Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Wix, Essex
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Wix, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
How the survey works
We photograph the roof as we go, so you can see in the report what we found and where. We take close-ups from wherever is safe, including by drone where it’s applicable and the weather allows. A typical visit takes between one and two hours at most homes, and longer for a large or complex roof. Cottages and farmhouses around Wix frequently have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We check every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there is access.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
Getting a price
Most bookings start with a short call: call 07833 053749 or email us. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.
Advice
About our chimney survey in Wix
Our chimney survey covers the stack and the details that keep water out around it: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and the flashings at the roof line. We also look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access. You get a written report with photos and our recommendations. We survey single stacks on houses and groups of stacks on bigger buildings. If you’ve noticed flaunching that has broken away and lifted or split lead flashings, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Somewhere as small as Wix, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, frequently with chimneys that have stood a long time. We report on whatever is safely visible, and thatch is a specialist material. On older roofs, it’s normally the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the coverings down to the gutters. You’ll see the good as well as the bad.
- Place
- Wix (CO11)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How we price chimney surveys
We confirm the price for your survey before booking. These are the things that affect it:
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Height and safe access
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so the price reflects that. The price is confirmed before booking.
What to tell us when you get in touch
Getting the details right at the start saves time. Please include:
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- Anything about access we should know
- The kind of building and roof involved
We confirm the price for your roof before booking, so you know the cost up front. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Why act early in Wix
Cracked flaunching and worn pointing are often modest repairs when they’re caught early. Left for a few winters, frost and water can loosen pots and bricks and the job gets bigger. Outbuildings and barns around Wix are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. A quick look before winter can save a lot.
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with VAT included. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, both including VAT. We confirm the price for your roof before you book.
Why book us in Wix
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- Every finding written up with photos
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and two real surveys.
Signs you need a chimney survey in Wix
Stacks that were used for open fires for many years can weaken from the inside. Flue gases and damp can break down the mortar, sometimes more on one side than the other, which can make a stack lean.
Common reasons to book include:
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
Landlords with a home close to Wrabness station may find that knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Before you book anyone
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- What they will not be able to tell you
Tips that help
Small things make a difference, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Our tips:
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Make sure unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
Questions about the findings are always welcome. Standard Surveys come with a follow-up consultation, and Premium Surveys with an in-person one.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
Nearby places to Wix
What else we do in Wix
What we cannot see
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so there are some things a survey cannot cover:
- Hidden damage within the stack
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will tell you before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What this survey covers
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
Questions from Wix
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Wix?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Is the coastal weather around Wix hard on roofs?
Places near the sea get more wind and more salt in the air than inland, and both are hard on roofs. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
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.
How quickly is the report sent?
The Premium Survey report comes the same day, the Standard within 24–48 hours and the Basic within 48 hours. All of them come by email, ready to forward.
Will I get photos?
Yes, every report has them. Pictures sit next to the findings they show, which makes the report easy to follow.
Is Wix in your area?
Yes. Our area covers London and South East England, Wix included.
How long is the visit?
Most surveys take an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. The report follows by email.
Chimney surveys in Wix: local notes
Wix lies within about 3 miles of the sea, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. The wider area around Wix has a long history of building, with Thorpe Hall about 4.3 miles south. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Take an older house close to Church of St Mary: old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs. For site and facilities teams at buildings like Wix and Wrabness Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Wix is about 5 miles west of Harwich, in Essex. In Wix, as across Essex, every roof gets the same careful survey. Wix is one of the places in Essex where we work for chimney surveys. Chelmsford is in our area too.
All of CO11 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We cover properties on Hunters Court, Colchester Road and Harwich Road and the roads around them. If you’re just outside Wix, we cover Wix Green (1 mile east), Bradfield (2 miles north-west), Bradfield Heath (2 miles north-west), Great Oakley (2 miles east) and Wrabness (2 miles north-east). Further out, we also cover Colchester (10 miles west), Clacton-on-Sea (8 miles south), Harwich (5 miles east), Camulodunum (12 miles west), Greenstead (9 miles west) and Wivenhoe (8 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Wix
In Wix, that means homes and buildings near The White Hart Inn, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Wrabness station, about 2.3 miles north-east of the centre. Green spaces nearby include Oakfield Wood and Alton Water.