Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Hay Street Chimney Survey
Know where you stand with the chimney stack before you decide what to do next. We carry out chimney surveys in Hay Street.
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
DIY checks: what’s safe
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That’s where a survey comes in.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we check the roof.
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Hay Street
On terraced and semi-detached houses, a chimney stack is often shared with next door. We inspect the parts we can see safely and the parts the owner gives us access to. Where a problem seems to involve a neighbour’s side, the report records it, so you can talk to them. Everything is written up with photos and what we recommend. We survey lead flashings, brick chimney stacks and chimney breasts, and people most often book us about worn or missing pointing and a chimney out of line.
In a village or hamlet like Hay Street, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, often with chimneys that have stood a long time. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. On older roofs, it is typically the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
What you get is a clear record of the chimney stack on the day we saw it. It is useful straight away, and a good reference for later.
- Where
- Hay Street (SG11)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
On the day, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that is worrying you. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where applicable. The survey normally takes an hour or two for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. For a village or hamlet like Hay Street, the journey is planned beforehand: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks 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 photographs and our recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Leave side gates unlocked
Getting a price
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email to find out.
Related advice
What a chimney survey looks like in Hay Street
The wider area around Hay Street has a long history of building, with Much Hadham Palace about 4.7 miles south-east. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles, with flat-roofed extensions, dormers and garages common everywhere. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
For site and facilities teams at buildings like Jenyns First School and Nursery, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Hay Street is about 7 miles north-west of Bishop's Stortford, in Hertfordshire. We survey roofs in Hay Street and the rest of Hertfordshire. Our Hertfordshire coverage includes Hay Street and the places around it. There is also a page for Chelmsford.
We cover every part of SG11 for chimney surveys. Close by, we survey roofs in Braughing (1 mile south-east), Westmill (2 miles west), Aspenden (2 miles north-west), Great Hormead (2 miles north) and Buntingford (3 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Stevenage (9 miles west), Bishop's Stortford (7 miles south-east), Welwyn Garden City (12 miles south-west), Hitchin (13 miles west), Hoddesdon (11 miles south) and Cheshunt (15 miles south).
Near you in Hay Street
Around Hay Street, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Adam And Eve Public House, among other places. Other landmarks nearby include Brent Pelham (3.7 miles north-east).
Useful tips for Hay Street property owners
A little preparation and a few simple habits help, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Our tips:
- Check your stacks from ground level after strong winds
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Make sure unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
Once we’ve been, the findings are written up with photos. It explains the condition of each part of the stack and any damp inside. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24 to 48 hours and Premium reports the same day.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. It’s far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
We confirm the price for your roof before you book. These are the things that affect it:
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, with VAT included, and we’ll tell you which fits.
Getting in touch
You don’t need to know any roofing terms. Just tell us:
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Access details, like a loft hatch or a shared roof
- The address and postcode of the property
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
Once you know what you need, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day.
Towns and villages near Hay Street
Other services in Hay Street
Different roofs, different checks
Flaunching
Sitting at the very top, flaunching is fully exposed. We look for cracks, gaps around the pots and missing pieces.
Brick stacks
Spalled bricks, where the face has flaked off, are a sign of water and frost. We record any we can see.
Do you need a chimney survey in Hay Street?
Lots of homes have redundant stacks. If a stack is capped or blocked without ventilation, moisture can build up inside. That can lead to damp patches on chimney breasts, even with the roof in good order.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed something like this:
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
For an older house near a landmark such as Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Questions to ask before you book
- What the survey won’t cover
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- How long the report takes to arrive
FAQs for Hay Street
Do you carry out roof surveys in Hay Street?
Yes, Hay Street is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Hay Street as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Is my home in Hay Street listed or in a conservation area?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. We’re 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.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once access has been agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is often shared, so we need permission from whoever owns or manages the building. We inspect only the parts we are allowed to reach.
Should a redundant chimney be removed?
There is no single answer. The survey shows its condition and how it’s been capped. If you are thinking of removing it, check with the council first in a conservation area or on a listed building.
What’s the best way to book?
It is easiest to call 07833 053749 or drop us an email. Tell us the address and a little about the roof, and we will take it from there. Surveys run seven days a week.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We look from the ground, from windows and from the loft where it is safe. Where it applies, our Premium Survey adds a drone inspection for a closer view. The report is clear about anything that couldn’t be seen.