Essex · London and the South East
Laindon Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Laindon. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Mortar washing out of the joints
Chimney survey in Laindon
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. For the flue itself, you will need a sweep or, for gas appliances, a Gas Safe registered engineer. If something we see points to the flue, we will say so. We are often asked to look into a chimney out of line and mortar washing out of the joints, on lead flashings, chimney breasts and flaunching.
In a smaller place like Laindon, homes range from older cottages to bungalows and newer houses. Coverings range from slate and clay tiles on older homes to concrete tiles on many later ones. Chimneys, valleys and gutters on older homes frequently need the most attention, and the fixings under the coverings matter too. Nails and battens under older coverings frequently give out before the slates or tiles themselves.
It is not only a list of defects. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend, so you can decide what to do next.
- Where
- Laindon (SS15, SS16)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Laindon: your questions answered
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Laindon?
Yes, coastal weather is harder on roofs: there’s more wind, and more salt in the air. Exposed details like ridges, verges, flashings and metal fixings are the ones to watch, and Laindon is within about 5 miles of the coast.
My home in Laindon has a flat-roofed garage or porch. Is it worth having that looked at?
Frequently, yes, so mention it when you book. Flat-roofed garages and porches are common in new towns like Basildon, and older felt coverings may be near the end of their life.
What happens next?
The report comes by email, and you decide the next step: use it with a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent.
Will I get photos?
Yes, every report has them. Each finding is shown in a picture where possible, so you can see what we mean.
Do you test for asbestos?
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, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it’s disturbed.
Will you go up on the roof?
Not unless it’s safe. Safe viewpoints, the loft space and a drone where it applies cover most of what’s needed, and the report notes anything we couldn’t see.
What will the report tell me?
You get our findings in writing, part by part, with photos, and ends with what we recommend. The most urgent items are made clear.
What we are asked to look at in Laindon
Where a chimney meets the roof, lead flashings keep water out. 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.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed something like this:
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- A stack that appears to lean
If you own a rental within reach of Laindon station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What follow-up you get after the report
- What they will not be able to tell you
- Are they insured for the work?
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
How we price chimney surveys
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. That comes down to:
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Roof area
- Building height and the viewpoints available
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Our price is from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Getting in touch
If you can, have these to hand when you get in touch:
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. For a price or to book, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
What happens on the day
It helps to start with what’s prompted the survey: buying, a leak, storm damage, new work or just wanting to know where things stand. That way we can focus on what matters to you. Most visits take roughly 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. In a smaller place like Laindon, parking is seldom the issue; lanes, gates and long drives are worth mentioning. Low roofs on bungalows can frequently be seen well from the ground, and the loft shows the rest.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We look at the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Getting ready for the survey
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
Booking a survey
We survey roofs seven days a week. To arrange a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Advice
Roof by roof
Rendered stacks
Some stacks are rendered, which can hide the condition of the brickwork beneath. We look for cracks, hollow areas and staining.
Lead flashings
Some older stacks have mortar fillets instead of lead. They tend to crack, so we look at them closely.
What else we do in Laindon
Why it’s worth a survey now in Laindon
Loose pots and bricks on a stack are a safety concern. A survey picks them out so they can be made safe by a roofer. Blocked gutters on homes around Laindon overflow and soak walls. It is easy to sort the cause early and slow to dry a damp wall.
To find out what your survey will cost, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and a few details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Why book with us
- Clear package prices, inc. VAT
- PI and public liability insurance
- Surveys on weekdays and at weekends
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
Laindon homes and their roofs
Laindon lies within about 5 miles of the sea, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
Take a building like Merrylands Primary School: a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time. Living close to Gloucester Park is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
Laindon is about 2 miles west of Basildon, in Essex. We cover Laindon and the rest of Essex. We cover towns and villages across Essex, large and small. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
Every address in SS15 and SS16 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We offer chimney surveys to properties on High Road, Drake Road and Spire Road and the roads around them. We also cover the places around Laindon: Great Berry (1 mile south-west), Langdon Hills (1 mile south), Steeple View (1 mile north), Lee Chapel (1 mile east) and Noak Bridge (2 miles north-east). We also work in nearby towns like Chelmsford (12 miles north), Brentwood (6 miles north-west), Canvey Island (8 miles south-east), Billericay (4 miles north), Rayleigh (8 miles east) and Wickford (5 miles north-east).
What’s near Laindon
Typical jobs here are in homes near The James Hornsby School and Gloucester Park. Laindon’s nearest station is Laindon station, roughly 0.5 miles south-east of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Basildon University Hospital (1.8 miles south-east) and Eastgate Shopping Centre (1.8 miles east). For a walk, there is Langdon Nature Reserve.
What this survey can’t tell you
Every survey has limits, and it’s better to know them up front. Keep these in mind:
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings