Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Widford, Essex
Need a chimney survey in Widford? We can help, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
Chimney survey in Widford
Our chimney survey covers the stack and the details that keep water out around it: the pots and cowls, the flaunching on top, the pointing, the brickwork and the flashings where it meets the roof. Inside, we check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft where it is safe to reach. You get a written report with photos and our recommendations. We survey single stacks on houses and groups of stacks on bigger buildings. Typical surveys look at damaged chimney pots and cowls and worn or missing pointing, across brick chimney stacks, flaunching and chimney breasts.
Somewhere as small as Widford, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, often with chimneys that have stood a long time. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs frequently need the most attention.
Nothing in the report is left vague: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, along with how urgent it is.
- Place
- Widford (CM2, CM1)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Questions from Widford
Do you cover smaller places like Widford?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
How do I find out if my home in Widford is listed?
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.
What does a chimney survey cover?
The whole stack, as far as it can safely be seen: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. Leaning, unused stacks and damp on chimney breasts are recorded too.
Our stack is shared. Can you still survey it?
Yes. Many houses share stacks with a neighbour. We record the stack as far as we can see it and flag anything on the neighbour’s side.
Do you inspect the flue?
No. It isn’t a flue, sweep or gas safety inspection. We check the structure and weathering of the stack and any damp, and we’ll say if anything suggests the flue needs checking.
What does a roof survey cost?
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Our Basic Survey starts from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all with VAT included.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first. Mention it when you contact us and we will plan the survey around it.
Local roofs in Widford
Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. Whatever the covering, it’s frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. Hylands, about 0.4 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Widford. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
Trees in and around Oaklands Park shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall. For landlords with property near Chelmsford station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Widford is about 2 miles south-west of Chelmsford, in Essex. We survey roofs in Widford and the rest of Essex. Our Essex coverage includes Widford.
Every address in CM2 and CM1 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. That includes homes and businesses on London Road, Tattersall Way and Whitebeam Close. Widford is on the A414, so it is easy for us to get to. We also cover the places around Widford: Moulsham (1 mile north-east), Writtle (2 miles north-west), Chelmsford (2 miles north-east), Patching (3 miles north) and Chignall St James (3 miles north). We also work in nearby towns such as Basildon (10 miles south), Braintree (13 miles north-east), Harlow (15 miles west), Brentwood (9 miles south-west), Maldon (10 miles east) and Canvey Island (14 miles south-east).
Landmarks near Widford
Around Widford, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Oaklands Park, Moulsham High School and Chelmsford College. Widford’s nearest station is Chelmsford station, roughly 1.9 miles north-east. Well-known places in the area include Peter Edwards Museum And Library (1.6 miles north-east) and Chelmsford and Essex Hospital (0.6 miles north-east). Open spaces near Widford include Newland Grove.
How the survey works
We photograph the roof as we go, so the report shows exactly what we saw. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available, including by drone where it is applicable and the weather allows. A typical visit takes about 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. For a village or hamlet like Widford, the journey is planned ahead of time: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. On the day, we inspect what can be seen safely, inside and out.
- You tell us how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Before we arrive
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
Booking a survey
When you’re ready to go ahead, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.
Related advice
For landlords and managing agents
We survey roofs for letting agents and landlords as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photos, useful for planning maintenance.
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Widford. To discuss a property or a block, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
How the survey changes by roof type
Lead flashings
Some older stacks have mortar fillets instead of lead. They crack with age, and we check them too.
Chimney pots and cowls
A loose or cracked pot can fall from height. We photograph each pot and note any damage.
What a survey costs
Survey packages start from £150, with VAT included. The price for your roof depends on:
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Helping us price your survey
If you can, have these to hand when you get in touch:
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- The address and postcode of the property
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, so call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the details.
Tips from our surveys
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. A few suggestions:
- Do not use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
You get the report by email and can pass it to whoever does the work. Each defect is described in plain words and shown in a photo so anyone reading it can see what we saw.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. It’s far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
Places near Widford
Also in Widford
Common roof problems in Widford
Many chimneys are no longer used. 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 can pick up problems such as:
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Lifted or split lead flashings
If you live in an older home near Church of St Mary, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- When you will get the report
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Are they insured for the work?
- Which limits apply to the survey