Hertfordshire · London and the South East
The Willows Chimney Survey
We take a careful look at the chimney stack at your property in The Willows, with photos and a written report.
- A chimney out of line
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
Why it’s worth a survey now in The Willows
Chimneys are easy to forget because you rarely see the top of them. Defects tend to go unseen until there is a stain. A survey gives you a clear picture before that happens. Older cottages and farmhouses around The Willows can have roof timbers that have been there a very long time, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it’s left.
There are three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all inc. VAT. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Why us?
- Photos and a written report every time
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and two real surveys.
How a chimney survey works in The Willows
Redundant chimneys are common, particularly where fires have been replaced by central heating. Even when it isn’t used, a stack has to stay weathertight. Capping a stack without ventilation can trap moisture and lead to damp inside. We check how redundant stacks have been capped and look for damp in the chimney breasts. The report sets out what we found and what we recommend. We survey brick chimney stacks, chimney breasts and shared and party-wall stacks, and people most often book us about flashings pulling away from the stack and disused chimneys trapping moisture.
Older buildings in small places like The Willows 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. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
The report records the chimney stack as we found it on the day. It’s useful straight away, and a good reference for later.
- Place
- The Willows (SG9)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
When you need someone else
Some things cannot be seen without opening up the roof, and that sets some limits:
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you. What a survey covers and does not.
What we check
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
Questions from The Willows
I let a flat near Stansted Mountfitchet station. Can you check the roof?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. You can ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and what you need.
How do I find out if my home in The Willows is listed?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It is worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We are experienced roof surveyors, and visible signs such as sagging are noted, but calculations and an engineer’s opinion are outside what we do. If one is needed, the report says so.
Does the report include photographs?
Yes. Photos are taken throughout the survey, and the report uses them to show each finding.
How soon will I get the report?
Each package has its own report time. Basic: within 48 hours. Standard: 24 to 48 hours. Premium: the same day. If you have a deadline, such as an exchange date, let us know as you book.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it’s applicable. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and every flight depends on the airspace and the weather.
Are you insured?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Also near The Willows
What else we do in The Willows
How it works
Photographs 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. A typical visit takes about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Somewhere as small as The Willows, access is often the only tricky part. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- 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.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Before the survey
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with whoever owns or manages the building
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
How to book
A quick phone call is normally the easiest start: ring 07833 053749 or send us an email, and we will ask about the building and what you need. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Related advice
Tips from our surveys
There’s plenty you can do without going near the roof. Here’s what helps most:
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
If the report recommends a structural engineer, a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer, it will say why. That helps you brief them.
Check redundant flues are capped with ventilation. That helps stop damp building up inside.
Chimney surveys around The Willows
Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates, and flat-roofed additions turn up almost everywhere. Whatever the covering, it is often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. There are about 500,000 buildings on England’s list of listed buildings, and around 10,000 conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, so check with the council.
If you look after a building such as Furneux Pelham Church of England School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Church of St Mary, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
The Willows is about 5 miles north-west of Bishop's Stortford, in Hertfordshire. Roofs in The Willows get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Hertfordshire. The Willows is one of the places in Hertfordshire we cover for chimney surveys. Chelmsford is in our area too.
Surveys in SG9 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Streets in the area include Ginns Road and The Wash, all of which we cover. If you are just outside The Willows, we cover Stocking Pelham (1 mile north-east), Berden (2 miles north-east), Uppend (2 miles south-east), Starling's Green (2 miles north-east) and Mount Pleasant (2 miles south-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Stevenage (12 miles west), Bishop's Stortford (5 miles south-east), Hoddesdon (13 miles south), Hertford (12 miles south-west), Letchworth (14 miles west) and Ware (10 miles south-west).
Around The Willows
In The Willows, that means homes and buildings near The Cock pub and the streets around them. The closest station to The Willows is Stansted Mountfitchet station, roughly 4.7 miles south-east. A little further out are Brent Pelham (2.2 miles north-west) and Herts and Essex Hospital (5.6 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Aubrey Buxton Nature Reserve.
Signs you need a chimney survey in The Willows
Removing a chimney breast inside can leave questions about how the stack is supported. We record what we can see in the loft and outside, and the report recommends a structural engineer if support is a concern.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- A chimney out of line
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
If you own a rental within reach of Stansted Mountfitchet station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
What to check before booking
- Their insurance cover
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney breasts and the loft
If a chimney breast has been removed below, we note what we can see of the support above. Confirming the support is a job for a structural engineer.
Flaunching
Flaunching is the mortar on top of a stack that holds the pots and sheds water. Cracks in it let water into the stack.