Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in New England, Essex
Wondering about the chimney stack at a property in New England? You can book a chimney survey in New England and across Essex.
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Signs that a stack is leaning
Chimney survey in New England: what you get
If a chimney looks out of line, it’s worth getting it checked. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down, often after years of flue gases and damp. We record the lean and the condition of the brickwork and pointing. Where it may be a structural concern, we will recommend a structural engineer. Typical surveys look at gaps where the stack meets the roof and frost-damaged brickwork on the stack, across brick chimney stacks, chimney pots and cowls and lead flashings.
Some older homes in villages like New England are listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Older materials like clay tiles, slate and stone are frequently matched when work is done.
Report times depend on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Location
- New England (CO9)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Can I check my roof myself?
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That is where a survey comes in.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
Also near New England
Other services in New England
Landlords, agents and block managers in New England
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords, from shops and offices to industrial units. Larger roofs take longer.
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps with budgets and planning.
Roof by roof
Chimney pots and cowls
A loose or cracked pot can fall from height. We photograph each pot and note any damage.
Lead flashings
Some older stacks have mortar fillets instead of lead. They crack with age, and we check them too.
Prices for chimney surveys in New England
Our packages start from £150, including VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- How many separate roofs there are, like extensions, dormers and garages
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
- The size of the roof
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
To find out what your survey will cost, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and let us know about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Getting in touch
To price your survey accurately, we’ll ask about:
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- What’s prompted the survey
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- What kind of property and roof it is
To get a price for chimney surveys in New England, call 07833 053749 or email us. The address, the type of property and what you’d like to know help us price the survey accurately.
The survey, step by step
There isn’t much for you to do on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we will take it from there. The survey itself takes about one to two hours for most houses, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. For a village or hamlet like New England, the journey is planned in advance: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect what can be seen safely, inside and out.
- You let us know whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- 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.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Preparing for the visit
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
Booking a survey
A quick phone call is usually the easiest start: ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form, and we’ll ask about the building and what you need. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.
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What we can’t see
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer before you book. What our survey covers.
What we check
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
Common questions in New England
Is New England within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We survey roofs across London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there as you book.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in New England?
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.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. Our survey is not a structural engineer’s report, and it does not include calculations. We’ll recommend an engineer if we see signs that call for one.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
Will you check the chimney is safe to use with a fire?
No. A flue inspection, sweep or gas safety check is a separate job. We check the structure and weathering of the stack and any damp, and we’ll say if anything suggests the flue needs checking.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. This is a survey of the roof only, so it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. Many buyers have both.
Should a redundant chimney be removed?
There is no single answer. The survey shows its condition and how it’s been capped. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need consent.
Local roofs in New England
In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. 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.
Living close to Haverhill Railway Walks is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching. The streets around a church such as Church of St Leonard are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
New England is in Essex. We carry out chimney surveys for homes and businesses in New England. Across Essex, we cover New England. Our Chelmsford page covers surveys nearby.
We survey roofs across the CO9 postcode area for chimney surveys. We also cover Birdbrook (1 mile south). We also work in nearby towns like Braintree (13 miles south), Saffron Walden (11 miles west), Halstead (10 miles south-east), Great Dunmow (14 miles south-west), Great Notley (14 miles south) and Bocking (12 miles south).
Local landmarks in New England
Around New England, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Haverhill Railway Walks, among other places. A little further out are Clare Castle (4.2 miles east) and Haverhill and District Local History Centre (2.5 miles north-west).