Essex · London and the South East
Little Braxted Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys in Little Braxted and the rest of Essex. We survey on any day of the week.
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Worn or missing pointing
Little Braxted: your questions answered
How do I find out if my home in Little Braxted is listed?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Do you cover smaller places like Little Braxted?
Yes. Little Braxted is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We work right across London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We do not sample or test for asbestos. Where a material might contain it, like old cement sheets on a building from before 2000, the report flags it.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Just tell us the days that suit you.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
Normally it’s water getting in from outside, or condensation in a sealed stack. We check the stack, the flashings and how unused flues are capped and records the likely cause.
Is a chimney survey the same as a flue inspection?
No. We survey the stack and its weathering, not the flue. The flue should be checked by a sweep, or by a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances.
Do I need to be at home?
It depends on what we need to see. For inside areas and the roof space, someone has to give us access.
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Little Braxted
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. Our report gives you specific points to raise with the seller or agent. It works alongside a RICS home survey, not instead of one. If you’ve noticed damp patches on chimney breasts and pots or cowls that look unsafe, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on lead flashings, chimney pots and cowls and chimney breasts alike.
In a small place like Little Braxted, 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 written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are frequently the first to give way.
What you get is a clear record of the chimney stack on the day we saw it. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, for instance when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Place
- Little Braxted (CM8)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Do you need a chimney survey in Little Braxted?
The flaunching on top of a stack holds the pots in place and sheds water. Once it cracks, water gets in and frost makes the cracks bigger. In time, the pots can become loose.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- A stack that appears to lean
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
For an older house near a landmark like Church of St Nicholas, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Before booking anyone
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Whether VAT is added on top
- What happens after the report arrives
- What they will not be able to tell you
Why get it checked now?
A damp chimney breast seldom dries out until the cause is found. It can spoil decoration and plaster. Knowing whether it is the flaunching, flashings, brickwork or ventilation means the right fix can be planned. Around Little Braxted, older homes often have old roof timbers, where water from a failed roof can cause rot if it’s left.
Every price we give includes VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Why book us in Little Braxted
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Clear package prices, with VAT included
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
What happens on the day
Safety comes first on every visit. Everything that can be seen safely is inspected, and if part of the roof can’t be seen, the report says so. The survey usually takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Rural addresses near Little Braxted can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- You let us know 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.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Before the survey
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Find any records of previous roof work
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Arrange a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email when you’re ready.
Related advice
Places near Little Braxted
Also in Little Braxted
Surveys for landlords and agents in Little Braxted
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords. Larger roofs take longer, so they’re priced to suit.
We survey roofs for landlords and agents as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photos, useful for planning maintenance.
Different roofs, different checks
Flaunching
Flaunching is the mortar on top of a stack that holds the pots and sheds water. Once it cracks, water can get straight into the brickwork.
Lead flashings
Lead flashings seal the joint between the stack and the roof. We check for lifting, splits and gaps in the joints.
Tips from our surveys
Getting the most from a chimney survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Tips:
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
If the report recommends a structural engineer, a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer, it will say why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Keep an eye on chimney breasts for new damp patches. Early signs are easier to trace.
Chimney surveys around Little Braxted
In Essex, older buildings are frequently clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, and plenty of post-war and modern estates besides. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. Older buildings may be listed or sit in a conservation area. Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the council can say whether a street is in a conservation area. In either case, a change of roofing material may need consent.
Landlords with a home close to Witham station may find that a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak. Trees in and around Whet Mead shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
Little Braxted is about 1 mile east of Witham, in Essex. Bookings from Little Braxted are handled just like any other: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. Our Essex coverage includes Little Braxted and the places around it. Chelmsford is in our area too.
Every address in CM8 is within our area for chimney surveys. We also cover the places around Little Braxted: Witham (1 mile west), Rivenhall End (1 mile north), Rivenhall (2 miles north), Faulkbourne (3 miles north-west) and Silver End (4 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Colchester (12 miles north-east), Chelmsford (9 miles south-west), Braintree (7 miles north-west), Maldon (5 miles south), Rayleigh (15 miles south) and Wickford (15 miles south-west).
Landmarks near Little Braxted
Typical jobs here are in homes near Red Lion Inn and Whet Mead. Little Braxted’s nearest station is Witham station, about 1 mile west of the centre. A little further out are Cressing Temple (3.4 miles north-west). Not far away are Shut Heath Wood.