Essex · London and the South East
Ingrave Chimney Survey
We carry out chimney surveys in Ingrave and the rest of Essex. Surveys run seven days a week.
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- A chimney out of line
How a chimney survey works in Ingrave
Redundant chimneys are common, particularly where fires have been replaced by central heating. A disused stack still needs looking after. Capping a stack without ventilation can trap moisture and lead to damp inside. Our survey looks at how each unused stack has been capped and checks the breasts for damp. You get photos of each stack and our recommendations. We survey flaunching, chimney pots and cowls and chimney breasts, and common reasons people get in touch are flashings pulling away from the stack and gaps in the mortar around the pots.
In a village or hamlet like Ingrave, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. We report on whatever is safely visible, and thatch is a specialist material. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
The report records the chimney stack as we found it on the day. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, like when you want to compare after future work.
- Place
- Ingrave (CM13)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips that help
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Make sure fixings on the stack are secure
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
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. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. It is far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
When you need someone else
To be straight with you, there are limits to any roof survey:
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- A structural engineer’s assessment
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll suggest the right survey. What our survey covers.
What we check
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
Roof by roof
Brick stacks
Brick stacks rely on sound pointing to keep water out. The survey looks for crumbling bricks and worn or missing mortar.
Lead flashings
Some older stacks have mortar fillets instead of lead. They tend to crack, so we check them closely.
Common questions in Ingrave
Do you cover smaller places like Ingrave?
Yes, Ingrave is covered. Our area covers London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it’s useful to know about access.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Ingrave?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Will you check the loft?
Yes, where the survey calls for it and there’s safe access. Inside, we look for damp, staining, gaps and sagging.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. Visible signs like deflection or sagging are recorded, but we do not provide calculations or an engineer’s opinion. The report will say if you need an engineer.
Which parts of the chimney do you look at?
Every part of the stack we can see from safe positions: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. Leaning, unused stacks and damp on chimney breasts are recorded too.
How much does a chimney survey cost in Ingrave?
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Our Basic Survey starts from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all including VAT.
Will you check the chimney is safe to use with a fire?
No. A flue inspection, sweep or gas safety check is a separate job. We look at the stack, pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings, and damp inside, and we’ll say if anything suggests the flue needs checking.
How the survey works
We do not take risks to get a closer look. We inspect whatever is safely visible, and anything we cannot see is noted in the report. The survey normally takes about 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Older rural homes like those around Ingrave can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- You tell us whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
How to prepare
- Tell us where we can park nearby
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Arrange a survey
You can call us seven days a week. For a price or to book, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
Common roof problems in Ingrave
Flashings seal the gap where a stack passes through the roof. They can lift in wind, crack with age or pull out of the mortar joints. When flashings fail, water often shows up in the loft or on the chimney breast. Lead is also a target for theft.
People typically book a survey when they’ve noticed something like this:
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Worn or missing pointing
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
Landlords with a home close to Brentwood station may find that a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- What follow-up you get after the report
- Whether the price includes VAT
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
Surveys for landlords and agents in Ingrave
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. Recommendations are set out in order of urgency where relevant, which helps when budgeting.
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work with less disruption.
Local roofs in Ingrave
Ingatestone Hall, about 4.5 miles north-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Ingrave. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. In Essex, older buildings are frequently clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, and lots of post-war and modern estates besides. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
Take a building like Brentwood County High School: large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. The streets around a church such as Church of St Nicholas are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Ingrave is about 2 miles south-east of Brentwood, in Essex. Bookings from Ingrave are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Our area takes in places right across Essex, large and small. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
Every address in CM13 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Local streets include Brentwood Road, School Lane and Meadows Close, and we cover them all. If you are just outside Ingrave, we cover Hutton Mount (1 mile north), Hutton (2 miles north), Shenfield (2 miles north-west), Brentwood (2 miles north-west) and Havering's Grove (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Chelmsford (11 miles north-east), Basildon (5 miles south-east), Harlow (15 miles north-west), Canvey Island (12 miles south-east), Billericay (4 miles north-east) and Rayleigh (11 miles east).
Landmarks near Ingrave
Around Ingrave, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Green Man Inn and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Brentwood station, roughly 1.9 miles west. A little further out are Brentwood Community Hospital (1.8 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Thorndon Park.