Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Stapleford Tawney, Essex
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching for Stapleford Tawney and the rest of Essex. We survey seven days a week.
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
When to book a survey in Stapleford Tawney
Flashings seal the gap where a stack passes through the roof. They can lift in wind, crack with age or pull out of the mortar joints. Failed flashings are one of the most common causes of damp around chimneys. Lead is also a target for theft.
It is worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Flaunching that has broken away
- A chimney out of line
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Church of St Mary, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
About our chimney survey in Stapleford Tawney
A chimney survey is about the outside of the stack and the roof around it. It is not a flue inspection, a sweep or a gas safety check. If you use a fire or a gas appliance, the flue should be checked by a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer as appropriate. If something we see points to the flue, we’ll say so. If you are worried about disused chimneys trapping moisture and signs that a stack is leaning, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on shared and party-wall stacks, lead flashings and chimney breasts alike.
Somewhere as small as Stapleford Tawney, 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. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs frequently need the most attention.
We write the report in plain English, so you don’t need to be a roofer to follow it. Each point is backed by a photograph where possible, with the urgent items made clear.
- Location
- Stapleford Tawney (RM4)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What a chimney survey does not cover
In fairness, there are limits to any roof survey:
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or email us and we will suggest the right survey before booking. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Stapleford Tawney
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
What a chimney survey looks like in Stapleford Tawney
In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, while many towns grew with post-war and newer estates. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. The wider area around Stapleford Tawney has a long history of building, with Hill Hall about 0.9 miles west. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Stapleford Tawney is about 5 miles east of Loughton, in Essex. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Stapleford Tawney can all book chimney surveys, with a written report and photographs every time. Our area takes in places right across Essex, from the larger towns to small villages. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
Every address in RM4 is within our area for chimney surveys. If you are just outside Stapleford Tawney, we cover Woodhatch (1 mile north), Hobbs Cross (2 miles west), Theydon Garnon (2 miles west), Toot Hill (2 miles north-east) and Fiddlers Hamlet (2 miles north-west). Larger places within reach include Chelmsford (14 miles east), Basildon (14 miles south-east), Harlow (7 miles north), Brentwood (6 miles south-east), Billericay (11 miles east) and Loughton (5 miles west).
Around Stapleford Tawney
Other landmarks nearby include Epping Signalling Museum (3 miles north-west) and St. Margaret's Hospital (3.2 miles north-west). The countryside around Stapleford Tawney includes Gernon Bushes.
How the survey changes by roof type
Flaunching
The sloping mortar around the pots is called flaunching. Cracks in it let water into the stack.
Brick stacks
Spalled bricks, where the face has flaked off, are a sign of water and frost. Any spalling is noted with photos.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Stapleford Tawney
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on, photos included.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too. Bigger roofs take more time, and they’re priced for the size.
Useful tips for Stapleford Tawney property owners
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Some pointers:
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
You get the report by email and can pass it to whoever does the work. We use plain English and a photo for each defect, so it’s easy to follow.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. The sooner damp is spotted, the easier the cause is to find.
What we do, step by step
You do not need to do much on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, such as stains, drips or loose pieces, and we’ll get on with the inspection. The survey itself takes about one to two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Cottages and farmhouses around Stapleford Tawney often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- 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 is safe access.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
Preparing for the visit
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Check pets are kept safely away
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
Arrange a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine. To get started, call 07833 053749 or email us.
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Your questions about chimney surveys in Stapleford Tawney
Is my home in Stapleford Tawney listed or in a conservation area?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Will you come out to Stapleford Tawney?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
What do you check on a chimney?
Every part of the stack we can see from safe positions: from the pots and flaunching down to the flashings. We also note leaning, redundant stacks and damp inside.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it is applicable and safe, yes. We are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. It’s included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where applicable, the Premium Survey.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing aren’t part of what we do. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them.
How soon will I get the report?
It depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day. The report is emailed to you.
How experienced are you?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have completed over 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.