Essex · London and the South East
Takeley Chimney Survey
We carry out chimney surveys in Takeley and the rest of Essex. Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
- A chimney out of line
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Lifted or split lead flashings
Practical tips
Most of what helps is simple and safe from the ground. Our suggestions:
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
- Don’t use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
If the report recommends a structural engineer, a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer, it will say why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.
How a chimney survey works in Takeley
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. You get photographs and findings you can take back to the seller or agent. It works alongside a RICS home survey, not instead of one. Common reasons to book are gaps where the stack meets the roof and staining on walls around the chimney, across chimney breasts, brick chimney stacks and lead flashings.
Older buildings in small places like Takeley may be listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. A roof report helps you plan work with that in mind. Older materials such as clay tiles, slate and stone are frequently matched when work is done.
Most points in the report come with a picture, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Where
- Takeley (CM22)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Takeley homes and their roofs
Older buildings in Essex often have clay tiles and weatherboarding, and plenty 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. The wider area around Takeley has a long history of building, with Barrington Hall about 2.4 miles south. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Anyone responsible for a site like Roseacres Primary School will know that large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. The streets around a church such as Church of the Holy Trinity are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Takeley is about 5 miles east of Bishop's Stortford, in Essex. Anywhere in Takeley, we can come and survey your property. Across Essex, we cover Takeley and the places around it. We also survey roofs in Chelmsford.
We work across the CM22 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. You’ll find streets such as Station Road, Dunmow Road and The Pastures. We also cover Takeley Street (1 mile west), Smith's Green (1 mile east), Hope End Green (1 mile south-east), Little Canfield (1 mile east) and Puttock's End (1 mile south-east). Larger places within reach include Chelmsford (13 miles south-east), Braintree (13 miles east), Harlow (9 miles south-west), Saffron Walden (11 miles north), Great Dunmow (4 miles east) and Epping (13 miles south-west).
Near you in Takeley
Around Takeley, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Four Ashes pub and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Stansted Airport station, about 1.4 miles north of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Little Easton Moat (3.2 miles north-east) and Herts and Essex Hospital (3.8 miles west). Not far away are Portingbury Hills and Aubrey Buxton Nature Reserve.
What a chimney survey does not cover
Before you book, it is worth knowing what a survey won’t do:
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- Parts of the stack that can’t be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we can’t access
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Takeley
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
How it works
Photos are taken throughout the visit, 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 at most homes, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. In a hamlet or village like Takeley, a postcode does not always lead to the right gate, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
How to prepare
- Let us know about parking before the day
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we are coming
Book a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine, and please do not climb up for a closer look. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Advice
Why get it checked now?
If you are thinking of removing or reducing a stack, it helps to know its condition first. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need permission from the council and the council can advise. Matching old materials, such as handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
There are three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all including VAT. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
What you get with us
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Plain-English reports with photos
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
Checking the roof from the ground
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
FAQs for Takeley
Is my home in Takeley listed or in a conservation area?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Can a landlord with a rental near Stansted Airport station book a roof survey?
Yes, landlords and letting agents book with us as well as owners. You can phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and some details.
Is a chimney survey the same as a flue inspection?
No. It is not a flue, sweep or gas safety inspection. We check the stack, pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings, and damp inside, and we’ll say if anything suggests the flue needs checking.
Should a redundant chimney be removed?
There is no single answer. We record how the stack is doing and whether it’s capped with ventilation. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need consent.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We do not carry out asbestos surveys or testing. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. Visible signs like deflection or sagging are recorded, but we don’t provide calculations or an engineer’s opinion. If one is needed, the report says so.
How can you see the top of the stack?
We inspect from wherever is safe: from ground level, windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there is access. A drone inspection is included in our Premium Survey where it applies. We note anything we couldn’t see.
Nearby places to Takeley
What else we do in Takeley
What we’re asked to look at in Takeley
Where a chimney meets the roof, lead flashings keep water out. With age they can lift, split or come away from the 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:
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- A chimney out of line
- Worn or missing pointing
If you own a rental within reach of Stansted Airport station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- What follow-up you get after the report