Essex · London and the South East
Navestock Side Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys in Navestock Side, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. You get a clear report with photographs.
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Flaunching that has broken away
Chimney survey in Navestock Side: what you get
A chimney stands up above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. In time, flaunching cracks, mortar washes out and flashings come loose. Water then gets into the stack and can show as damp on a chimney breast or a stain in the loft. A survey finds these problems and records them with photographs. We’re often asked to look into gaps where the stack meets the roof and redundant stacks capped without ventilation, on lead flashings, flaunching and brick chimney stacks.
Somewhere as small as Navestock Side, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are frequently old. We report on whatever is safely visible, and thatch is a specialist material. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs frequently need the most attention.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the coverings down to the gutters, each with a short note and a photo. You will see the good as well as the bad.
- Location
- Navestock Side (CM14)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens on the day
Every roof is different, but as a rough guide the survey takes about 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. You are welcome to ask questions while we’re there. Cottages and farmhouses around Navestock Side often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can safely be seen.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Where there’s safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
How to prepare
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
Arrange a survey
Every survey is priced before it’s booked, so you know where you stand. Our price is from £150, including VAT. To book, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Read more
Why act early in Navestock Side
A damp chimney breast seldom dries out until the cause is found. It can spoil decoration and plaster. Finding the cause means the right work can be planned. Older and listed buildings around Navestock Side may need consent and matching materials for repairs, so leaving a defect until it’s urgent leaves less time to plan.
Every price we give includes VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Our price is from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Why book us in Navestock Side
- Packages from £150, including VAT
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Every finding written up with photos
- Surveys seven days a week
See what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Navestock Side
Landlords and agents in Navestock Side book surveys as well as homeowners. A written report with photographs gives you a clear record of the chimney stack, useful for planning maintenance.
With a portfolio of properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To discuss a number of properties, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Before and after the survey
Nothing here needs a ladder. A few suggestions:
- Check your stacks from ground level after strong winds
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
Questions about the findings are always welcome. Standard Surveys come with a follow-up consultation, and Premium Surveys with an in-person one.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. That helps stop damp building up inside.
Your questions about chimney surveys in Navestock Side
Can a landlord with a rental near Brentwood station book a roof survey?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. Just call 07833 053749 or email us and let us know about the building.
Is Navestock Side within the area you cover?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. We inspect whatever is safely visible and what you give us access to. If a defect seems to be on your neighbour’s side, the report records it, so you can discuss it with them.
How long does the survey take?
Expect it to take an hour or two at most homes, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. The written report follows by email, on the timescale of your package.
What happens after the survey?
We email you the written report with photos and recommendations. You can use it to talk to a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent, whichever applies.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
It’s worth having a leaning stack checked. Our survey notes how it looks and the condition of the bricks and joints, and recommend a structural engineer where it may be a structural concern.
What’s in the report?
It explains what we saw, what it means and what we’d suggest, with photos throughout. Anything we couldn’t see safely is noted too, so you know exactly what was covered.
Checking the roof from the ground
It helps to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry and it will help the survey.
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, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Chimney surveys around Navestock Side
Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, and plenty of post-war and modern estates besides. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. Historic houses such as Hill Hall, about 4.8 miles west, show how far back building in the area around Navestock Side goes. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
If you own a rental within reach of Brentwood station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints. The streets around a church such as Church of St Paul are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Navestock Side is about 3 miles north-west of Brentwood, in Essex. We carry out chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Navestock Side and nearby. Our area takes in places right across Essex, from the larger towns to small villages. Chelmsford is in our area too.
Here we cover the CM14 postcode area for chimney surveys. Whether your property is on Navestock Side, Tyser Green and Snakes Hill or a nearby road, we can help. We also cover the places around Navestock Side: Bentley (1 mile south-east), Doddinghurst Common (1 mile north-east), Coxtie Green (1 mile south), Horseman Side (1 mile south-west) and Kelvedon Hatch (1 mile north-east). Larger places within reach include Chelmsford (11 miles north-east), Basildon (10 miles south-east), Harlow (10 miles north-west), Brentwood (3 miles south-east), Billericay (7 miles east) and Rayleigh (15 miles east).
Around Navestock Side
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Weald Country Park and The White Horse pub and the streets around them. Navestock Side’s nearest station is Brentwood station, roughly 3.2 miles south-east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Brentwood Community Hospital (3.2 miles south-east). The countryside around Navestock Side includes Warley Place.
Places near Navestock Side
Also in Navestock Side
Common roof problems in Navestock Side
Lots of homes have redundant stacks. If a stack is capped or blocked without ventilation, moisture can build up inside. Damp patches can appear on chimney breasts even when nothing is leaking.
Common reasons to book include:
- Worn or missing pointing
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
Homes near green spaces like Weald Country Park can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Their report turnaround times
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?