Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Little Burstead, Essex
Get a clear view of the chimney stack at a property in Little Burstead from an independent roof surveyor. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Flaunching that has broken away
What you can safely check yourself
You can learn a lot 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.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and a fall can be serious. That part is for a survey.
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Little Burstead
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. It might come in at the top, through worn pointing or porous bricks, or where the flashings meet the roof. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. That points the work in the right direction. Common reasons to book are signs that a stack is leaning and spalled or crumbling bricks, on flaunching, brick chimney stacks and chimney breasts.
In a village or hamlet like Little Burstead, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, frequently with chimneys that have stood a long time. 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 doesn’t just list problems. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend, so you can plan your next steps.
- Location
- Little Burstead (CM12)
- Region
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey works
It helps to start with what’s prompted the survey: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. It helps us focus on what matters most to you. The visit typically takes between one and two hours for most houses, and longer for a large or complex roof. Older rural homes like those around Little Burstead can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there is access.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Before we arrive
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Let us know about parking near the property
Booking a survey
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Advice
FAQs for Little Burstead
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Little Burstead?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
I let a flat near Billericay station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and a few details.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We do not carry out asbestos surveys or testing. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, like cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so we need permission from whoever owns or manages the building. We inspect only the parts we are allowed to reach.
Do you use drones?
Yes, where it’s applicable. Whether we can fly on the day depends on the weather and the airspace rules. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID.
Will I get photos?
Yes. Photos are part of every report, so you can see each point for yourself.
Do you need to go on the roof to check the chimney?
Each stack is viewed from the safest viewpoints: from ground level, windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there’s access. Our Premium Survey includes a drone inspection where applicable. We note anything we couldn’t see.
What we’re asked to look at in Little Burstead
The flaunching on top of a stack holds the pots in place and sheds water. Cracked flaunching lets water in, and each winter makes it worse. Loose pots can follow.
People usually book a survey when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
Landlords with a home close to Billericay station may find that a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Whether VAT is added on top
- What exactly goes into their report
Also near Little Burstead
Other services in Little Burstead
Landlord and commercial surveys in Little Burstead
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.
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 with less disruption.
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- Roof area
One thing that affects the price is the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all with VAT included. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
Helping us price your survey
What helps most when you contact us:
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Anything about access we should know
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will ask a few questions about the roof. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.
What a chimney survey looks like in Little Burstead
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. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. Ingatestone Hall, about 4 miles north, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Little Burstead. If your house is among the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof.
Shop and office owners around Eastgate Shopping Centre may find that a roof report helps plan work around trading rather than after a leak. For site and facilities teams at buildings like South Green Junior School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Little Burstead is about 2 miles south of Billericay, in Essex. Whether the building in Little Burstead is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, we can survey the roof. Across Essex, we cover Little Burstead and the places around it. Our Chelmsford page covers surveys nearby.
Every address in CM12 is covered for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We cover properties on Broomhills Chase, Laindon Common Road and Clock House Road and the roads around them. Other places close to Little Burstead include Great Burstead (1 mile east), Billericay (2 miles north), Crays Hill (3 miles east), Ramsden Bellhouse (3 miles east) and Ramsden Heath (3 miles north-east). Further out, we also cover Chelmsford (10 miles north), Basildon (3 miles south-east), Brentwood (5 miles west), Maldon (14 miles north-east), Canvey Island (9 miles south-east) and Rayleigh (8 miles east).
Landmarks near Little Burstead
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Billericay School and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Billericay station, about 1.7 miles north. Well-known places in the area include Eastgate Shopping Centre (3.2 miles south-east) and Mayflower Community Hospital (1.2 miles north). For a walk, there’s Norsey Wood.
Honest limits
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roofs we survey in Little Burstead
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching