Essex · London and the South East
Willingale Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Willingale, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photographs.
- Worn or missing pointing
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Lifted or split lead flashings
About our chimney survey in Willingale
We inspect chimneys from wherever they can safely be seen: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the loft space where it is safe. With our Premium Survey, a drone inspection is included where it applies. If we can’t see part of the stack, the report makes that clear. Each defect is recorded with a photo and a plain description. We survey lead flashings, shared and party-wall stacks and chimney breasts, and common reasons people get in touch are gaps where the stack meets the roof and disused chimneys trapping moisture.
In a small place like Willingale, many roofs stand in the open, 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.
We keep jargon out of it: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, along with how urgent it is.
- Place
- Willingale (CM5)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Landlords, agents and block managers in Willingale
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. Recommendations are set out in order of urgency where relevant, which helps when budgeting.
With a portfolio of properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the addresses.
The survey, step by step
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. Then the inspection itself takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Somewhere as small as Willingale, access is frequently the only tricky part. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- 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 is safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
Before the survey
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Arrange a survey
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Advice
Nearby places to Willingale
What else we do in Willingale
When to book a survey in Willingale
Some owners book because a chimney breast has been removed below and they want to know about the stack above. We note what’s visible in the loft space and outside, and the report recommends a structural engineer if support is a concern.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- A chimney out of line
In and around Willingale, as anywhere, a roof is easiest to deal with when its problems are found early.
Before booking anyone
- What insurance they carry
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Their report turnaround times
- Will the report include photos?
Useful tips for Willingale property owners
You do not need to be a roofer to help. Here’s what helps most:
- 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
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
After the visit, we write up the report with photographs of each stack. 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.
Have aerial and dish brackets on the stack checked, and moved if they’re working it loose. Less load on the stack means less strain in wind.
What a survey costs
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. The main factors are:
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- Roof area
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package you pick makes a difference too. The price is always agreed first.
Getting in touch
Before you get in touch, it’s useful to have:
- Access details, like a loft hatch or a shared roof
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
- Dates you’re working to, like exchange
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email when you’re ready.
Local roofs in Willingale
Older buildings in Essex often have clay tiles and weatherboarding, and lots of post-war and modern estates besides. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings. 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 the council is the place to ask.
The streets around a church such as Parish Church of St Christopher Willingale Doe are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Willingale is about 7 miles west of Chelmsford, in Essex. We cover Willingale and the rest of Essex, as part of our work across London and the South East. Willingale is one of the places in Essex we cover for chimney surveys. We also survey roofs in Chelmsford.
We survey roofs across the CM5 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. Local streets include The Street, Manns Yard and Fyfield Road. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Berners Roding (1 mile north), Shellow Bowells (1 mile east), Radley Green (2 miles south-east), Norton Heath (2 miles south) and Chalk End (3 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Chelmsford (7 miles east), Basildon (13 miles south-east), Braintree (14 miles north-east), Harlow (9 miles west), Brentwood (8 miles south) and Billericay (9 miles south-east).
Landmarks near Willingale
In Willingale, that means homes and buildings near The Bell Public House and the streets around them. Other landmarks nearby include Willingale Doe (0.6 miles north-east).
FAQs for Willingale
Is Willingale within the area you cover?
Yes. Willingale is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
Is my home in Willingale listed or in a conservation area?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
What do you check on a chimney?
The whole stack, as far as it can be seen safely: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. Leaning, unused stacks and damp on chimney breasts are recorded too.
What do I do with the report?
You receive the written report by email, with photos and recommendations. You can use it to talk to a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent, whichever applies.
Our stack is shared. Can you still survey it?
Yes. Shared stacks are common on terraced and semi-detached houses. We record the stack as far as we can see it and flag anything on the neighbour’s side.
What’s in the survey report?
It works through the roof part by part, in writing and with photos. Points are put with the most urgent first where relevant.
Should a redundant chimney be removed?
An unused stack still needs to stay weathertight and ventilated. Capping without airflow can lead to damp. Our survey records its condition and how it’s capped, so you can decide with a builder what to do.
DIY checks: what’s safe
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry.