West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Albourne Green, West Sussex
Not sure what state the chimney stack is in? We carry out chimney surveys in Albourne Green and across West Sussex, with plain-English findings.
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
How a chimney survey works in Albourne Green
Chimney stacks take more weather than almost any other part of a house. Over the years, the flaunching cracks, the pointing wears and flashings lift. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the roof space. A survey finds these problems and records them with photos. If you’ve noticed staining on walls around the chimney and redundant stacks capped without ventilation, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Some older homes in villages like Albourne Green are listed or in a conservation area. If yours is, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so the council is the place to check. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Older materials such as clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent.
- Place
- Albourne Green (BN6)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
For landlords and managing agents
Where a roof is shared: we need access agreed with the freeholder or managing agent. Let us know about it when you book and we will plan the visit with that in mind.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too. Bigger roofs take more time.
Albourne Green: your questions answered
Is my home in Albourne Green listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Will you come out to Albourne Green?
Yes. Albourne Green is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We survey roofs across London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
What do you check on a chimney?
The whole stack, as far as it can safely be seen: from the pots and flaunching down to the flashings. We also note leaning, redundant stacks and damp inside.
Can you find out why my chimney breast is damp?
Damp on a chimney breast normally means water is getting into the stack, or moisture is trapped inside it. We check the stack, the flashings and how unused flues are capped, and record what we find.
Do you need to get into the loft?
If it’s needed and safe to reach, yes. Inside, we look for damp, staining, gaps and sagging, as far as the space allows.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it’s applicable. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, and we check for restrictions near airports before flying. We are a CAA-registered drone operator.
How long does the survey take?
Expect it to take an hour or two on an ordinary house, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. You will then get the report by email, on the timescale of your package.
How the survey changes by roof type
Rendered stacks
We can’t see the bricks behind render without it being opened up, so the report explains what we could and couldn’t assess.
Lead flashings
Flashings can lift in wind or pull out of their mortar joints. We photograph any we find that look loose or damaged.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Albourne Green
Listing and conservation areas can both shape what roof work is allowed on an older home. The council is the place to check, along with Historic England’s list, before anyone quotes for re-roofing. In Sussex, older roofs are often handmade clay tile, frequently with tile-hanging on the walls below. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
Anyone responsible for a site like Albourne CofE Primary School will know that long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. Take an older house close to The Parish Church of St Bartholomew: the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Albourne Green is about 4 miles south-west of Burgess Hill, in West Sussex. Anywhere in Albourne Green, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Our area takes in places right across West Sussex. Our Brighton page covers surveys nearby.
Here we cover the BN6 postcode area for chimney surveys. That includes homes and businesses on The Street and Barn Close. If you’re just outside Albourne Green, we cover Albourne Street (1 mile south), Albourne (1 mile south-west), High Cross (1 mile north-west), Blackstone (1 mile west) and Twineham (2 miles north). Larger places within reach include Crawley (12 miles north), Horsham (10 miles north-west), Worthing (12 miles south-west), Haywards Heath (6 miles north-east), Burgess Hill (4 miles north-east) and Shoreham-by-Sea (8 miles south-west).
Around Albourne Green
We work in homes and buildings around The White Horse Inn, among other places. The nearest railway station is Hassocks station, about 2.6 miles east. Other landmarks nearby include The Dene Hospital (2.5 miles north-east) and The Budding Foundation Museum of Gardening (2.3 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Wolstonbury Hill and Woods Mill.
When to book a survey in Albourne Green
Flaunching is the mortar bed that holds the pots and throws water off the top. Cracked flaunching lets water in, and each winter makes it worse. Loose pots can follow.
It’s worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
If you own a rental within reach of Hassocks station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Before you book anyone
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Their report turnaround times
- What happens after the report arrives
- Whether you get a written report with photos
Why get it checked now?
For a buyer, the best time to learn about a chimney is before exchange. After that, any work is yours to arrange and pay for. Our report gives you facts to raise with the seller or agent. Around Albourne Green, older homes often have old roof timbers, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it’s left.
There are three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, all with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Why us?
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- Clear package prices, inc. VAT
Read our cost guide and our case studies.
Honest limits
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will suggest the right survey. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
How the survey works
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you need to know. We then inspect everything that can be seen safely, from ground level, from windows, in the roof space and by drone where it applies. The survey normally takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. For a village or hamlet like Albourne Green, the journey is planned beforehand: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- The stacks are looked at from the ground, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Before we arrive
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
Getting a price
Not sure which survey you need? It is easiest to call 07833 053749 or email us and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll explain the options and the price.