Essex · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Little Maplestead
An experienced roof surveyor for chimney surveys in Little Maplestead. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Bricks with flaking faces
Chimney survey in Little Maplestead: what you get
A chimney survey looks at the stack and everything around it: the pots and cowls, the flaunching on top, the pointing, the brickwork and the flashings where it meets the roof. We also look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. You get a photo-illustrated written report and our recommendations. It suits a single stack on a house as well as several on a larger building. Common reasons to book are loose, cracked or missing pots and gaps in the mortar around the pots, across chimney pots and cowls, brick chimney stacks and lead flashings.
In a small place like Little Maplestead, many roofs stand in the open, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A roof report shows what needs attention first. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are frequently the first to give way.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Little Maplestead (CO9)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
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, photographs included.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too. Bigger roofs take more time, and they’re priced for the size.
Checking the roof from the ground
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level.
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 check the roof.
How the survey works
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, like when any problem began and what work has been done before. The inspection then takes between one and two hours at a typical home, or half a day or so for a commercial building. In a hamlet or village like Little Maplestead, a postcode does not always lead to the right gate, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Preparing for the visit
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with whoever owns or manages the building
- Tell us about parking before the day
Booking a survey
Unsure which package suits your roof? The easiest way is to phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
Read more
Useful tips for Little Maplestead property owners
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They apply to most roofs:
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
After the visit, we write up the report with photographs of each stack. It explains the condition of each part of the stack and any damp inside. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24 to 48 hours and Premium reports the same day.
Look at your chimneys from the ground now and then, particularly after strong winds. With binoculars, you can often see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
What we look for on each type of roof
Lead flashings
Some older stacks have mortar fillets instead of lead. They crack with age, and we check them too.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Where a breast has been taken out, we check what supports the stack. A structural engineer should confirm whether it’s adequate.
Your questions about chimney surveys in Little Maplestead
Will you come out to Little Maplestead?
Yes, Little Maplestead is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
Is my home in Little Maplestead listed or in a conservation area?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it’s in a conservation area. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Are you insured?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
Do you inspect shared chimneys?
Yes. Shared stacks are common on terraced and semi-detached houses. We survey what we can see safely, and note anything that seems to involve next door.
What do you check on a chimney?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access. You get a written report with photos.
When does the report arrive?
The Premium Survey report comes the same day, the Standard within 24–48 hours and the Basic within 48 hours. Each one is emailed.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only when it’s safe. Safe viewpoints, the loft space and a drone where it applies cover most of what’s needed, and the report notes anything we couldn’t see.
What a chimney survey looks like in Little Maplestead
In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, while many towns grew with post-war and newer estates. Whatever the covering, it is often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. Historic houses like Hedingham Castle, about 2.8 miles west, show how far back building in the area around Little Maplestead goes. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Landlords with a home close to Bures station may find that the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. For an older house near a landmark like St John the Baptist Church, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs. If you look after a building like The Ramsey Academy, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Little Maplestead is about 3 miles north-east of Halstead, in Essex. We survey roofs in Little Maplestead as part of our work across London and the South East. Our area takes in places right across Essex, large and small. There is also a page for Chelmsford.
Surveys in CO9 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Cock Road, Sudbury Road and School Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. We also cover the places around Little Maplestead: Great Maplestead (1 mile west), Wickham St Paul (1 mile north), Pebmarsh (2 miles east), Halstead (3 miles south-west) and Colne Engaine (3 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover Colchester (12 miles south-east), Braintree (8 miles south-west), Witham (12 miles south), Camulodunum (11 miles south-east), Great Dunmow (15 miles south-west) and Greenstead (13 miles south-east).
Around Little Maplestead
The closest station to Little Maplestead is Bures station, about 4.6 miles east. Nearby you’ll also find Halstead Hospital (2.2 miles south-west) and Hedingham Castle (2.8 miles west). Open spaces near Little Maplestead include Cornard Mere.
What this survey cannot tell you
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- 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 you book. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls