and agents as well as homeowners. A photo-illustrated written report gives you a clear record of the chimney stack, useful for planning maintenance.
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work.
Before and after the survey
Small things make a difference. Some pointers:
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
Questions about the findings are always welcome. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Check redundant flues are capped with ventilation. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
Can I check my roof myself?
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and a fall can be serious. That part is for a survey.
When you need someone else
In fairness, a roof survey has limits:
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roof types and parts we check
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Greensted
The wider area around Greensted has a long history of building, with Hill Hall about 3.8 miles south-west. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
The streets around a church like Greensted Church are often among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Greensted is about 5 miles east of Epping, in Essex. If you’re in Greensted, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Greensted is one of the towns and villages in Essex where we work. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
Here we cover the CM5 postcode area for chimney surveys. If you are just outside Greensted, we cover Chipping Ongar (1 mile east), Greensted Green (1 mile west), Shelley (1 mile north-east), High Ongar (2 miles east) and Bobbingworth (2 miles north). We also work in nearby towns such as Chelmsford (11 miles east), Basildon (13 miles south-east), Harlow (7 miles north-west), Brentwood (6 miles south-east), Billericay (10 miles south-east) and Loughton (8 miles south-west).
Around Greensted
Around Greensted, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Two Brewers Public House and The Ongar Academy, among other places. Nearby you’ll also find St. Margaret's Hospital (4.4 miles west). Green spaces nearby include Gernon Bushes.