Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Radwinter, Essex
We take a careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Radwinter, and put it all in a report with photos.
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Worn or missing pointing
When to book a survey in Radwinter
Years of fires can affect the mortar inside a stack. Flue gases and damp can break down the mortar, sometimes more on one side than the other, which is one reason stacks start to lean.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- A chimney out of line
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
If you look after a building like Radwinter Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Will the report include photos?
- What happens after the report arrives
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
- Whether the price includes VAT
Chimney survey in Radwinter: what you get
Our chimney survey covers the stack and the details that keep water out around it: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and the flashings at the roof line. Inside, we check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft where it is safe to reach. The findings come in a written report with photos and recommendations. We survey single stacks on houses and groups of stacks on bigger buildings. Common reasons to book are staining on walls around the chimney and frost-damaged brickwork on the stack, across chimney pots and cowls, lead flashings and brick chimney stacks.
In a small place like Radwinter, many roofs stand in the open, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A roof report shows what needs attention first. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
The report doesn’t just list problems. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend.
- Location
- Radwinter (CB10)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How it works
You do not need to do much on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we’ll take it from there. A typical survey takes about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Cottages and farmhouses around Radwinter frequently have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- The stacks are looked at from ground level, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
How to prepare
- Let us know about parking before the day
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
Arrange a survey
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Related advice
Your questions about chimney surveys in Radwinter
Will you come out to Radwinter?
Yes. Radwinter is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when booking.
How do I find out if my home in Radwinter is listed?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. It’s a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We note visible signs such as sagging or deflection, but we do not carry out calculations or give an engineer’s opinion. If we think you need an engineer, the report says so.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it’s applicable. Whether we can fly on the day depends on the weather and the airspace rules. We are a CAA-registered drone operator.
My chimney looks like it is leaning. What should I do?
Don’t ignore it. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down. The survey records what we can see, and a structural engineer can assess whether it needs work.
Our stack is shared. Can you still survey it?
Yes. We inspect what can safely be seen 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.
What we can’t see
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
- Flue inspections or sweeping
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or email us and we will give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
Towns and villages near Radwinter
What else we do in Radwinter
What happens if roof problems are left?
Damp in a chimney breast normally gets worse while the cause is left. It can stain walls and damage plaster. Knowing whether it is the flaunching, flashings, brickwork or ventilation means the right fix can be planned. In a place like Radwinter, a barn or garage roof left to fail puts whatever is inside at risk. It’s worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
Every price we give includes VAT. Prices start from £150, including VAT. You will know the price for the job before you book.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Radwinter
- Package prices that include VAT
- Surveys on any day of the week
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
Read what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
What a chimney survey looks like in Radwinter
In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, and lots of post-war and modern estates besides. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. There are about 500,000 buildings on England’s list of listed buildings, and around 10,000 conservation areas. If your 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, so the council is the place to ask.
Take an older house close to Church of St Mary the Virgin: corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Radwinter is about 4 miles east of Saffron Walden, in Essex. Radwinter gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photographs and a written report. 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 CB10 postcode area for chimney surveys. Local streets include East View Close, Water Lane and Gillon Way, and we cover them all. If you are just outside Radwinter, we cover The Common (1 mile north), Maple End (1 mile west), Wimbish (1 mile south-west), Hempstead (2 miles east) and Church End (3 miles north-west). Larger places within reach include Braintree (13 miles south-east), Saffron Walden (4 miles west), Halstead (14 miles east), Great Dunmow (10 miles south), Stansted Mountfitchet (10 miles south-west) and Great Notley (13 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Radwinter
Nearby you will also find Castle Camps (3.3 miles north-east) and Saffron Walden Community Hospital (3.6 miles west). Green spaces nearby include West Wood.
What affects the price in Radwinter
When we price a survey, we consider:
- Height and safe access
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. You will know the figure before booking.
What we need to know
You don’t need to know any roofing terms. Just tell us:
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- When you need the report by
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- Whether there is a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
To arrange a survey, call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We’ll confirm the price before booking.
Tips that help
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
The report is emailed to you, ready to share with a roofer or builder. Each defect is described in plain words and shown in a photo, so it is easy to follow.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.