If you have a redundant chimney stack in Great Dunmow and you want it taken down properly, knowing how to choose a contractor and what to ask before work starts will save you money and headaches.
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A chimney take-down is not simply knocking bricks off a roof. The stack is dismantled carefully, usually from the pot downwards, to a point below the roofline. The opening left in the roof is then closed off with new timbers, felt, and tiles or slates chosen to match the existing covering as closely as possible. Lead soakers and flashing, which previously sealed the joint between the stack and the roof, are removed and the area is made fully weathertight.
Where the chimney breast runs through the loft, the brickwork below roof level is usually left in place unless you are having internal work done separately. The loft void where the stack once passed through is sealed and insulated. Done properly, the finished roof should be virtually indistinguishable from the sections on either side.
A chimney you no longer use still takes the full force of the weather. Mortar joints between the bricks erode, pots crack, and lead flashing lifts at the edges. Rain finds its way in along these gaps and can track down inside the breast for weeks before it shows as a damp patch on a ceiling.
Chimney leaks are one of the most common sources of unexplained damp in older homes. The water entry point is often a metre or more above where the damage appears, which is why the problem is frequently misdiagnosed. If the stack is no longer in use, removing it entirely is often the most reliable long-term solution.
For a standard single stack taken down to below the roofline and the roof made good, typical UK prices run from around £800 to £1,500 depending on stack height, the pitch and complexity of the roof, the tile type, and how much lead work is involved. A stack on a hipped or valley roof costs more than one on a simple pitched section. Where scaffolding is needed, that adds to the overall figure - expect scaffolding for a two-storey house to cost £400 to £700 on top. Any contractor who cannot give you a clear breakdown of what their price includes is worth questioning.
This is the part most homeowners skip past, and it is the part that matters most. The quality of the finished roof over the old stack opening is entirely dependent on the care taken during the work. Here is what to look for and what to ask.
Be cautious of any contractor who asks for full payment upfront, who cannot explain in plain terms what the work involves, or who gives you a price before they have looked at the stack from the roof. A price given from the ground alone can easily be wrong by several hundred pounds once the actual condition of the stack, the lead, and the surrounding tiles is seen up close.
Pressure to sign up on the day, or claims that the stack is about to fall and needs immediate attention, are warning signs. A genuine structural emergency is rare and a reputable roofer will document what they have found rather than simply urging you to agree on the spot.
If you are keeping the chimney rather than removing it, repointing and lead flashing repairs are the two most common maintenance jobs. Repointing replaces the eroded mortar between the bricks and costs roughly £300 to £600 for a standard stack, depending on how much mortar has failed. Lead flashing that has lifted or cracked lets water in at the junction between the stack and the roof - this is one of the most frequent causes of chimney-related leaks and is worth addressing as a priority if the stack is staying.
If you are taking the stack down, neither repointing nor flashing repairs are necessary - the root cause disappears with the stack itself. Do not let a contractor talk you into repointing work on a chimney you have already decided to remove.
Yes - but "completely" means different things depending on how the job is scoped. Taking the stack down to below the roofline and tiling over the gap is the standard approach and is what most homeowners need. Removing the breast from inside the rooms below is a separate, more involved job that requires a structural engineer's input where the breast is load-bearing. Make sure you and your contractor are talking about the same scope of work before any price is agreed.
The right starting point is a face-to-face visit and an inspection from roof level, not a quote over the phone. Call Haverhill Roofers to arrange a roof survey and we will tell you exactly what the job involves on your property, what it will cost, and what the finished result will look like.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
