Essex · London and the South East
Hare Street Chimney Survey
We carry out chimney surveys in Hare Street and the rest of Essex. Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- A chimney out of line
What this survey can’t tell you
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Hare Street
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Hare Street
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. We survey chimney pots and cowls, brick chimney stacks and flaunching, and the problems we are asked to look at most are a stack that appears to lean and worn or missing pointing.
In a small place like Hare Street, many roofs stand in the open, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are often the first to give way.
After the visit, you get a written report with photographs, emailed to you. It sets out the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our written recommendations.
- Where
- Hare Street (CM5)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Common questions in Hare Street
Is my home in Hare Street listed or in a conservation area?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Do you cover smaller places like Hare Street?
Yes, Hare Street is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
Each stack is viewed from the safest viewpoints: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the roof space. A drone inspection is included in our Premium Survey where it applies. If part of a stack can’t be seen, the report says so.
Are you insured?
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance cover our surveys. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
What’s in the survey report?
You get our findings in writing, part by part, with photos, finishing with recommendations. The most urgent items are made clear.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Just let us know the days that suit you.
How long is the visit?
That depends on the size and shape of the roof; most visits take between one and two hours on an ordinary house; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. The report is sent afterwards by email.
Chimney surveys in Hare Street: local notes
In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. Whatever the covering, it is frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. Hill Hall, about 3 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Hare Street. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Hare Street is about 5 miles north-west of Brentwood, in Essex. We cover Hare Street and the rest of Essex. We cover towns and villages across Essex, large and small. Chelmsford is in our area too.
Chimney surveys in CM5 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Other places close to Hare Street include Little End (1 mile north-east), Stanford Rivers (1 mile north), Clatterford End (1 mile north-west), Marden Ash (2 miles north-east) and Navestock Heath (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Chelmsford (12 miles east), Basildon (13 miles south-east), Harlow (8 miles north-west), Brentwood (5 miles south-east), Billericay (9 miles east) and Loughton (7 miles west).
Near you in Hare Street
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Woodman Public House. Well-known places in the area include St. Margaret's Hospital (4.6 miles north-west). For a walk, there is Gernon Bushes.
Before and after the survey
Most of what helps is simple and safe from the ground. A few suggestions:
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
Questions about the findings are always welcome. Standard Surveys come with a follow-up consultation, and Premium Surveys with an in-person one.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. It is far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you get in touch and we will plan the visit with that in mind.
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the addresses.
Common roof problems in Hare Street
The flaunching on top of a stack holds the pots in place and sheds water. Once it cracks, water gets in and frost makes the cracks bigger. In time, the pots can become loose.
Signs worth acting on include:
- A chimney out of line
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
If you live in an older home near Church of St Margaret of Antioch, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
What to check before booking
- How soon the report will arrive
- What insurance they carry
- What exactly goes into their report
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
How the survey works
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the roof space is checked as well as the outside. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement. The whole visit typically takes an hour or two for a house, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. In a hamlet or village like Hare Street, 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 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.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Before the survey
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
Booking a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine. To send them or to book, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Related advice
DIY checks: what’s safe
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.