Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Nine Ashes, Essex
We carry out chimney surveys in Nine Ashes and the rest of Essex. We survey on any day of the week.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Lifted or split lead flashings
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Nine Ashes
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. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the loft space. A survey finds these problems and records them with photos. We’re often asked to look into redundant stacks capped without ventilation and staining on walls around the chimney, across flaunching, shared and party-wall stacks and brick chimney stacks.
Somewhere as small as Nine Ashes, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, often with chimneys that have stood a long time. We report on what can safely be seen, and thatch is a specialist material. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
The report does not just list problems. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend.
- Where
- Nine Ashes (CM4)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips that help
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Tips:
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
Where another specialist is needed, such as a structural engineer or sweep, we explain why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. It is far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
Questions from Nine Ashes
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Ingatestone station?
Yes, landlords and letting agents book with us as well as owners. Just phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and let us know about the building, including who will give access on the day.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Nine Ashes?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
What does the report include?
You get our findings in writing, part by part, with photos, finishing with recommendations. Points are put with the most urgent first where relevant.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
Each stack is viewed from the safest viewpoints: from the ground, windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there’s access. A drone inspection is included in our Premium Survey where applicable. We note anything we couldn’t see.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
It can come from several places: cracked flaunching, worn pointing, failed flashings, uncapped pots, or damp trapped in an unventilated stack. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause.
How do I arrange a chimney survey in Nine Ashes?
Just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address. We’ll ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date, weekday or weekend.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. Visible signs such as deflection or sagging are recorded, but we do not provide calculations or an engineer’s opinion. If one is needed, the report says so.
What a chimney survey looks like in Nine Ashes
Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, alongside a good many post-war and newer estates. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. The wider area around Nine Ashes has a long history of building, with Ingatestone Hall about 4.6 miles south-east. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
For landlords with property near Ingatestone station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak. The streets around a church like Church of St Laurence are often among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Nine Ashes is about 5 miles north of Brentwood, in Essex. Surveys in Nine Ashes work the same way as everywhere we cover: a careful inspection, photographs and a written report. Nine Ashes is one of the towns and villages in Essex we cover. Chelmsford is in our area too.
Surveys in CM4 are booked the same way as anywhere else. We cover properties on Rookery Road and Nine Ashes Road and the roads around them. We also cover the places around Nine Ashes: Norton Heath (1 mile north), Radley Green (2 miles north-east), Willingale (3 miles north), Loves Green (3 miles east) and Berners Roding (3 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Chelmsford (8 miles east), Basildon (11 miles south-east), Harlow (9 miles north-west), Brentwood (5 miles south), Billericay (7 miles south-east) and Rayleigh (15 miles south-east).
Near you in Nine Ashes
We work in homes and buildings around The Bull Inn, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Ingatestone station, about 4.1 miles south-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Brentwood Community Hospital (5.4 miles south) and Willingale Doe (3.4 miles north).
Towns and villages near Nine Ashes
Also in Nine Ashes
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney breasts and the loft
Inside, chimney breasts can show damp when water gets into the stack. We look at them and at the stack in the loft where there’s safe access.
Rendered stacks
What’s behind the render can’t be seen without removing some, so the report explains what we could and couldn’t assess.
For landlords and managing agents
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work.
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.
What we do, step by step
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you need to know. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen, from ground level, from windows, in the roof space and by drone where applicable. The survey normally takes between one and two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Rural addresses near Nine Ashes can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions are welcome. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- You let us know whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We check the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
How to prepare
- Keep pets in another room
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
Book a survey
We confirm the price for your roof before you book, so you know where you stand. Our price is from £150, including VAT. To book, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
Common roof problems in Nine Ashes
Removing a chimney breast inside can leave questions about how the stack is supported. We record what we can see in the loft and outside, and the report recommends a structural engineer if support is a concern.
Common reasons to book include:
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Bricks with flaking faces
Anyone responsible for a site like Blackmore Primary School will know that long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What experience they bring
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Is VAT included in the price?
What a chimney survey does not cover
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- Conditions inside walls
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Parts of the stack that cannot be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we can’t access
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll tell you before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we look at
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings