Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Moreton, Essex
A careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Moreton, with photographs and a written report.
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
DIY checks: what’s safe
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
It helps to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry.
Chimney survey in Moreton
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. It might come in at the top, through worn pointing or porous bricks, or where the flashings meet the roof. Condensation inside an unventilated stack is another common cause. We look at each possibility and record what we find. That points the work in the right direction. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, chimney breasts and brick chimney stacks, and the problems we are asked to look at most are frost-damaged brickwork on the stack and pots or cowls that look unsafe.
In a village or hamlet like Moreton, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, often with chimneys that have stood a long time. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. On older roofs, it is usually the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
The written findings come by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24–48 hours and Premium on the day.
- Location
- Moreton (CM5)
- Region
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Local roofs in Moreton
In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, alongside plenty of post-war and newer estates. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, so the council is the place to ask.
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Church of St Mary the Virgin, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Moreton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Moreton is about 5 miles south-east of Harlow, in Essex. Surveys in Moreton work the same way as everywhere we cover: a careful inspection, photographs and a written report. Across Essex, we cover Moreton and the places around it. There’s also a page for Chelmsford.
Surveys in CM5 are booked the same way as anywhere else. That includes homes and businesses on Church Road, Bridge Road and Matthews Court. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Pedlars End (1 mile south-west), Bobbingworth (1 mile south), Bovinger (1 mile south-west), Little Laver (2 miles north-east) and Clatterford End (2 miles east). Further out, we also cover Chelmsford (11 miles east), Basildon (15 miles south-east), Harlow (5 miles north-west), Brentwood (9 miles south-east), Billericay (12 miles south-east) and Loughton (9 miles south-west).
Landmarks near Moreton
Around Moreton, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Moreton Massey pub and The Ongar Academy. Nearby you will also find St. Margaret's Hospital (4.9 miles south-west) and Willingale Doe (4.1 miles east). The countryside around Moreton includes Gernon Bushes.
Useful tips for Moreton property owners
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Tips:
- Do not use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
- Check fixings on the stack are secure
If anything in the report is not clear, just ask us. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Check redundant flues are capped with ventilation. That helps stop damp building up inside.
Why it is worth a survey now in Moreton
Before deciding what to do with a redundant stack, a survey shows how it’s doing. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need permission from the council, so check with them first. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Moreton, driving rain gets into any weakness, and damp in older walls is slow to dry out.
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where applicable) come with the Premium Survey, which starts from £400, with VAT included. We can help you choose the package that fits what you’d like to know.
Why book with us
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- Visits on any day of the week
- 98% customer satisfaction
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced or our case studies.
How the survey changes by roof type
Chimney pots and cowls
Damaged pots are a safety concern as well as a leak risk. We photograph each pot and note any damage.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Damp patches on chimney breasts often point to a problem above. We look at them and at the stack in the loft where there is safe access.
Also in Moreton
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
Survey packages start from £150, including VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- How big the roof is
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
- The shape of the roof and its details
A Basic Survey starts from £150, including VAT. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400. We confirm the price for your roof before you book.
Getting in touch
We will usually ask about:
- Anything about access we should know
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, so call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the details.
Your questions about chimney surveys in Moreton
Do you carry out roof surveys in Moreton?
Yes. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and Moreton is part of that. You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and a few details, and we will talk through which survey suits.
How do I find out if my home in Moreton is listed?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Do I need to be at home?
Someone needs to let us in if we are looking inside or in the loft. We will talk about access when you book.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
Normally it is water getting in from outside, or condensation in a sealed stack. The survey looks at the stack, the flashings and the capping and records the likely cause.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
It is worth having a leaning stack checked. We record the lean, the brickwork and the pointing, and if it may be a structural issue, we recommend a structural engineer.
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 it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We’re roof surveyors, not structural engineers. We will recommend an engineer if we see signs that call for one.
How it works
It helps to start with what’s prompted the survey: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. It helps us focus on what matters most to you. The visit normally takes between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In a small place like Moreton, access is typically the main thing to plan. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- You let us know how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- The stacks are looked at from the ground, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach them.
- You get a photo-illustrated written report and our recommendations.
How to prepare
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
Arrange a survey
If you’re buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply phone 07833 053749 or email us whenever suits you.