Essex · London and the South East
Little Baddow Chimney Survey
Find out the condition of the chimney stack at your property in Little Baddow. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
What we are asked to look at in Little Baddow
Aerials and dishes are frequently fixed to stacks. The extra load in wind can work bricks and joints loose. We check fixings on the stack as part of the survey.
People usually book a survey when they’ve noticed something like this:
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Worn or missing pointing
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of St Mary the Virgin, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- What insurance they carry
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
About our chimney survey in Little Baddow
A damp patch on a chimney breast doesn’t always come from the same place. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. Condensation inside an unventilated stack is another common cause. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. That points the work in the right direction. If you’ve noticed gaps where the stack meets the roof and signs that a stack is leaning, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
In a small place like Little Baddow, 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 frequently where weather gets in first.
It is not only a list of defects. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend.
- Where
- Little Baddow (CM3)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Can I check my roof myself?
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That is where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
How the survey works
When we arrive, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that is worrying you. We then inspect everything that can be seen safely. The survey usually takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. In a small place like Little Baddow, access is typically the main thing to plan. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- 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.
- Every part we can see is checked: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the building owner or managing agent
Arrange a survey
To get a price for chimney surveys in Little Baddow, phone 07833 053749 or email us. The address, the type of property and what you’d like to know help us price the survey accurately.
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What we look for on each type of roof
Brick stacks
Older brick stacks often have soft lime mortar. Repairs should suit the original materials, which we mention where relevant.
Lead flashings
Mortar fillets are sometimes used where lead would usually be. They tend to crack, so we look at them closely.
Common questions in Little Baddow
Can a landlord with a rental near Beaulieu Park station book a roof survey?
Of course. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
Do you cover smaller places like Little Baddow?
Yes, Little Baddow is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
What’s the best way to book?
The quickest way is to ring 07833 053749 or email us. Give us the address and some details about the roof, and we will suggest the right survey. We survey on any day of the week.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
Have it checked rather than leaving it. Leaning frequently comes from mortar breaking down unevenly. We record its condition with photos, and a structural engineer can assess whether it needs work.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Not unless it is safe. Safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where it applies cover most of what’s needed, and anything out of sight is recorded in the report.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. Shared stacks are common on terraced and semi-detached houses. We survey what we can see safely, and note anything that seems to involve next door.
What do you check on a chimney?
Every part of the stack we can see from safe positions: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. We also note leaning, redundant stacks and damp inside.
How we price chimney surveys
We confirm the exact price before you book. This is what makes a difference:
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- The roof’s overall size
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
Prices start from £150, including VAT, for a Basic Survey. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400. You’ll know the price for your survey before booking.
Helping us price your survey
You don’t need to know any roofing terms. Just let us know:
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
Most bookings start with a short call: call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Also near Little Baddow
More services for Little Baddow
What we cannot see
Our survey isn’t a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will point you to the right survey before booking. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Little Baddow
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
Little Baddow homes and their roofs
Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, alongside a good many post-war and newer estates. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. Danbury Place, about 1.7 miles south-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Little Baddow. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
For landlords with property near Beaulieu Park station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Little Baddow is about 4 miles east of Chelmsford, in Essex. Little Baddow is part of the area we cover across London and South East England. Our Essex coverage includes Little Baddow.
All of CM3 is covered for chimney surveys. Streets in the area include Church Road, High Pasture and The Rye Field, all of which we cover. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Danbury (2 miles south), Mowden (2 miles north), Gay Bowers (2 miles south), Boreham (2 miles north-west) and Sandon (3 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Chelmsford (4 miles west), Basildon (12 miles south-west), Braintree (10 miles north), Brentwood (14 miles south-west), Maldon (5 miles east) and Canvey Island (15 miles south).
Landmarks near Little Baddow
In Little Baddow, that means homes and buildings near The Generals Arms. For rail, the closest station is Beaulieu Park station, about 2.7 miles north-west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Priory Hospital (3.7 miles west). Open spaces near Little Baddow include Danbury Ridge Nature Reserves.