Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Widdington, Essex
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching for Widdington and the rest of Essex. We survey seven days a week.
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
What happens on the day
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you need to know. We then inspect everything that can be seen safely, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where applicable. Most surveys take about 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. Older rural homes like those around Widdington 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.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Where there’s safe access, we look at 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.
How to prepare
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Book a survey
To get a price for chimney surveys in Widdington, phone 07833 053749 or email us. A few details about the property and the roof help us give you an accurate price.
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Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Widdington
Redundant chimneys are common, particularly where fires have been replaced by central heating. A disused stack still needs looking after. If it has been capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside it. We check how redundant stacks have been capped and look for damp in the chimney breasts. You get photos of each stack and our recommendations. If you’re worried about damp on a chimney breast inside and frost-damaged brickwork on the stack, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on brick chimney stacks, flaunching and shared and party-wall stacks alike.
Some older homes in villages like Widdington are 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. Older materials such as clay tiles, slate and stone are frequently matched when work is done.
Findings are set out part by part, from the coverings down to the gutters. It records what’s sound as well as what isn’t.
- Where
- Widdington (CB11)
- Region
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
When to book a survey in Widdington
Lots of homes have redundant stacks. If a stack is capped or blocked without ventilation, moisture can build up inside. Damp patches can appear on chimney breasts even when nothing is leaking.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- A stack that appears to lean
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
Landlords with a home close to Newport (Essex) station may find that a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Questions to ask before booking
- Will the report include photos?
- When you will get the report
- What insurance they carry
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
Can I check my roof myself?
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and a fall can be serious. That is where a survey comes in.
You can learn a lot from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
Before and after the survey
Nothing here needs a ladder. A few suggestions:
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
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. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Look at your chimneys from the ground now and then, particularly after strong winds. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.
FAQs for Widdington
Can a landlord with a rental near Newport (Essex) station book a roof survey?
Yes, landlords and agents book with us as well as owners. You can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and a few details, including who will give access on the day.
Will you come out to Widdington?
Yes, Widdington is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. We look at the roof, not the whole building, so it’s not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It can sit alongside a RICS survey if you want both.
What’s in the survey report?
Written findings with photographs, covering the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check, and the Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, if the freeholder or managing agent agrees access. We look at the parts we are given access to, and the report makes that clear.
Do you inspect the flue?
No. We survey the stack and its weathering, not the flue. For the flue, you’ll need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
How long will you be at the property?
That depends on the size and shape of the roof; most visits take about one to two hours for a house, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. The written report follows by email.
Prices for chimney surveys in Widdington
We confirm the price for the job before you book. This is what makes a difference:
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- Which survey package you book
- The size of the roof
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
To find out what your survey will cost, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and some details. We will confirm the figure before booking.
Helping us price your survey
When you call or email, these details help:
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- The property’s address and postcode
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- What made you get in touch
We confirm the price for your survey before booking, so you know the cost up front. Prices start from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
What a chimney survey looks like in Widdington
About 3.4 miles south-east lies Horham Hall, a reminder of how long the area around Widdington has been built on. If yours is one of the older homes, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. In Essex, older buildings are frequently clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
Anyone responsible for a site like Joyce Frankland Academy will know that its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. For an older house near a landmark such as Church of St Mary the Virgin, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Widdington is about 4 miles south of Saffron Walden, in Essex. Roofs in Widdington get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Essex. Widdington is one of the places in Essex where we work for chimney surveys. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
Here we cover the CB11 postcode area for chimney surveys. That includes homes and businesses on High Street, South Green and Church View. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Rook End (1 mile north-east), Quendon (2 miles west), Debden (2 miles north-east), Newport (2 miles north-west) and Henham (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Braintree (15 miles east), Harlow (14 miles south), Saffron Walden (4 miles north), Great Dunmow (8 miles south-east), Stansted Mountfitchet (4 miles south-west) and Great Notley (14 miles south-east).
Around Widdington
We work in homes and buildings around Fleur De Lys Inn, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Newport (Essex) station, about 1.5 miles north-west. A little further out are Saffron Walden Community Hospital (4.4 miles north). Open spaces near Widdington include Aubrey Buxton Nature Reserve.
What we cannot see
It’s useful to know what a survey will not do before booking:
- Parts of the stack that cannot be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we cannot access
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will point you to the right survey before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roof types and parts we check
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching