Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Hempstead, Essex
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Hempstead, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Lifted or split lead flashings
Common roof problems in Hempstead
Flashings seal the gap where a stack passes through the roof. With age they can lift, split or come away from the joints. When flashings fail, water often shows up in the loft or on the chimney breast. Lead is also a target for theft.
Look out for signs like these:
- A chimney out of line
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Cracked or missing flaunching
If you live in an older home near Church of St Andrew, 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
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Which limits apply to the survey
- Is VAT included in the price?
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Hempstead
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. We check each possibility and record what we find. That points the work in the right direction. Common reasons to book are unused flues sealed without airflow and flaunching that has broken away, across shared and party-wall stacks, chimney pots and cowls and flaunching.
In a village or hamlet like Hempstead, older cottages and farmhouses frequently sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are frequently old. We report on what can be seen safely, and thatch is a specialist material. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Place
- Hempstead (CB10)
- Region
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Questions from Hempstead
Will you come out to Hempstead?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
Is Hempstead in the area you cover?
We do. The survey and report are the same in Hempstead as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
What does a chimney survey cover?
The whole stack, as far as it can be seen safely: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. Leaning, unused stacks and damp on chimney breasts are recorded too.
Does the weather affect the survey?
A survey can normally go ahead in light rain. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so if conditions are not right we’ll arrange another day with you.
Do you need to go on the roof to check the chimney?
We use safe viewpoints rather than climbing onto the stack. A drone inspection is part of the Premium Survey where it applies. Any area we couldn’t view is noted.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Someone needs to let us in if we are looking inside or in the loft. We will talk about access as you book.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, if whoever owns or manages the building agrees access. We check the parts we’re given access to, and the report makes that clear.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Hempstead
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords, including offices, shops and units. Bigger roofs take more time, and they’re priced for the size.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on, photos included.
Before and after the survey
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Check fixings on the stack are secure
If the stack is shared, you can pass the report to your neighbour. It shows what we found and where from the viewpoints we used.
Make sure redundant flues are capped with ventilation. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
What affects the price in Hempstead
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. The main factors are:
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- How big the roof is
- Height and safe access
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. You will know the figure before booking.
Helping us price your survey
These details help when you contact us:
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Dates you’re working to, such as exchange
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
Getting a price is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and give us a few details about the property and we will recommend the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Nearby places to Hempstead
Also in Hempstead
When you need someone else
This is not a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- A structural engineer’s assessment
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will tell you before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
The survey, step by step
Safety comes first on every visit. Everything that can be seen safely is inspected, and anything we can’t see is noted in the report. Most visits take about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Rural addresses near Hempstead can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We check the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Before the survey
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Keep pets in another room
- Jot down any questions you want answered
Arrange a survey
Not sure which survey you need? It is easiest to phone 07833 053749 or email us and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll explain the options and the price.
Read more
Chimney surveys around Hempstead
England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings. If your 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, so the council is the place to ask. Older buildings in Essex frequently have clay tiles and weatherboarding, 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.
In and around Hempstead, as anywhere, a roof is easiest to deal with when its problems are found early.
Hempstead is in Essex. Hempstead gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful look at what can safely be seen, photos and a clear written report. Hempstead is one of the towns and villages in Essex where we work for chimney surveys. Chelmsford is in our area too.
Chimney surveys in CB10 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Streets in the area include High Street, Church Road and Harvey Way, and we cover them all. We also cover the places around Hempstead: The Common (2 miles west), Radwinter (2 miles west), Maple End (2 miles west), Wimbish (3 miles south-west) and Steventon End (4 miles north-west). Further out, we also cover Braintree (12 miles south-east), Saffron Walden (6 miles west), Halstead (12 miles south-east), Great Dunmow (10 miles south), Stansted Mountfitchet (11 miles south-west) and Great Notley (12 miles south-east).
Near you in Hempstead
We work in homes and buildings around Rose And Crown Inn. Well-known places in the area include Castle Camps (2.7 miles north) and Saffron Walden Community Hospital (5.3 miles west). Not far away are West Wood.