Essex · London and the South East
Lexden Chimney Survey
We take a careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Lexden, with photos and a written report.
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
Lexden questions
Is my home in Lexden listed or in a conservation area?
We can’t confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
I let a flat near Colchester station. Can you check the roof?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. Just phone 07833 053749 or email us with the details, and we will talk through which survey suits.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. It is a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof and can sit alongside a RICS survey.
What’s the best way to book?
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address, the type of property and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price and find a day that suits.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, once access has been agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is often shared, so we need permission from the freeholder or managing agent. We inspect only the parts we are allowed to reach.
What should I do with a chimney I don’t use?
A redundant chimney needs looking after like any other. Capping without airflow can lead to damp. We check how it’s capped and its condition, so you can plan what to do with it.
Do I need to be at home?
That depends on the survey. For inside areas and the roof space, someone has to give us access.
About our chimney survey in Lexden
For buyers, a chimney survey before exchange can flag work you may want to raise. On older stacks, we often find cracked flaunching, loose flashings and worn pointing. You get photographs and findings you can take back to the seller or agent. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it. We survey flaunching, chimney breasts and lead flashings, and common reasons people get in touch are damaged chimney pots and cowls and spalled or crumbling bricks.
Around Lexden, gardens, hedges and nearby trees can mean leaves and moss end up on roofs and in gutters. Blocked gutters overflow and soak the walls below, and moss holds water against tiles. It is the kind of slow problem a roof report picks up early. Moss on the roof and weeds in the gutter are both easy to spot from ground level.
After the visit, you get a written report with photographs, sent by email. It explains the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Location
- Lexden (CO3, CO2)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What a chimney survey looks like in Lexden
In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, and plenty of post-war and modern estates besides. Whatever the covering, it is often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. What can be done to an older roof may depend on listing or a conservation area. Your council and Historic England’s list will tell you where you stand.
For landlords with property near Colchester station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. Anyone responsible for a site like Philip Morant School and College will know that its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. Homes near green spaces like Lexden Park can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching.
Lexden is about 1 mile west of Colchester, in Essex. If you are in Lexden, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Lexden is one of the places in Essex where we work for chimney surveys. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
We work across CO3 and CO2 for chimney surveys. That includes homes and businesses on Park Road, Heath Road and Capel Road. Lexden sits on or near the A1124, which makes travel easy. Close by, we survey roofs in Camulodunum (1 mile east), Braiswick (1 mile north), Abbey Field (1 mile south-east), Colchester (1 mile east) and Beacon End (2 miles west). Larger places within reach include Braintree (13 miles west), Clacton-on-Sea (13 miles south-east), Maldon (13 miles south-west), Witham (11 miles south-west), Halstead (11 miles west) and Heybridge (12 miles south-west).
Around Lexden
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Lexden Park, Prettygate Infant School and The Sun Inn and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Colchester station, about 1.6 miles north-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Essex County Hospital (1 mile east) and Lion Walk (1.5 miles east). For a walk, there is Lexden Gathering Grounds.
Different roofs, different checks
Flaunching
Flaunching is the mortar on top of a stack that holds the pots and sheds water. Cracks in it let water into the stack.
Lead flashings
Where the chimney meets the roof slopes, lead flashings keep water out. The survey looks at whether the lead is tight, sound and well fixed.
How the survey works
Safety comes first on every visit. We inspect whatever is safely visible, and if part of the roof can’t be seen, the report says so. The survey typically takes roughly 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. A visit to a smaller place like Lexden is no different on the day: we look from the ground, from windows, from the loft and from the roof where it’s safe. It helps to show us anything you’ve already noticed.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Where there is safe access, we look at the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Preparing for the visit
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Find any records of previous roof work
Arrange a survey
When you are ready to go ahead, phone 07833 053749 or email us. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.
Related advice
Towns and villages near Lexden
What else we do in Lexden
Surveys for landlords and agents in Lexden
With a portfolio of properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To discuss a number of properties, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Lexden. To discuss a property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Checking the roof from the ground
A lot can be seen from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
What affects the price in Lexden
When we price a survey, we consider:
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- Which survey package you book
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
There are three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Helping us price your survey
Before you get in touch, it helps to have:
- What’s prompted the survey
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
- Where the property is, with the postcode
Not sure which survey you need? It is easiest to call 07833 053749 or email us and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll explain the options and the price.
Why it’s worth a survey now in Lexden
If you’re buying, find out about the stacks before you exchange. Once you’ve exchanged, the work is down to you. Our report gives you facts to raise with the seller or agent. Blocked gutters on homes around Lexden overflow and soak walls. It is easy to sort the cause early and slow to dry a damp wall.
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package you pick makes a difference too. We’ll give you the figure before anything is booked.
Why book us in Lexden
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced or two real surveys.