Essex · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Margaretting Tye
Independent chimney surveys in Margaretting Tye. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Lifted or split lead flashings
Chimney survey in Margaretting Tye
Chimney stacks take more weather than almost any other part of a house. Over the years, the flaunching cracks, the pointing wears and flashings lift. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the loft space. We record what we find with photographs and recommendations. Common reasons to book are flaunching that has broken away and loose, cracked or missing pots, across flaunching, chimney pots and cowls and lead flashings.
In a small place like Margaretting Tye, many roofs stand in the open, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
The written findings come by email, ready to forward to whoever needs them. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Place
- Margaretting Tye (CM4)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- How big the roof is
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
Price depends partly on the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all including VAT. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
What to let us know when you contact us
Here’s what helps us most when you get in touch:
- When you need the report by
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
Most bookings start with a short call: call 07833 053749 or send us an email. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Nearby places to Margaretting Tye
Also in Margaretting Tye
Questions from Margaretting Tye
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Margaretting Tye?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Do you cover smaller places like Margaretting Tye?
Yes, Margaretting Tye is covered. Our area covers London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
What do I do with the report?
The report arrives by email. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation, and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we’re allowed to reach.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We look from ground level, from windows and from the loft where it is safe. Where it applies, our Premium Survey adds a drone inspection for a closer view. Any area we couldn’t view is noted.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it helps and it is safe, yes. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID.
Do you need a chimney survey in Margaretting Tye?
Many chimneys are no longer used. If a stack is capped or blocked without ventilation, moisture can build up inside. That can lead to damp patches on chimney breasts, even with the roof in good order.
Typical things we are asked to look at include:
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
If you own a rental within reach of Ingatestone station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Questions to ask before you book
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Will the report include photos?
- What follow-up you get after the report
Useful tips for Margaretting Tye property owners
Nothing here needs a ladder. A few suggestions:
- Do not use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Check fixings on the stack are secure
- Check unused flues are capped with ventilation
With a shared stack, the report can help when talking to next door. It shows what we found and where from the viewpoints we used.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.
DIY checks: what’s safe
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Keep a simple record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry and it will help the survey.
The survey, step by step
It is useful to start with what’s prompted the survey: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. That way we can focus on what matters to you. Most visits take an hour or two on an ordinary house, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. Somewhere like Margaretting Tye needs a little journey planning: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. On the day, we inspect whatever is safely visible, inside and out.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- The stacks are looked at from the ground, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- Every part we can see is checked: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Where there is safe access, we look at the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- You get a photo-illustrated written report and our recommendations.
Before we arrive
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
Book a survey
Every survey is priced before it’s booked, so you know where you stand. Prices start from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Advice
What a chimney survey looks like in Margaretting Tye
Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, while many towns grew with post-war and newer estates. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. Historic houses such as Hylands, about 1.8 miles north, show how far back building in the area around Margaretting Tye goes. 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, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for instance near Bond Street Chelmsford, a written record of the roof’s condition helps you plan maintenance rather than react to leaks. If you live near a park such as Galleywood Common, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Margaretting Tye is about 4 miles north of Billericay, in Essex. Margaretting Tye gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photographs and a written report. Margaretting Tye is one of the towns and villages in Essex we cover for chimney surveys.
Every address in CM4 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Other places close to Margaretting Tye include Margaretting (1 mile west), Stock (2 miles south), Galleywood (2 miles north-east), Ramsden Heath (4 miles south-east) and Billericay (4 miles south). Further out, we also cover Chelmsford (4 miles north-east), Basildon (8 miles south), Braintree (15 miles north), Harlow (15 miles north-west), Brentwood (7 miles south-west) and Maldon (11 miles east).
Around Margaretting Tye
Around Margaretting Tye, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Galleywood Common and The White Hart Inn. The nearest railway station is Ingatestone station, roughly 2.5 miles south-west. Nearby you’ll also find Bond Street Chelmsford (3.8 miles north-east) and Chelmsford and Essex Hospital (2.5 miles north-east). Not far away are Hanningfield Reservoir.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants. Surveys run seven days a week, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, including offices, shops and units. Bigger roofs take more time, and they’re priced for the size.