Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Stocks Green, Essex
An experienced roof surveyor for chimney surveys in Stocks Green. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys.
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
Chimney survey in Stocks Green
A damp patch on a chimney breast doesn’t always come from the same place. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. That points the work in the right direction. We survey chimney breasts, flaunching and chimney pots and cowls, and people most often book us about signs that a stack is leaning and gaps where the stack meets the roof.
Somewhere as small as Stocks Green, homes are frequently older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. We report on whatever is safely visible, and thatch is a specialist material. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs frequently need the most attention.
What you get is a clear record of the chimney stack on the day we saw it. It is useful straight away, and a good reference for later, for example when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Where
- Stocks Green (CO5)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the price in Stocks Green
Not every roof costs the same to survey, and it comes down to:
- Roof area
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
Every price we give includes VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Booking your survey
A little information up front helps. It’s useful to include:
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- What kind of property and roof it is
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine, and please do not climb up for a closer look. To send them or to book, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
FAQs for Stocks Green
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Stocks Green?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case.
Is Stocks Green within the area you cover?
Yes. Stocks Green is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We survey roofs across London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. Shared stacks are common on terraced and semi-detached houses. We record the stack as far as we can see it and flag anything on the neighbour’s side.
What should I do with a chimney I don’t use?
It depends on its condition and your plans. The survey shows its condition and how it’s been capped. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need consent.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and we can provide details if a managing agent needs them.
Do you need to get into the loft?
Where it’s relevant to the survey and there is safe access, yes. Please clear anything stored under the hatch.
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’ll need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Also near Stocks Green
What else we do in Stocks Green
Signs you need a chimney survey in Stocks Green
A stack takes the weather from every direction. Frost works into cracks in the flaunching and pointing, and rain soaks into worn brickwork. Most people book after spotting damp or a loose pot, or before buying.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Worn or missing pointing
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
Anyone responsible for a site like Feering Church of England Primary School will know that long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
What to check before booking
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- Are they insured for the work?
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- When you will get the report
What we look for on each type of roof
Rendered stacks
Cracked render can let water in and trap it behind. Cracks are photographed and noted.
Lead flashings
Lead flashings seal the joint between the stack and the roof. The survey looks at whether the lead is tight, sound and well fixed.
How the survey works
We photograph the roof as we go, so you can see in the report what we found and where. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available. Most surveys take about one to two hours on an ordinary house, and longer for a large or complex roof. Somewhere as small as Stocks Green, access is frequently the only tricky part. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the roof space.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
How to prepare
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
Book a survey
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Advice
Before and after the survey
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Tips:
- Do not use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
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.
Look at your chimneys from ground level now and then, especially after strong winds. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.
Why get it checked now?
If you are buying, find out about the stacks before you exchange. Once you’ve exchanged, the work is down to you. A report gives you something specific to put to the seller. Older and listed buildings around Stocks Green may need consent and matching materials for repairs, so a defect found early gives time to plan the work properly.
All our prices include VAT. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. You will know the price for your survey before booking.
Why us?
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Prices that include VAT
- 20+ years’ experience
What a chimney survey looks like in Stocks Green
Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look. About 4 miles south-east lies Layer Marney Tower, a reminder of how long the area around Stocks Green has been built on. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If you own a rental within reach of Kelvedon station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. The streets around a church such as Parish Church of All Saints are often among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Stocks Green is about 5 miles north-east of Witham, in Essex. We carry out chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Stocks Green and nearby. Our area takes in places right across Essex, from the larger towns to small villages. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
We work across the CO5 postcode area for chimney surveys. Other places close to Stocks Green include Skye Green (1 mile north), Feering (1 mile south), Surrex (1 mile north), Broad Green (1 mile north) and Little Tey (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Colchester (8 miles east), Chelmsford (13 miles south-west), Braintree (7 miles west), Maldon (9 miles south), Witham (5 miles south-west) and Camulodunum (7 miles east).
What’s near Stocks Green
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Bell Inn, Honywood Community Science School and Brockwell Meadows and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Kelvedon station, roughly 1.5 miles south-west of the centre. A little further out are Birch Castle (4.2 miles east) and Laundry & Mangle Museum (2.4 miles west). For a walk, there is Tiptree Heath Nature Reserve.