Essex · London and the South East
Harlow Chimney Survey
Know where you stand with the chimney stack before you decide what to do next. We carry out chimney surveys in Harlow, with photographs and a clear written report.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Lifted or split lead flashings
Chimney survey in Harlow
A chimney survey is about the outside of the stack and the roof around it. It is not a flue inspection, a sweep or a gas safety check. For the flue itself, you will need a sweep or, for gas appliances, a Gas Safe registered engineer. If something we see points to the flue, we’ll say so. Common reasons to book are worn or missing pointing and flaunching that has broken away, across chimney breasts, shared and party-wall stacks and brick chimney stacks.
Harlow mixes older houses, frequently slate or clay tiled, with newer estates, many of them with concrete tiles. Chimneys on older houses may be redundant, capped or leaning, and their lead flashings still need to be sound. Later houses have their own typical faults, from loose ridge tiles to blocked gutters.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Location
- Harlow (CM17, CM20, CM18, CM19)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Signs you need a chimney survey in Harlow
Aerials and dishes are frequently fixed to stacks. Their weight and the wind on them can loosen bricks and pointing. Any fixings on the stack are checked and recorded.
Things that frequently lead to a survey include:
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Bricks with flaking faces
- A chimney out of line
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
For site and facilities teams at buildings like Cooks Spinney Primary Academy and Nursery, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- What insurance they carry
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
Places near Harlow
Other services in Harlow
How the survey changes by roof type
Brick stacks
Brick stacks rely on sound pointing to keep water out. We check the bricks for spalling and the joints for erosion.
Rendered stacks
What’s behind the render cannot be seen without removing some, so the report explains what we could and couldn’t assess.
Why act early in Harlow
If a stack seems to lean, don’t leave it. We record its condition and recommend a structural engineer where needed, so you can decide what to do next. Roof faults found early can be planned for, while one found after water comes through usually has to be dealt with in a hurry.
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where applicable) come with the Premium Survey, from £400 with VAT included. We will tell you which package suits the questions you have.
What you get with us
- Surveys seven days a week
- An independent look at the roof
- Plain-English reports with photos
- Clear package prices, with VAT included
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced or two real surveys.
What a survey costs
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before you book. These are the things that affect it:
- The roof’s overall size
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Height and safe access
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we can help you choose.
What to let us know when you get in touch
What helps most when you contact us:
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- Dates you are working to, such as exchange
- What’s prompted the survey
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
What happens on the day
On the day, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you need to know. We then inspect everything that can be seen safely, from ground level, from windows, in the roof space and by drone where applicable. The survey typically takes about 1–2 hours for most houses, and more on a big or complicated roof. For a visit in Harlow, we need access to the loft, any rooms with leaks or stains, and the outside of the building. If there’s a side gate or a rear garden, let us know how to reach it. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- 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
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Book a survey
For a price for chimney surveys in Harlow, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email. A few details about the property and the roof help us give you an accurate price.
Advice
Practical tips
Most of what helps is simple and safe from the ground. A few suggestions:
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
If the report recommends a structural engineer, a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer, it will say why. That helps you brief them.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. With binoculars, you can often see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
Chimney surveys around Harlow
Harlow is one of the post-war new towns. Homes from the post-war decades are common in the new towns, many with low-pitched roofs in concrete tiles and flat-roofed garages or porches. Low-pitched roofs shed water more slowly, and older concrete tiles, felt and gutters on these homes may be nearing the end of their life. Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, and a good many post-war and modern estates besides. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
Trees in and around Harlow Marsh shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall. If you live in an older home near St Andrew's Methodist Church, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Harlow is about 21 miles north-east of London, in Essex. Bookings from Harlow are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Harlow is one of the towns and villages in Essex we cover. There is also a page for Chelmsford.
We cover every part of CM17, CM20, CM18 and CM19 for chimney surveys and the streets around it. If you need a chimney survey at a property on London Road, Soper Square and Square Street or anywhere close by, we can help. Being close to the A414 and A1019, Harlow is simple for us to get to for chimney surveys. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Mark Hall South (1 mile north-east), Netteswell (1 mile west), Latton (1 mile south-east), Mark Hall North (1 mile north) and Bush Fair (1 mile south). We also work in nearby towns such as Brentwood (13 miles south-east), Loughton (9 miles south), Waltham Abbey (7 miles south-west), Great Dunmow (13 miles north-east), Epping (5 miles south) and Stansted Mountfitchet (10 miles north). Harlow is among the bigger towns we cover in Essex.
Local landmarks in Harlow
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Harlow Marsh, Purple Emperor pub and BMAT STEM Academy and the streets around them. The closest station to Harlow is Harlow Town station, about 1.2 miles north-west. Nearby you’ll also find Princess Alexandra Hospital (1.2 miles west) and Mark Hall Cycle Museum (0.7 miles north-east). For a walk, there’s Hunsdon Mead.
Harlow: your questions answered
How do I find out if my home in Harlow is listed?
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.
Should a flat-roofed garage or porch in Harlow be checked too?
Often, yes, so mention it when you book. Flat-roofed garages and porches are common in new towns like Harlow, and older felt coverings may be near the end of their life.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. We are experienced roof surveyors, and our survey covers the roof rather than the whole building. For the rest of the building, a RICS home survey is a separate job.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing are not part of what we do. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
Are you structural engineers?
No. Visible signs such as deflection or sagging are recorded, but we don’t provide calculations or an engineer’s opinion. If one is needed, the report says so.
What should I do with a chimney I don’t use?
There’s no single answer. We record how the stack is doing and whether it is capped with ventilation. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need consent.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Not always. Some roofs are too steep or fragile to walk on safely. We use safe viewpoints, the loft space and a drone where applicable.