Essex · London and the South East
Little Canfield Chimney Survey
Know where you stand with the chimney stack before you decide what to do next. Chimney surveys in Little Canfield.
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Little Canfield
A leaning chimney stack is worth having looked at. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down, frequently after years of flue gases and damp. We record the lean and the condition of the brickwork and pointing. If the stack looks like a structural issue, the report recommends a structural engineer. We survey lead flashings, brick chimney stacks and flaunching, and common reasons people get in touch are signs that a stack is leaning and bricks with flaking faces.
In a village or hamlet like Little Canfield, older cottages and farmhouses frequently sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. We report on everything that’s safely in view, and thatch is a specialist material. On older roofs, it’s typically the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
We write the report in plain English, so you don’t need to be a roofer to follow it. Photographs show what each point refers to, with the urgent items made clear.
- Where
- Little Canfield (CM6)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What a survey costs
Survey packages start from £150, inc. VAT. The price for your roof depends on:
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- The size of the roof
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with VAT included. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both with VAT included. You’ll know the price for your survey before booking.
What to let us know when you contact us
When you call or email, these details help:
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
We survey roofs on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To find a date that works for you, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
What you can safely check yourself
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Roof by roof
Chimney pots and cowls
For unused flues, we check whether caps or cowls allow ventilation. Capping without ventilation can trap moisture.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Inside, chimney breasts can show damp when water gets into the stack. We check them and at the stack in the loft where there is safe access.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client, photos included.
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait.
Useful tips for Little Canfield property owners
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. Our suggestions:
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
After the visit, we write up the report with photographs of each stack. It covers the pots, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings, and any damp we found inside. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24 to 48 hours and Premium reports the same day.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
How the survey works
Before we start, let us know why you’ve booked: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. That way we can focus on what matters to you. The visit normally takes roughly 1–2 hours for most houses, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. For a village or hamlet like Little Canfield, the journey is planned ahead of time: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- You let us know how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can safely be seen.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
How to prepare
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
Arrange a survey
Unsure which package suits your roof? It’s easiest to call 07833 053749 or email us and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will explain the options and the price.
Related advice
Common questions in Little Canfield
Do you cover smaller places like Little Canfield?
Yes, Little Canfield is covered. We survey roofs across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
How do I find out if my home in Little Canfield is listed?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We survey seven days a week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Let us know which days suit you when booking.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
A leaning stack should be looked at. We record the lean, the brickwork and the pointing, and if it may be a structural issue, we recommend a structural engineer.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Do you inspect the flue?
No. It isn’t a flue, sweep or gas safety inspection. We check the structure and weathering of the stack and any damp, and we will say if anything suggests the flue needs checking.
How quickly is the report sent?
Report times are set by the package. Basic is within 48 hours, Standard is 24–48 hours and Premium is the same day. If you have a deadline, such as an exchange date, tell us when you book.
Towns and villages near Little Canfield
What else we do in Little Canfield
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Little Canfield
Barrington Hall, about 2.8 miles south-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Little Canfield. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. 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. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
If you let a flat or house near Stansted Airport station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let. If you look after a building like Takeley Primary School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Church of All Saints, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Little Canfield is about 5 miles east of Bishop's Stortford, in Essex. Bookings from Little Canfield are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Our area takes in places right across Essex, large and small. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
Surveys in CM6 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Whether your property is on Park Lane, Warwick Road and Honey Road or anywhere close by, we can help. If you’re just outside Little Canfield, we cover Smith's Green (1 mile west), Hope End Green (1 mile south-west), Takeley (1 mile west), Puttock's End (1 mile south) and Hellman's Cross (2 miles south). Larger places within reach include Chelmsford (12 miles south-east), Braintree (12 miles east), Harlow (10 miles south-west), Saffron Walden (11 miles north), Great Dunmow (3 miles east) and Epping (14 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Little Canfield
We work in homes and buildings around Lion And Lamb Public House, among other places. The nearest railway station is Stansted Airport station, roughly 1.7 miles north-west of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Herts and Essex Hospital (4.8 miles west) and Little Easton Moat (2.3 miles north-east). Not far away are Aubrey Buxton Nature Reserve and Portingbury Hills.