Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Little Bardfield, Essex
An experienced roof surveyor for chimney surveys in Little Bardfield. Over 5,000 surveys and 20+ years behind us across London and the South East.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
Prices for chimney surveys in Little Bardfield
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before booking. These are the things that affect it:
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- Roof area
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- How many separate roofs there are, like extensions, dormers and garages
Every price we give includes VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Booking your survey
We’ll typically ask about:
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- The type of building and roof, like pitched or flat
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Dates you are working to, like exchange
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. For a price or to book, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Chimney survey in Little Bardfield
Many homes have chimneys that are no longer used. Even when it is not used, a stack has to stay weathertight. If it has been capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside it. We check how redundant stacks have been capped and look for damp in the chimney breasts. The report sets out what we found and what we recommend. We survey lead flashings, shared and party-wall stacks and chimney pots and cowls, and common reasons people get in touch are flashings pulling away from the stack and damp patches on chimney breasts.
Somewhere as small as Little Bardfield, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. 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.
The report records the chimney stack as we found it on the day. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, for example when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Place
- Little Bardfield (CM7)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What we do, step by step
When we arrive, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that’s worrying you. After that, we look at everything we can see safely, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where it applies. Most surveys take an hour or two for a house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Older rural homes like those around Little Bardfield can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- You let us know whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- 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.
Before we arrive
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
How to book
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. Otherwise, simply call 07833 053749 or use the contact form whenever suits you.
Advice
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Little Bardfield
Horham Hall, about 4.5 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Little Bardfield. If your house is among the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, while many towns grew with post-war and newer estates. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Church of St Katharine, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first. Anyone responsible for a site like Great Bardfield Primary School will know that long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Little Bardfield is about 6 miles north-east of Great Dunmow, in Essex. In Little Bardfield, as across Essex, every roof gets the same careful survey. Little Bardfield is one of the places in Essex we cover. We also survey roofs in Chelmsford.
We work across CM7 for chimney surveys and the streets around it. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Great Bardfield (1 mile east), Finchingfield (2 miles north-east), Bardfield Saling (3 miles south-east), Wethersfield (3 miles east) and Crow's Green (4 miles south-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Chelmsford (15 miles south), Braintree (8 miles south-east), Witham (14 miles south-east), Saffron Walden (9 miles north-west), Halstead (10 miles east) and Great Dunmow (6 miles south-west).
Around Little Bardfield
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Bell Public House, among other places. For a walk, there’s West Wood.
Nearby places to Little Bardfield
Also in Little Bardfield
Landlord and commercial surveys in Little Bardfield
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work around your tenants.
Letting agents frequently book on a landlord’s behalf, and the report can go to both. Access is agreed with the tenant ahead of time.
DIY checks: what’s safe
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That’s where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
Practical tips
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Don’t use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
Questions about the findings are always welcome. Standard Surveys come with a follow-up consultation, and Premium Surveys with an in-person one.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. It is far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
Your questions about chimney surveys in Little Bardfield
Will you come out to Little Bardfield?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Is Little Bardfield in the area you cover?
Yes, Little Bardfield is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs.
Do you need to go on the roof to check the chimney?
We use safe viewpoints rather than climbing onto the stack. Where it applies, our Premium Survey adds a drone inspection for a closer view. Any area we couldn’t view is noted.
How much is a survey?
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Our three packages are Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, inc. VAT.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing are not part of what we do. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them.
Does the report include photographs?
Yes, plenty. Each finding is shown in a picture where possible.
Our stack is shared. Can you still survey it?
Yes. We look at the parts we can see safely and the parts you can give us access to. If a defect seems to be on your neighbour’s side, the report records it, so you can discuss it with them.
Honest limits
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Conditions inside walls
- A structural engineer’s assessment
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching