Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Swallows Cross, Essex
A careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Swallows Cross, with photos and a written report.
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
Tips that help
Getting the most from a chimney survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
If anything in the report isn’t clear, just ask us. Standard Surveys come with a follow-up consultation, and Premium Surveys with an in-person one.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
How a chimney survey works in Swallows Cross
A chimney survey is about the outside of the stack and the roof around it. It is not a flue inspection, a chimney sweep or a gas safety inspection. 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. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, brick chimney stacks and lead flashings, and people most often book us about signs that a stack is leaning and damp patches on chimney breasts.
Village roofs often face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A roof report shows what needs attention first. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are often the first to give way.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent.
- Location
- Swallows Cross (CM15)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
DIY checks: what’s safe
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.
A lot can be seen from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
The survey, step by step
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photographs, sent to you by email. As for time on site, it usually takes about 1–2 hours at most homes, and more on a big or complicated roof. Somewhere as small as Swallows Cross, access is frequently the only tricky part. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- 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.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- You get a written report with photos and our recommendations.
How to prepare
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
Getting a price
Unsure which package suits your roof? It’s easiest to phone 07833 053749 or email us and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
Related advice
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Swallows Cross
About 2.5 miles east lies Ingatestone Hall, a reminder of how long the area around Swallows Cross has been built on. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, while many towns grew with post-war and newer estates. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
Anyone responsible for a site like Shenfield High School will know that a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Swallows Cross is about 3 miles north-east of Brentwood, in Essex. Bookings from Swallows Cross are handled just like any other: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. Across Essex, we cover Swallows Cross and the places around it. Chelmsford is in our area too.
All of CM15 is covered for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Streets in the area include Thoby Lane and Wyatt's Green Road, all of which we cover. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Wyatt's Green (1 mile north-west), Green Street (1 mile north-east), Mountnessing (1 mile south-east), Doddinghurst (1 mile west) and Beggar Hill (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Chelmsford (8 miles north-east), Basildon (8 miles south-east), Harlow (12 miles north-west), Brentwood (3 miles south-west), Canvey Island (15 miles south-east) and Billericay (5 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Swallows Cross
Swallows Cross’s nearest station is Ingatestone station, roughly 2.3 miles east of the centre. Nearby you will also find Brentwood Community Hospital (2.9 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Thorndon Park.
What happens if roof problems are left?
If you are thinking of removing or reducing a stack, it’s useful to know its condition first. Changes to stacks in conservation areas or on listed buildings may need consent and the council can advise. In a small place like Swallows Cross, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
Prices start from £150, with VAT included, for a Basic Survey. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, both with VAT included. You will know the price for your roof before booking.
Why us?
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- An independent view of the roof
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
Read what a roof survey costs and our case studies.
What a survey costs
Prices always include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- The roof’s overall size
- Which survey package you book
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
All our prices include VAT. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. You’ll know the price for your roof before booking.
Getting in touch
The more you let us know, the easier it is to price the survey. When you contact us, it’s useful to mention:
- Access details, like a loft hatch or a shared roof
- The address and postcode of the property
- What kind of property and roof it is
- What made you get in touch
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email when you’re ready.
FAQs for Swallows Cross
How do I find out if my home in Swallows Cross is listed?
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, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Will you come out to Swallows Cross?
Yes, Swallows Cross is covered. Our area covers London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
What does a chimney survey cover?
The survey covers the pots and cowls, the flaunching, the pointing, the bricks and the flashings. We also check chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach. You get a written report with photos.
How long will you be at the property?
It usually takes about 1–2 hours at most homes; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. You will then get the report by email, on the timescale of your package.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we’re allowed to reach.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To arrange a date, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. It’s a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof and can sit alongside a RICS survey.
Towns and villages near Swallows Cross
More services for Swallows Cross
Common roof problems in Swallows Cross
Flaunching is the mortar bed that holds the pots and throws water off the top. Cracked flaunching lets water in, and each winter makes it worse. Loose pots can follow.
Typical things we are asked to look at include:
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
If you let a flat or house near Ingatestone station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
What to check before booking
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- What the survey will not cover
- What follow-up you get after the report
- How long the report takes to arrive