Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Rawreth, Essex
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Rawreth, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Get in touch for a price.
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Bricks with flaking faces
Chimney survey in Rawreth: what you get
A leaning chimney stack is worth having looked at. 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’ll recommend a structural engineer. We’re often asked to look into mortar washing out of the joints and lifted or split lead flashings, across brick chimney stacks, flaunching and shared and party-wall stacks.
Some older homes in villages like Rawreth are listed or in a conservation area. If yours is, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so the council is the place to check. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Location
- Rawreth (SS11)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
How it works
We will ask a few questions first, such as when any problem began and what work has been done before. Then the inspection itself takes about 1–2 hours for a house, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. Older roofs in small places like Rawreth can have low, tight loft spaces, so it’s useful to know whether there is a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- The stacks are looked at from ground level, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Where there is safe access, we look at the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Getting ready for the survey
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
Book a survey
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Read more
DIY checks: what’s safe
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
Local roofs in Rawreth
There are about 500,000 buildings on England’s list of listed buildings, and around 10,000 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, so the council is the place to ask. Older buildings in Essex frequently have clay tiles and weatherboarding, alongside lots of post-war and newer estates. Whatever the covering, it’s often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
For landlords with property near Battlesbridge station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak. Anyone responsible for a site like Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Primary School will know that large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Rawreth is about 2 miles north-west of Rayleigh, in Essex. If you are in Rawreth, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: a call or an email, a price, then a date. We cover towns and villages across Essex. There’s also a page for Chelmsford.
Here we cover the SS11 postcode area for chimney surveys. Whether your property is on Church Road, Chelmsford Road and Bedloes Avenue or a nearby road, we can survey it. Close by, we survey roofs in Battlesbridge (1 mile north-west), Shotgate (1 mile west), Wickford (2 miles west), Runwell (2 miles north-west) and Rettendon (3 miles north). Further out, we also cover Chelmsford (10 miles north-west), Basildon (6 miles south-west), Brentwood (12 miles west), Maldon (9 miles north-east), Canvey Island (6 miles south) and Billericay (7 miles west).
Landmarks near Rawreth
Typical jobs here are in homes near Kendal Park, The Barge Inn and Beauchamps High School and the streets around them. Rawreth’s nearest station is Battlesbridge station, roughly 1 mile north of the centre. A little further out are Rayleigh Castle (2 miles south-east) and Chartwell Private Hospital (5.1 miles south-east). Open spaces near Rawreth include Shotgate Thickets.
When you need someone else
We only report whatever is safely visible on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- Conditions inside walls
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Rawreth
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
Roof by roof
Rendered stacks
Water can get in through cracks and then struggle to dry out. We record any cracking and where it is.
Brick stacks
Many older stacks were built with lime mortar. Repairs should suit the original materials, which we mention where relevant.
For landlords and managing agents
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed in advance. Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf, and the report can go to both. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
Other services in Rawreth
Common roof problems in Rawreth
Some owners book because a chimney breast has been removed below and they want to know about the stack above. We note what’s visible in the roof space and outside, and the report recommends a structural engineer if support is a concern.
Typical things we are asked to look at include:
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of St Nicholas, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Questions to ask before you book
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- How long the report takes to arrive
- What exactly goes into their report
- What insurance they carry
Rawreth questions
Is my home in Rawreth listed or in a conservation area?
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.
Can a landlord with a rental near Battlesbridge station book a roof survey?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. Just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, if whoever owns or manages the building agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we’re allowed to reach.
When does the report arrive?
Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24–48 hours and Premium reports on the same day. Each one is emailed, ready to forward.
Do you look in the roof space?
Normally, if there is one and it can be reached safely. The loft space can show things the outside cannot, such as damp timbers, staining or daylight.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
It’s worth having a leaning stack checked. Our survey notes how it looks and the condition of the bricks and joints, and if it may be a structural issue, we recommend a structural engineer.
Will you check the chimney is safe to use with a fire?
No. Our survey covers the outside of the stack and the roof around it. For the flue, you will need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.