Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Little End, Essex
Get a clear view of the chimney stack at a property in Little End from an independent roof surveyor. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
Little End homes and their roofs
Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, while many towns grew with post-war and newer estates. Whatever the covering, it’s often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. Hill Hall, about 3.3 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Little End. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years.
For an older house near a landmark such as Church of St Margaret of Antioch, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Little End is about 5 miles north-west of Brentwood, in Essex. We survey roofs in Little End and the rest of Essex. Our area takes in places right across Essex, large and small. Our Chelmsford page covers surveys nearby.
All of CM5 is covered for chimney surveys. If you need a chimney survey at a property on London Road and Church Road or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Close by, we survey roofs in Hare Street (1 mile south-west), Stanford Rivers (1 mile north-west), Marden Ash (1 mile north-east), Clatterford End (1 mile north-west) and Navestock Heath (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Chelmsford (12 miles east), Basildon (12 miles south-east), Harlow (8 miles north-west), Brentwood (5 miles south-east), Billericay (9 miles south-east) and Loughton (7 miles west).
Near you in Little End
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Woodman Public House and the streets around them. Other landmarks nearby include St. Margaret's Hospital (4.8 miles west). Green spaces nearby include Gernon Bushes.
Chimney survey in Little End: what you get
Redundant chimneys are common, especially where fires have been replaced by central heating. Even when it is not used, a stack has to stay weathertight. Capping a stack without ventilation can trap moisture and lead to damp inside. 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. Common reasons to book are a stack that appears to lean and disused chimneys trapping moisture, on chimney breasts, chimney pots and cowls and brick chimney stacks.
Some older homes in villages like Little End are listed or in a conservation area. If yours is, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so the council is the place to check. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
We write the report in plain English, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Photographs show what each point refers to.
- Where
- Little End (CM5)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
For landlords and managing agents
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords, including offices, shops and units. Bigger roofs take more time, so they’re priced to suit.
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan.
Roof by roof
Flaunching
Flaunching takes the worst of the weather. The survey checks for cracking and gaps around each pot.
Brick stacks
Brick stacks rely on sound pointing to keep water out. The survey looks for crumbling bricks and worn or missing mortar.
Also near Little End
More services for Little End
DIY checks: what’s safe
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, which helps when we look at the roof.
A lot can be seen from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Honest limits
A survey is a proper look at the chimney stack, but it cannot do everything. The main limits are:
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Hidden damage within the stack
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we check
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
Little End: your questions answered
Do you carry out roof surveys in Little End?
Yes, Little End is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Little End as anywhere else.
Is Little End within the area you cover?
Yes, Little End is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
Do you inspect shared chimneys?
Yes. We look at the parts we can see safely and the parts you can give us access to. Where a problem appears to be on next door’s side, we note it, so you can discuss it with them.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We do not sample or test for asbestos. Where a material might contain it, such as old cement sheets on a building from before 2000, the report flags it, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it is disturbed.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning, with the building owner or managing agent. Mention it when you contact us and we will plan the survey around it.
How many surveys have you done?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only where it’s safe to do so. We check everything that can be seen safely: from ground level, from windows, from inside the loft space, from the roof where it’s safe and by drone where it applies. Anything we can’t see is noted in the report.
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
Prices vary from roof to roof, for these reasons:
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- How big the roof is
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and the package you choose.
Helping us price your survey
These details help when you contact us:
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine; never climb up to get a better view. To get started, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
How the survey works
Photographs are taken throughout the visit, so the report shows exactly what we saw. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available. Most surveys take an hour or two for most houses, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. In a hamlet or village like Little End, a postcode does not always lead to the right gate, so a few directions are welcome. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Before the survey
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
How to book
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price before you book.