Essex · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Howlett End
A careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Howlett End, and put it all in a written report with photos.
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
What a survey costs
To price your survey, we check:
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Height and safe access
All our prices include VAT. Prices start from £150, including VAT. You’ll know the price for your roof before booking.
Getting in touch
The more you tell us, the easier it is to price the survey. When you contact us, it is useful to mention:
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Dates you are working to, like exchange
Not sure which survey you need? It’s easiest to ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
Chimney survey in Howlett End: what you get
If you’re buying a home with chimneys, it is worth knowing their condition before you exchange. Cracked flaunching, failed flashings and worn pointing are common findings on older stacks. You get photos and findings you can take back to the seller or agent. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it. If you’ve noticed spalled or crumbling bricks and worn or missing pointing, we can find out what’s behind it, on chimney breasts, brick chimney stacks and shared and party-wall stacks alike.
In a village or hamlet like Howlett End, 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 normally the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent, whichever applies.
- Location
- Howlett End (CB10)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Howlett End: your questions answered
How do I find out if my home in Howlett End is listed?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Will you come out to Howlett End?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Do you take photos of the roof?
Yes, every report has them. Pictures sit next to the findings they show, so you can see what we mean.
Are you insured?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Do you inspect the flue?
No. A flue inspection, sweep or gas safety check is a separate job. We check the structure and weathering of the stack and any damp and flag anything that suggests the flue needs a look.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. We look at the parts we are given access to.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling are not something we do. Where a material might contain it, such as old cement sheets on a building from before 2000, the report flags it.
Common roof problems in Howlett End
Many chimneys are no longer used. If a stack is capped or blocked without ventilation, moisture can build up inside. Damp patches can appear on chimney breasts even when nothing is leaking.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
Anyone responsible for a site like Wimbish Primary School will know that a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- How soon the report will arrive
- Whether VAT is added on top
What happens if roof problems are left?
A loose pot or brick can fall from height. A survey picks them out so they can be made safe by a roofer. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Howlett End, driving rain gets into any weakness, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
What you get with us
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- An independent view of the roof
- Weekday and weekend surveys
Useful tips for Howlett End property owners
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out:
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
The report is emailed to you, ready to share with a roofer or builder. We use plain English and a photo for each defect so anyone reading it can see what we saw.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. Early signs are easier to trace.
Towns and villages near Howlett End
Also in Howlett End
What happens on the day
We photograph the roof as we go, so the report shows exactly what we saw. We take close-ups from wherever is safe, including by drone where it’s applicable and the weather allows. A typical visit takes about one to two hours at most homes, and longer for a large or complex roof. For a village or hamlet like Howlett End, the journey is planned in advance: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. On the day, we inspect what can be seen safely, inside and out.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- We look at the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Preparing for the visit
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with whoever owns or manages the building
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
How to book
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form, and we’ll ask about the building and what you need. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.
Related advice
What this survey cannot tell you
A survey is a careful look at the chimney stack, but it cannot do everything. Its limits include:
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll tell you. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What this survey covers
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
Chimney surveys around Howlett End
The wider area around Howlett End has a long history of building, with Horham Hall about 3.2 miles south. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, and a good many post-war and modern estates besides. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
The streets around a church like St Paul's Mission Room are often among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. If you let a flat or house near Newport (Essex) station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Howlett End is about 4 miles south-east of Saffron Walden, in Essex. We provide chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Howlett End. Howlett End is one of the towns and villages in Essex we cover for chimney surveys. We also survey roofs in Chelmsford.
Surveys in CB10 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Close by, we survey roofs in Tye Green (1 mile north), Wimbish Green (1 mile north-east), Cutlers Green (2 miles south), Thaxted (3 miles south-east) and Great Sampford (4 miles east). We also work in nearby towns such as Braintree (13 miles south-east), Saffron Walden (4 miles north-west), Halstead (14 miles east), Great Dunmow (8 miles south), Stansted Mountfitchet (8 miles south-west) and Great Notley (13 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Howlett End
Typical jobs here are in homes near White Hart Inn and the streets around them. The closest station to Howlett End is Newport (Essex) station, about 4.1 miles west. Other landmarks nearby include Saffron Walden Community Hospital (3.5 miles north-west) and Saffron Walden Museum (4 miles north-west). For a walk, there’s West Wood.