Essex · London and the South East
Staple Tye Chimney Survey
Find out what’s going on with the chimney stack before you spend money on it. Chimney surveys in Staple Tye, with photographs and a clear written report.
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Worn or missing pointing
- A chimney out of line
Chimney survey in Staple Tye: what you get
For buyers, a chimney survey before exchange can flag work you may want to raise. Cracked flaunching, failed flashings and worn pointing are common findings on older stacks. Our report gives you specific points to raise with the seller or agent. It works alongside a RICS home survey, not instead of one. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, brick chimney stacks and flaunching, and the problems we are asked to look at most are signs that a stack is leaning and bricks with flaking faces.
In a smaller place like Staple Tye, homes range from older cottages to bungalows and newer houses. Coverings range from slate and clay tiles on older homes to concrete tiles on many later ones. On older homes, chimney stacks, valleys and gutters are normally where the work is. Nails and battens under older coverings often give out before the slates or tiles themselves.
Nothing in the report is left vague: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, and where it can wait, that is said too.
- Location
- Staple Tye (CM18, CM19)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey works
The aim of the visit is simple: to look at the chimney stack as closely as is safe and record what we find. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It normally takes between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. For a survey in Staple Tye, we agree the time, the access and parking before the day. Weekday and weekend visits are both possible. Tell us about any garages, outbuildings or extensions you want included.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- Every part we can see is checked: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Where there is safe access, we check 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
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the building owner or managing agent
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
How to book
When you’re ready to go ahead, phone 07833 053749 or email us. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.
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Common questions in Staple Tye
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Staple Tye?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Can a landlord with a rental near Harlow Town station book a roof survey?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. Just ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Is it a problem to have an unused chimney?
There’s no single answer. The survey shows its condition and how it’s been capped. If you are thinking of removing it, check with the council first in a conservation area or on a listed building.
Is a chimney survey the same as a flue inspection?
No. It isn’t a flue, sweep or gas safety inspection. We look at the stack, pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings, and damp inside and flag anything that suggests the flue needs a look.
How long does the survey take?
Time on site depends on the roof; most visits take roughly 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. The report is sent afterwards by email.
What will the report tell me?
It sets out what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, with photographs throughout. Anything we couldn’t see safely is noted too, so you know exactly what was covered.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, if whoever owns or manages the building agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we are allowed to reach.
Signs you need a chimney survey in Staple Tye
Aerials and dishes are frequently fixed to stacks. Their weight and the wind on them can loosen bricks and pointing. We check fixings on the stack as part of the survey.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
Anyone responsible for a site like Stewards Academy - Science Specialist will know that a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Questions to ask before you book
- Which limits apply to the survey
- What insurance they carry
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Building height and the viewpoints available
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with VAT included. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, both including VAT. We confirm the price for your survey before booking.
What to tell us when you contact us
The more you tell us, the easier it is to price the survey. When you contact us, it helps to mention:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
Every survey is priced before it’s booked, so you know where you stand. Prices start from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Also near Staple Tye
More services for Staple Tye
What a chimney survey looks like in Staple Tye
In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, and lots of post-war and modern estates besides. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. Listing and conservation areas can both shape what roof work is allowed on an older home. Your council and Historic England’s list will tell you where you stand, ideally before any re-roofing is planned.
If you live in an older home near St James with St Luke, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. Living close to Hawkenbury Meadow is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Staple Tye is about 1 mile south-west of Harlow, in Essex. Anywhere in Staple Tye, we can carry out chimney surveys at your property. Across Essex, we cover Staple Tye and the places around it. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
Surveys in CM18 and CM19 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Streets in the area include Echo Lane, Perry Road and Penlow Road. Being close to the A1169, Staple Tye is simple for us to get to for chimney surveys. Close by, we survey roofs in Great Parndon (1 mile north-west), Jack's Hatch (1 mile south-west), Tylerscross (1 mile west), Little Parndon (2 miles north) and Broadley Common (2 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Brentwood (13 miles south-east), Loughton (7 miles south), Waltham Abbey (6 miles south-west), Great Dunmow (14 miles north-east), Epping (4 miles south) and Stansted Mountfitchet (11 miles north-east).
Around Staple Tye
In Staple Tye, that means homes and buildings near Hawkenbury Meadow, Brays Grove and Drinker Moth pub, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Harlow Town station, roughly 2 miles north. Well-known places in the area include Princess Alexandra Hospital (1.3 miles north) and Mark Hall Cycle Museum (2.2 miles north-east). Open spaces near Staple Tye include Hunsdon Mead.
For landlords and managing agents
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, with the most urgent items set out first.
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Staple Tye. To discuss a property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and a fall can be serious. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
A lot can be seen from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Why get it checked now?
A loose pot or brick can fall from height. A survey picks them out so they can be made safe by a roofer. In an older home around Staple Tye, water from a roof defect can get into timber and plaster, and that’s a much bigger job than the original defect.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Our price is from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Why book us in Staple Tye
- Photos and a written report every time
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help