Essex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Woodhatch, Essex
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Woodhatch, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Mortar washing out of the joints
Chimney survey in Woodhatch: what you get
Each stack is looked at from the safest viewpoints available: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the roof space where it is safe. A drone inspection is part of our Premium Survey where it applies. Where part of a stack cannot be seen, the report says so. Each defect is recorded with a photo and a plain description. Common reasons to book are damaged chimney pots and cowls and a chimney out of line, on lead flashings, chimney breasts and flaunching.
Village roofs frequently face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A roof report shows what needs attention first. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are often the first to give way.
The report records the chimney stack as we found it on the day. It is useful straight away, and a good reference for later.
- Where
- Woodhatch (CM16)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
Every roof is different; as a rough guide, the survey takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. If you have questions on the day, just ask. Somewhere like Woodhatch needs a little journey planning: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- You tell us how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- The stacks are looked at from ground level, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- 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.
Before the survey
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
Arrange a survey
Unsure which package suits your roof? The easiest way is to ring 07833 053749 or email us and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
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Your questions about chimney surveys in Woodhatch
How do I find out if my home in Woodhatch is listed?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Is Woodhatch in the area you cover?
Yes, Woodhatch is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We do not sample or test for asbestos. Where a material might contain it, such as old cement sheets on a building from before 2000, the report flags it, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it is disturbed.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. We inspect everything that’s safely in view and what you give us access to. Where a problem appears to be on next door’s side, we note it, so you can discuss it with them.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it’s applicable and safe, yes. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where it applies.
Do you look in the roof space?
Where it is relevant to the survey and there’s safe access, yes. A clear path to the hatch helps, and if the loft cannot be reached safely, the report says so.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
Normally it is water getting in from outside, or condensation in a sealed stack. The survey looks at the stack, the flashings and the capping, and record what we find.
Different roofs, different checks
Rendered stacks
We cannot see the bricks behind render without it being opened up, so the report says what can and can’t be judged.
Lead flashings
Flashings can lift in wind or pull out of their mortar joints. Any loose or split flashings are recorded.
Towns and villages near Woodhatch
What else we do in Woodhatch
Useful tips for Woodhatch property owners
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Check your stacks from ground level after strong winds
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Make sure fixings on the stack are secure
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. Because everyone is pricing the same findings, the quotes are easier to compare.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Woodhatch
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf, with the report sent to whoever needs it. Access is agreed with the tenant in advance.
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client, photographs included.
Checking the roof from ground level
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
Woodhatch homes and their roofs
Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, while many towns grew with post-war and newer estates. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. The wider area around Woodhatch has a long history of building, with Hill Hall about 1.3 miles south-west. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Homes near green spaces such as Roughtalley's Wood can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching.
Woodhatch is about 5 miles north-east of Loughton, in Essex. Wherever you are in Woodhatch, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. We cover towns and villages across Essex, large and small. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
Surveys in CM16 are booked the same way as anywhere else. If you’re just outside Woodhatch, we cover Toot Hill (1 mile north-east), Stapleford Tawney (1 mile south), Fiddlers Hamlet (2 miles west), Steward's Green (2 miles west) and Hobbs Cross (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Chelmsford (14 miles east), Basildon (15 miles south-east), Harlow (6 miles north-west), Brentwood (7 miles south-east), Billericay (12 miles east) and Loughton (5 miles south-west).
Near you in Woodhatch
In Woodhatch, that means homes and buildings near The Mole Trap pub and Roughtalley's Wood and the streets around them. Well-known places in the area include St. Margaret's Hospital (2.2 miles north-west) and Epping Signalling Museum (2.3 miles west). Open spaces near Woodhatch include Gernon Bushes.
Honest limits
Every survey has limits, and we’d rather be clear about that before you book. Keep these in mind:
- Hidden damage within the stack
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will suggest the right survey. What a survey covers and does not.
Roofs we survey in Woodhatch
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings