Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Havering-atte-Bower, Essex
Get a clear view of the chimney stack at a property in Havering-atte-Bower. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
Your questions about chimney surveys in Havering-atte-Bower
How do I find out if my home in Havering-atte-Bower is listed?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It is worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Is Havering-atte-Bower within the area you cover?
Yes, Havering-atte-Bower is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
What if it rains on the day?
It can, depending on the survey. Drones can’t fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. If the conditions aren’t right, we’ll talk to you about another date.
How experienced are you?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have completed over 5,000 surveys.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing aren’t part of what we do. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings.
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.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. We look at the roof, not the whole building, so it’s not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. Many buyers have both.
About our chimney survey in Havering-atte-Bower
A chimney survey is about the outside of the stack and the roof around it. It’s not a flue inspection, a chimney sweep or a gas safety inspection. For the flue itself, you’ll need a sweep or, for gas appliances, a Gas Safe registered engineer. We will tell you if we see anything that suggests they should take a look. We survey lead flashings, flaunching and shared and party-wall stacks, and common reasons people get in touch are eroded joints in the brickwork and flashings pulling away from the stack.
Older buildings in small places like Havering-atte-Bower may be listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Older materials such as clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Place
- Havering-atte-Bower (RM4)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What a chimney survey looks like in Havering-atte-Bower
Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, while many towns grew with post-war and newer estates. Whatever the covering, it’s often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. With Hare Hall about 2.6 miles south, Havering-atte-Bower sits in an area with a long building history. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
Shop and office owners around Romford Shopping Hall may find that a dated report on the roof is useful for planning and for any lease discussions. Anyone responsible for a site like Dame Tipping Church of England Primary School will know that its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Havering-atte-Bower is about 3 miles north-west of Harold Wood, in Essex. Havering-atte-Bower gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a close look at whatever is safely visible, photographs and a clear written report. Havering-atte-Bower is one of the towns and villages in Essex we cover. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
We cover every part of the RM4 postcode area for chimney surveys. Local streets include North Road, Broxhill Road and Bower Farm Road, and we cover them all. We also cover the places around Havering-atte-Bower: Chase Cross (1 mile south-west), Stapleford Abbotts (1 mile north-west), Redbridge (2 miles west), Lambourne End (2 miles west) and Lambourne (3 miles north-west). Further out, we also cover Chelmsford (15 miles north-east), Basildon (12 miles east), Harlow (11 miles north), Brentwood (5 miles east), Billericay (10 miles east) and Loughton (6 miles west).
What’s near Havering-atte-Bower
We work in homes and buildings around Bower Park Academy, The Top Oak pub and Havering Country Park, among other places. The closest station to Havering-atte-Bower is Harold Wood station, roughly 2.7 miles south-east. Well-known places in the area include Harold Wood Hospital (2.5 miles south-east) and Romford Shopping Hall (2.8 miles south). The countryside around Havering-atte-Bower includes Bedfords Park.
How it works
Where it is 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, as far as the space allows. The whole visit usually takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Older roofs in small places like Havering-atte-Bower can have low, tight loft spaces, so tell us about the loft hatch and any ladder. We only go where it is safe.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- The stacks are looked at from ground level, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- Every part we can see is checked: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach them.
- You get a written report with photographs and our recommendations.
Before the survey
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
Getting a price
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email whenever suits you.
Advice
Landlords, agents and block managers in Havering-atte-Bower
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords. Larger roofs take longer.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client, photographs included.
Honest limits
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Parts of the stack that cannot be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we can’t access
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll suggest the right survey. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
Signs you need a chimney survey in Havering-atte-Bower
Years of fires can affect the mortar inside a stack. Flue gases and damp can break down the mortar, sometimes more on one side than the other, which is one reason stacks start to lean.
Problems we come across often include:
- A stack that appears to lean
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
If you let a flat or house near Harold Wood station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Questions to ask before you book
- Are they insured for the work?
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- What the survey won’t cover
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
What a survey costs
We confirm the price for your survey before booking. This is what makes a difference:
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Roof area
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
Every price we give includes VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
What to let us know when you get in touch
These details help when you contact us:
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- The property’s address and postcode
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- Dates you are working to, such as exchange
A quick phone call is usually the easiest start: call 07833 053749 or email us. The price is agreed before a date is set.
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What happens if roof problems are left?
For a buyer, the best time to learn about a chimney is before exchange. Once you’ve exchanged, the work is down to you. Our report gives you facts to raise with the seller or agent. For an older or listed building in a place like Havering-atte-Bower, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so leaving a defect until it’s urgent leaves less time to plan.
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before you book.
Why book with us
- An independent look at the roof
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- Visits on any day of the week