Essex · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in The Common
Independent chimney surveys in The Common. We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
Surveys for landlords and agents in The Common
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed ahead of time. Surveys run seven days a week, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Landlords, agents and building managers in The Common and across Essex can book any of our surveys. To discuss a property or a block, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
About our chimney survey in The Common
Many terraced and semi-detached homes share their chimney stacks with a neighbour. We inspect the parts we can see safely and the parts the owner gives us access to. If a defect appears to be on the neighbour’s side, we note it and you can then discuss it with them. Everything is written up with photos and what we recommend. If you’re worried about frost-damaged brickwork on the stack and a stack that appears to lean, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on flaunching, chimney breasts and chimney pots and cowls alike.
Some older homes in villages like The Common are 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. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
Nothing in the report is left vague: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, along with how urgent it is.
- Location
- The Common (CB10)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Checking the roof from ground level
It helps to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry.
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Places near The Common
Also in The Common
Your questions about chimney surveys in The Common
How do I find out if my home in The Common is listed?
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.
Is The Common within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We work right across London and the South East. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when booking.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drones can’t fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. If the conditions aren’t right, we’ll talk to you about another date.
When does the report arrive?
The Premium Survey report comes the same day, the Standard within 24–48 hours and the Basic within 48 hours. All of them come by email, ready to forward.
What does a chimney survey cover?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access. Everything is written up with photos.
How experienced are you?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys, across London and South East England.
What does the report include?
It sets out what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, with photos throughout. Anything we couldn’t see safely is noted too.
Chimney surveys in The Common: local notes
What can be done to an older roof may depend on listing or a conservation area. The council is the place to check, along with Historic England’s list. Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, 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.
Anyone responsible for a site like Radwinter Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School will know that long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
The Common is about 4 miles east of Saffron Walden, in Essex. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in The Common can all book chimney surveys, with a written report and photographs every time. Our Essex coverage includes The Common. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
Surveys in CB10 are booked the same way as anywhere else. We also cover Radwinter (1 mile south), Maple End (1 mile south-west), Wimbish (2 miles south-west), Hempstead (2 miles east) and Church End (3 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Braintree (13 miles south-east), Saffron Walden (4 miles west), Halstead (14 miles south-east), Great Dunmow (10 miles south), Stansted Mountfitchet (10 miles south-west) and Great Notley (14 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in The Common
Nearby you’ll also find Castle Camps (2.8 miles north-east) and Saffron Walden Community Hospital (3.5 miles west). Not far away are Hales and Shadwell Woods.
Do you need a chimney survey in The Common?
Years of fires can affect the mortar inside a stack. Mortar can deteriorate unevenly from flue gases and moisture, which can make a stack lean.
Problems we come across frequently include:
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Church of St Mary the Virgin, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- What happens after the report arrives
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- Their insurance cover
What a chimney survey does not cover
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will tell you. What a survey covers and does not.
Roofs we survey in The Common
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
How the survey works
We work from the outside in: outside views come first, then the roof space if there’s safe access. In total, it takes about 1–2 hours at a typical home, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Older rural homes like those around The Common can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
How to prepare
- Check pets are kept safely away
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
Book a survey
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We will explain the options and the price.
Read more
What affects the price in The Common
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before booking. These are the things that affect it:
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Roof area
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
For a price for your roof in The Common, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and some details. We will confirm the figure before booking.
Booking your survey
If you can, have these to hand when you contact us:
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- When you need the report by
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price before you book.