Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Horseman Side, Essex
Find out what’s going on with the chimney stack before you spend money on it. Chimney surveys in Horseman Side.
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Mortar washing out of the joints
Chimney survey in Horseman Side: what you get
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. If you use a fire or a gas appliance, the flue should be checked by a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer as appropriate. If something we see points to the flue, we will say so. We survey chimney pots and cowls, shared and party-wall stacks and lead flashings, and common reasons people get in touch are signs that a stack is leaning and unused flues sealed without airflow.
In a small place like Horseman Side, 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 roof report shows what needs attention first. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
The report does not just list problems. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, so you can plan your next steps.
- Where
- Horseman Side (CM14)
- Region
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Questions from Horseman Side
Will you come out to Horseman Side?
Yes. Horseman Side is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there as you book.
I let a flat near Brentwood station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. Just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and tell us about the building.
What happens after the survey?
You will get the report by email. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation, and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Just let us know the days that suit you.
Our stack is shared. Can you still survey it?
Yes. We inspect whatever is safely visible and what you give us access to. Where a problem appears to be on next door’s side, we note it, so you can discuss it with them.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
Each stack is viewed from the safest viewpoints: from the ground, windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there’s access. A drone inspection is included in our Premium Survey where it applies. If part of a stack cannot be seen, the report says so.
What does a chimney survey cover?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. Everything is written up with photographs.
Also near Horseman Side
Other services in Horseman Side
When you need someone else
Some things cannot be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will recommend the right survey. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Horseman Side
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
What you can safely check yourself
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we look at the roof.
How it 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 normally takes roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In a small place like Horseman Side, access is usually the main thing to plan. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the roof space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Before we arrive
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Book a survey
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
Do you need a chimney survey in Horseman Side?
TV aerials, satellite dishes and their brackets are frequently fixed to chimneys. Their weight and the wind on them can loosen bricks and pointing. We check fixings on the stack as part of the survey.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed one of these:
- A chimney out of line
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Lifted or split lead flashings
For landlords with property near Brentwood station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
What to check before booking
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Is VAT included in the price?
- Which limits apply to the survey
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
Landlord and commercial surveys in Horseman Side
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on.
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan.
Tips from our surveys
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Some tips:
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. Because everyone is pricing the same findings, the quotes are easier to compare.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. Early signs are easier to trace.
Chimney surveys around Horseman Side
Older buildings in Essex frequently have clay tiles and weatherboarding, and plenty of post-war and modern estates besides. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. Hill Hall, about 4.2 miles north-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Horseman Side. 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 a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If you look after a building like Drapers' Academy, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Church of St Paul, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Horseman Side is about 3 miles north-west of Brentwood, in Essex. Roofs in Horseman Side get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Essex. Our area takes in places right across Essex, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: CM14. Streets in the area include Tan House Lane and Horseman Side, all of which we cover. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Waterhales (1 mile south-west), Navestock Heath (1 mile north-west), Navestock Side (1 mile north-east), Coxtie Green (1 mile east) and Bentley (1 mile east). Further out, we also cover Chelmsford (12 miles north-east), Basildon (11 miles south-east), Harlow (10 miles north-west), Brentwood (3 miles south-east), Billericay (8 miles east) and Loughton (7 miles west).
Local landmarks in Horseman Side
Around Horseman Side, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Weald Country Park and King William IV Public House, among other places. The nearest railway station is Brentwood station, roughly 3.5 miles south-east. A little further out are Harold Wood Hospital (3.7 miles south). For a walk, there’s Bedfords Park.