Essex · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Upper Pond Street
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Upper Pond Street, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Worn or missing pointing
Chimney survey in Upper Pond Street: what you get
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. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. That points the work in the right direction. We are often asked to look into spalled or crumbling bricks and pots or cowls that look unsafe, on chimney breasts, brick chimney stacks and flaunching.
Village roofs frequently face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, 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. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are often the first to give way.
You receive the findings by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24–48 hours and Premium on the day.
- Where
- Upper Pond Street (CB11)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What a survey costs
To price your survey, we look at:
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where applicable, from £400 with VAT included. We will tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Getting in touch
You don’t need to know any roofing terms. It is enough to tell us:
- Whether there is a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- What made you get in touch
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
You can call us seven days a week. To book or ask a question, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Tips from our surveys
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
Once we have been, the findings are written up with photos. It covers the pots, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings, and any damp we found inside. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24 to 48 hours and Premium reports the same day.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
What happens on the day
It helps to start with what’s prompted the survey: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. It helps us focus on what matters most to you. Most visits take roughly 1–2 hours at most homes, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Somewhere as small as Upper Pond Street, access is frequently the only tricky part. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- You let us know 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.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
How to prepare
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Find any records of previous roof work
Booking a survey
Unsure which package suits your roof? The easiest way is to ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
Read more
What a chimney survey looks like in Upper Pond Street
Older buildings in Essex often have clay tiles and weatherboarding, while many towns grew with post-war and newer estates. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look. The wider area around Upper Pond Street has a long history of building, with Audley End House about 4 miles east. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
If you live in an older home near The Hamlet Church, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Upper Pond Street is about 5 miles west of Saffron Walden, in Essex. We survey roofs in Upper Pond Street and the rest of Essex, as part of our work across London and the South East. Upper Pond Street is one of the towns and villages in Essex we cover for chimney surveys. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
Here we cover the CB11 postcode area for chimney surveys. We also cover the places around Upper Pond Street: Bridge Green (1 mile east), Elmdon (2 miles north), Norton End (3 miles east) and Ickleton (4 miles north-east). Further out, we also cover Saffron Walden (5 miles east), Great Dunmow (14 miles south-east), Stansted Mountfitchet (8 miles south), Elsenham (8 miles south-east), Church End (14 miles south-east) and Thaxted (10 miles south-east).
Landmarks near Upper Pond Street
We work in homes and buildings around Woodman Public House. Upper Pond Street’s nearest station is Audley End station, roughly 3.5 miles east. Well-known places in the area include Saffron Walden Community Hospital (5.6 miles east) and The Warren (3.1 miles south-west).
What we are asked to look at in Upper Pond Street
The flaunching on top of a stack holds the pots in place and sheds water. Cracked flaunching lets water in, and each winter makes it worse. Loose pots can follow.
Common reasons to book include:
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
Landlords with a home close to Audley End station may find that the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
What to check before booking
- Their track record with similar roofs
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
What we look for on each type of roof
Flaunching
The sloping mortar around the pots is called flaunching. Once it cracks, water can get straight into the brickwork.
Lead flashings
Over time, lead can lift or come away from the brickwork. We photograph any we find that look loose or damaged.
Why act early in Upper Pond Street
Loose pots and bricks on a stack are a safety concern. Finding them early means they can be dealt with before they come down by a roofer. In a place like Upper Pond Street, a barn or garage roof left to fail puts whatever is inside at risk. It is worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
There are three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Why us?
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- Surveys on any day of the week
See our cost guide or our case studies.
FAQs for Upper Pond Street
Is my home in Upper Pond Street listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do you cover smaller places like Upper Pond Street?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route as you book.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime, which suits people who work during the week. Let us know your preferred days when you book.
Does someone need to be in?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. Access is agreed with you as you book.
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, tell us as you book.
How can you see the top of the stack?
We look from the ground, from windows and from the loft where it’s safe. Where applicable, our Premium Survey adds a drone inspection for a closer view. The report is clear about anything that couldn’t be seen.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it is applicable. 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.