Essex · London and the South East
Matching Green Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching across Matching Green, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Call or email for a price.
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- A stack that appears to lean
Leave it or get it looked at?
Most people never get a careful look at their chimney stacks. Defects tend to go unseen until there’s a stain. Surveying the stack now can catch problems first. For older village homes like those around Matching Green, the right replacement materials are not always easy to find quickly. That’s one more reason to find defects before they become urgent.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we will tell you which fits.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Matching Green
- 20+ years’ experience
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- PI and public liability insurance
Read how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Matching Green
On terraced and semi-detached houses, a chimney stack is often shared with next door. We inspect the parts we can see safely and the parts the owner gives us access to. Where a problem seems to involve a neighbour’s side, the report records it and you can then discuss it with them. You get a photo-illustrated written report and our recommendations. We survey chimney pots and cowls, lead flashings and shared and party-wall stacks, and common reasons people get in touch are eroded joints in the brickwork and flaunching that has broken away.
In a small place like Matching Green, 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 written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are often the first to give way.
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
- Matching Green (CM17)
- Region
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
You do not need to do much on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, like stains, drips or loose pieces, and we’ll get on with the inspection. The survey itself takes roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Cottages and farmhouses around Matching Green frequently have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- You tell us whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- 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
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
How to book
If you are buying, it’s useful to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. Otherwise, simply call 07833 053749 or email us whenever suits you.
Advice
Practical tips
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
If the stack is shared, you can pass the report to your neighbour. It shows what we found and where from the viewpoints we used.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
Can I check my roof myself?
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: 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.
Towns and villages near Matching Green
What else we do in Matching Green
How we price chimney surveys
Prices vary from roof to roof, for these reasons:
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Basic, Standard or Premium
Every price we give includes VAT. Our price is from £150, including VAT. We confirm the price for your survey before booking.
Booking your survey
What helps most when you contact us:
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- Any deadline, like an exchange date
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine, and please do not climb up for a closer look. To send them or to book, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Chimney surveys around Matching Green
With Barrington Hall about 4.1 miles north, Matching Green sits in an area with a long building history. If your house is among the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, alongside plenty of post-war and newer estates. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
For landlords with property near Sawbridgeworth station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant. If your house is among the older ones in the streets near Parish Church of St Mary, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Matching Green is about 5 miles east of Harlow, in Essex. Matching Green gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photos and a written report. Our Essex coverage includes Matching Green. Our Chelmsford page covers surveys nearby.
Surveys in CM17 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. That includes homes and businesses on Downhall Road, Potash Road and Colvers and the roads around them. We also cover the places around Matching Green: Manwood Green (1 mile north-east), Little Laver (1 mile south-east), White Roding (2 miles north-east), Abbess Roding (2 miles east) and Moreton (3 miles south). We also work in nearby towns such as Chelmsford (11 miles east), Harlow (5 miles west), Brentwood (11 miles south), Billericay (13 miles south-east), Loughton (11 miles south-west) and Waltham Abbey (11 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Matching Green
The nearest railway station is Sawbridgeworth station, roughly 3.8 miles north-west. Other landmarks nearby include Harlow Mill (4.3 miles west) and Princess Alexandra Hospital (6 miles west). Open spaces near Matching Green include Sawbridgeworth Marsh.
What this survey cannot tell you
This is not a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you before you book. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
Your questions about chimney surveys in Matching Green
Is my home in Matching Green listed or in a conservation area?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Do you cover smaller places like Matching Green?
Yes. Matching Green is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We survey roofs across London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there as you book.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. We inspect what can be seen safely and what you 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.
Do you need to go on the roof to check the chimney?
We use safe viewpoints rather than climbing onto the stack. A drone inspection is part of the Premium Survey where it applies. Any area we couldn’t view is noted.
How long is the visit?
Expect it to take about one to two hours for a house, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. The written report follows by email, on the timescale of your package.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. We’re experienced roof surveyors, and our survey covers the roof rather than the whole building. For the rest of the building, a RICS home survey is a separate job.
What if it rains on the day?
Light rain does not normally stop a survey, and it can even help show where water is getting in. High wind or heavy rain can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so if conditions aren’t right we will arrange another day with you.