Essex · London and the South East
The Green Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in The Green. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Mortar washing out of the joints
How a chimney survey works in The Green
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. We are frequently asked to look into eroded joints in the brickwork and gaps where the stack meets the roof, across lead flashings, shared and party-wall stacks and chimney pots and cowls.
In a small place like The Green, many roofs stand in the open, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- The Green (CM8)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Checking the roof from the ground
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
A lot can be seen from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
How it works
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof; as a rough guide, the survey takes between one and two hours for a house, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. You’re welcome to ask questions while we are there. Older rural homes like those around The Green can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely.
- You tell us whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- We check the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Getting ready for the survey
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Arrange a survey
For a price for chimney surveys in The Green, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email. A few details about the property and the roof help us price the survey accurately.
Related advice
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in The Green
Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, and lots of post-war and modern estates besides. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. Before planning roof work on an older home, find out whether it is listed or in a conservation area. Listed building consent covers changes to a listed building’s special interest, and an Article 4 direction can bring extra controls in a conservation area.
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near St Barnabas, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs. If you look after a building such as Cressing Primary School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
The Green is about 3 miles south of Braintree, in Essex. From houses to flats and shops in The Green, we can survey the roof. Our area takes in places right across Essex, large and small. There is also a page for Chelmsford.
Chimney surveys in CM8 are booked the same way as anywhere else. We also cover the places around The Green: Black Notley (1 mile north-west), Tye Green (1 mile north-east), Hawbush Green (1 mile north-east), White Notley (1 mile south-east) and Long Green (1 mile north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Colchester (14 miles east), Chelmsford (8 miles south-west), Braintree (3 miles north), Maldon (9 miles south-east), Witham (4 miles south-east) and Camulodunum (13 miles east).
Near you in The Green
Around The Green, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Braintree Sixth Form and The Plough pub. The closest station to The Green is Cressing station, roughly 0.5 miles north-east. A little further out are William Julien Courtauld Hospital (2.4 miles north-west) and Cressing Temple (1.7 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Sandylay and Moat Woods.
Questions from The Green
How do I find out if my home in The Green 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 is worth checking before planning any.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Cressing station?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. You can call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and some details, including who will give access on the day.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We are roof surveyors, not structural engineers. We will recommend an engineer if we see signs that call for one.
How do I arrange a chimney survey in The Green?
The quickest way is to ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. Give us the address and some details about the roof, and we will take it from there. We survey on weekdays and at weekends.
Do you work in The Green?
Yes. We survey roofs across London and South East England, The Green included.
What do I do with the report?
The report arrives by email. With Standard there’s a follow-up consultation; with Premium, an in-person consultation, so you can talk the findings through.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Not always. Some roofs are too steep or fragile to walk on safely. Safe viewpoints, the loft and a drone where applicable let us see the rest.
Different roofs, different checks
Lead flashings
Where the chimney meets the roof slopes, lead flashings keep water out. The survey looks at whether the lead is tight, sound and well fixed.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Inside, chimney breasts can show damp when water gets into the stack. We check them and at the stack in the loft where there is safe access.
Why get it checked now?
A damp chimney breast seldom dries out until the cause is found. It can stain walls and damage plaster. Knowing whether it is the flaunching, flashings, brickwork or ventilation means the right fix can be planned. Outbuildings and barns around The Green are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. A quick look before winter can save a lot.
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so the price reflects that. The price is confirmed before you book.
Why us?
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- Package prices that include VAT
- An independent look at the roof
- 98% customer satisfaction
Read how roof surveys are priced and what we found on two real jobs.
When you need someone else
This isn’t a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- Parts of the stack that can’t be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we can’t access
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll point you to the right survey. The full list of what we check.
What we check
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
Places near The Green
Also in The Green
Common roof problems in The Green
Where a chimney meets the roof, lead flashings keep water out. 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.
People typically book a survey after spotting one of these:
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
For landlords with property near Cressing station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Questions to ask before you book
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- How soon the report will arrive
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Whether the inside of the roof is included