Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Ugley, Essex
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Ugley. We have completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Worn or missing pointing
- Bricks with flaking faces
How a chimney survey works in Ugley
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. Condensation inside an unventilated stack is another common cause. We check each possibility and record what we find. That points the work in the right direction. We survey flaunching, chimney pots and cowls and chimney breasts, and common reasons people get in touch are staining on walls around the chimney and redundant stacks capped without ventilation.
Older buildings in small places like Ugley may be listed or in a conservation area. If yours is, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so the council is the place to check. 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.
The report records the chimney stack as we found it on the day. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later.
- Where
- Ugley (CM22)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Landlord and commercial surveys in Ugley
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Ugley. To discuss a property or a block, call 07833 053749 or email us.
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, call 07833 053749 or email us with the addresses.
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney breasts and the loft
In the loft, staining around the stack often shows where water is getting in. We record what we see with photographs.
Lead flashings
Lead flashings seal the joint between the stack and the roof. The survey looks at whether the lead is tight, sound and well fixed.
Honest limits
Our survey isn’t a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will point you to the right survey. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we look at
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
Also in Ugley
DIY checks: what’s safe
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way. That’s where a survey comes in.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
When to book a survey in Ugley
Lots of homes have redundant stacks. A stack sealed without ventilation can trap damp. Damp patches can appear on chimney breasts even when nothing is leaking.
People typically book a survey after spotting one of these:
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
If you live in an older home near Church of St Peter, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Before you book anyone
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- How soon the report will arrive
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
Ugley homes and their roofs
In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, while many towns grew with post-war and newer estates. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. Historic houses such as Horham Hall, about 4.6 miles east, show how far back building in the area around Ugley goes. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof.
Landlords with a home close to Elsenham station may find that the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
Ugley is about 5 miles north of Bishop's Stortford, in Essex. Wherever you are in Ugley, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. We cover towns and villages across Essex, large and small. Chelmsford is in our area too.
Here we cover the CM22 postcode area for chimney surveys. We offer chimney surveys to properties on Patmore Fields and Vicarage Lane. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Quendon (1 mile north), Ugley Green (1 mile south-east), Elsenham (2 miles south-east), Henham (2 miles east) and Widdington (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Harlow (12 miles south), Saffron Walden (6 miles north), Great Dunmow (8 miles south-east), Great Notley (15 miles east), Bocking (15 miles east) and Newhall (12 miles south).
Around Ugley
In Ugley, that means homes and buildings near Cricketers Public House. Ugley’s nearest station is Elsenham station, about 1.6 miles south-east. A little further out are Herts and Essex Hospital (5.1 miles south) and House On The Hill Toy Museum (2.3 miles south). Not far away are Aubrey Buxton Nature Reserve.
The survey, step by step
Where it is relevant and can be reached safely, the roof space is checked as well as the outside. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement, as far as the space allows. The whole visit normally takes between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In a hamlet or village like Ugley, 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 with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Where there is safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Before we arrive
- Tell us where we can park nearby
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
Booking a survey
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Read more
FAQs for Ugley
Is my home in Ugley listed or in a conservation area?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it’s in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Is Ugley within the area you cover?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Not always. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not unless it’s safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where applicable, a drone, and the report notes anything we couldn’t see.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
What do I do with the report?
The report arrives by email. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation, and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first. Mention it when you get in touch and we’ll explain what’s needed.