Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Hadham Ford
We take a careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Hadham Ford, and put it all in a written report with photos.
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Signs that a stack is leaning
About our chimney survey in Hadham Ford
If a chimney looks out of line, it is 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. If the stack looks like a structural issue, the report recommends a structural engineer. If you’re worried about worn or missing pointing and disused chimneys trapping moisture, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
In a small place like Hadham Ford, many roofs stand in the open, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are frequently where weather gets in first.
Most points in the report come with a picture, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Place
- Hadham Ford (SG11)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Hadham Ford: your questions answered
Can a landlord with a rental near Bishops Stortford station book a roof survey?
Of course. We just need to know who will give access, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Hadham Ford?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Will I get photos?
Yes, every report has them. Pictures sit next to the findings they show, so you can see what we mean.
What does the report include?
Written findings with photos, explaining the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our recommendations. Standard adds moisture detection and a structural check; Premium adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
What happens after the survey?
We email you the written report with photographs and recommendations. You can use it to talk to a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent, whichever applies.
What should I do with a chimney I don’t use?
A redundant chimney needs looking after like any other. If it’s capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside. Our survey records its condition and how it is capped, so you can decide with a builder what to do.
Do you look in the loft space?
Usually, if there is one and it can be reached safely. The roof space can show things the outside cannot, such as damp timbers, staining or daylight.
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
Survey packages start from £150, including VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- The size of the roof
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
Prices start from £150, including VAT, for a Basic Survey. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400. You will know the exact price before booking.
Getting in touch
When you call or email, these details help:
- Dates you’re working to, like exchange
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. To book or ask a question, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Before and after the survey
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They apply to most roofs:
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Check fixings on the stack are secure
The report is emailed to you, ready to share with a roofer or builder. We use plain English and a photo for each defect, so it’s easy to follow.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. Early signs are easier to trace.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Hadham Ford
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on.
We survey roofs for landlords and agents as well as householders. A report with photographs gives you a clear record of the chimney stack, useful for planning maintenance.
When to book a survey in Hadham Ford
Where a chimney meets the roof, lead flashings keep water out. They can lift in wind, crack with age or pull out of the mortar joints. Failed flashings are one of the most common causes of damp around chimneys. Lead is also a target for theft.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
Anyone responsible for a site like Little Hadham Primary School will know that a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Whether VAT is added on top
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney breasts and the loft
Inside, chimney breasts can show damp when water gets into the stack. We check the breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach.
Chimney pots and cowls
A loose or cracked pot can fall from height. We record their condition with photographs.
Hadham Ford homes and their roofs
About 1.4 miles south lies Much Hadham Palace, a reminder of how long the area around Hadham Ford has been built on. If your home is one of the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof. Older houses in the South East frequently have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles, with flat-roofed extensions, dormers and garages common everywhere. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
If you let a flat or house near Bishops Stortford station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant. The streets around a church such as Parish Church of St Cecilia are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Hadham Ford is about 3 miles west of Bishop's Stortford, in Hertfordshire. Anywhere in Hadham Ford, we can carry out chimney surveys at your property. Our Hertfordshire coverage includes Hadham Ford and the places around it. Our Chelmsford page covers surveys nearby.
Surveys in SG11 are booked the same way as anywhere else. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Chapel Lane and Ford Hill or a nearby road, we can help. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Little Hadham (1 mile north-east), Bromley (1 mile west), Much Hadham (2 miles south), Hadham Cross (2 miles south) and Green Tye (2 miles south). Further out, we also cover Stevenage (12 miles west), Bishop's Stortford (3 miles east), Welwyn Garden City (13 miles south-west), Hoddesdon (9 miles south-west), Cheshunt (13 miles south-west) and Hertford (9 miles south-west).
What’s near Hadham Ford
We work in homes and buildings around The Nag's Head Public House and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Bishops Stortford station, roughly 3.5 miles east of the centre. A little further out are Herts and Essex Hospital (3.9 miles east) and Moated mound (1.3 miles north-east). Open spaces near Hadham Ford include Thorley Wash nature reserve.
How the survey works
On the day, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you need to know. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where applicable. Most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours at most homes, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. Somewhere as small as Hadham Ford, access is frequently the only tricky part. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We look at 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.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Before we arrive
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Let us know about parking near the property
Getting a price
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or email us and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. You will know the price before anything is booked.