Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Little Common, Essex
Chimney surveys in Little Common, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. You get a clear report with photographs.
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
What you can safely check yourself
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level.
You can learn a lot from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
How a chimney survey works in Little Common
If a chimney looks out of line, it’s worth getting it checked. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down, often after years of flue gases and damp. The survey notes how the stack looks, how far it seems to lean and the state of the bricks and joints. If the stack looks like a structural issue, the report recommends a structural engineer. We survey chimney pots and cowls, flaunching and lead flashings, and common reasons people get in touch are damp patches on chimney breasts and eroded joints in the brickwork.
In a village or hamlet like Little Common, older cottages and farmhouses often 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 what can safely be seen, and thatch is a specialist material. On older roofs, it is typically the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Where
- Little Common (CM77)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Towns and villages near Little Common
Also in Little Common
For landlords and managing agents
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, with the most urgent items set out first.
How it works
The visit has one job: to see as much of the chimney stack as can be seen safely and record it clearly. Notes and photographs go into the written report. It usually takes about 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Around Little Common, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so it’s useful to know whether there’s a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Before we arrive
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
Getting a price
To get a price for chimney surveys in Little Common, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. The address, the type of property and what you want to find out help us price the survey accurately.
Read more
Why it’s worth a survey now in Little Common
If a stack seems to lean, don’t leave it. We record its condition and recommend a structural engineer where needed, so you can decide what to do next. Outbuildings and barns around Little Common are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. A quick look before winter can save a lot.
All our prices include VAT. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. You’ll know the price for your roof before booking.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Little Common
- An independent look at the roof
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
Take a look at our cost guide and two real surveys.
Chimney surveys in Little Common: local notes
Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, while many towns grew with post-war and newer estates. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. Before planning roof work on an older home, find out whether it’s listed or in a conservation area. Listed building consent covers changes to a listed building’s special interest, and an Article 4 direction can bring extra controls in a conservation area.
If you live in an older home near Church of All Saints, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs. If you let a flat or house near Braintree station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Little Common is about 3 miles west of Braintree, in Essex. Little Common is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area across London and South East England. Our Essex coverage includes Little Common. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
Chimney surveys in CM77 are booked the same way as anywhere else. We also cover the places around Little Common: Rayne (1 mile north-east), Great Notley (1 mile south-east), Row Green (2 miles south-east), Young's End (2 miles south-east) and Panfield (2 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Chelmsford (9 miles south), Braintree (3 miles east), Maldon (12 miles south-east), Witham (7 miles south-east), Saffron Walden (15 miles north-west) and Halstead (8 miles north-east).
Near you in Little Common
Around Little Common, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Tabor Academy, 47 The Street pub and Cuckoo Wood, among other places. The closest station to Little Common is Braintree station, about 2.4 miles east of the centre. A little further out are Tudor House Museum (Braintree) (2.7 miles north-east) and Braintree Community Hospital (1.7 miles north-east). Not far away are Phyllis Currie Nature Reserve.
Practical tips
Getting the most from a chimney survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
The report is emailed to you, ready to share with a roofer or builder. We use plain English and a photo for each defect, so it is easy to follow.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. It’s far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
Little Common: your questions answered
How do I find out if my home in Little Common is listed?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Braintree station?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you need.
Which parts of the chimney do you look at?
The whole stack, as far as it can be seen safely: from the pots and flaunching down to the flashings. We also note leaning, redundant stacks and damp inside.
My chimney looks like it is leaning. What should I do?
Do not ignore 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.
How experienced are you?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys, across London and South East England.
What insurance do you have?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Do you look in the roof space?
Yes, where the survey calls for it and there’s safe access. We look for staining, damp, daylight and signs of movement.
Do you need a chimney survey in Little Common?
Stacks that were used for open fires for many years can weaken from the inside. Mortar can deteriorate unevenly from flue gases and moisture, which can make a stack lean.
A survey can pick up problems like:
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Lifted or split lead flashings
Anyone responsible for a site like Rayne Primary and Nursery School will know that large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Questions to ask before you book
- Whether the price includes VAT
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- Are they insured for the work?
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?