East Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Alfriston
An experienced roof surveyor for chimney surveys in Alfriston. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys.
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Mortar washing out of the joints
Chimney survey in Alfriston: what you get
A chimney survey is about the outside of the stack and the roof around it. It isn’t a flue inspection, a sweep or a gas safety check. For the flue itself, you’ll need a sweep or, for gas appliances, a Gas Safe registered engineer. If something we see points to the flue, we will say so. We survey lead flashings, chimney breasts and shared and party-wall stacks, and common reasons people get in touch are signs that a stack is leaning and flashings pulling away from the stack.
Somewhere as small as Alfriston, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. We report on everything that’s safely in view, and thatch is a specialist material. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Location
- Alfriston (BN26)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Roof by roof
Chimney pots and cowls
For unused flues, we check whether caps or cowls allow ventilation. Capping without ventilation can trap moisture.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Damp patches on chimney breasts frequently point to a problem above. We check the breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach.
Towns and villages near Alfriston
Other services in Alfriston
What we do, step by step
We work from the outside in: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the roof space where it can be reached. All told, expect about one to two hours at a typical home, and more on a big or complicated roof. Older rural homes like those around Alfriston can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- 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.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Before the survey
- Keep pets in another room
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Booking a survey
We survey roofs on any day of the week. To arrange a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Related advice
Alfriston: your questions answered
Is my home in Alfriston listed or in a conservation area?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Is Alfriston within the area you cover?
Yes. Alfriston is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. Our area covers London and the South East. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
Do you test for asbestos?
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’s disturbed.
Should a redundant chimney be removed?
It depends on its condition and your plans. The survey shows its condition and how it’s been capped. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need consent.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have completed over 5,000 surveys.
Are you structural engineers?
No. Visible signs like deflection or sagging are recorded, but calculations and an engineer’s opinion are outside what we do. The report will say if you need an engineer.
Do you look in the loft space?
Yes, where the survey calls for it and there’s safe access. Inside, we look for damp, staining, gaps and sagging, as far as the space allows.
Tips from our surveys
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out:
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Do not use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
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.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
Chimney surveys around Alfriston
The coast is about 4 miles or less from Alfriston, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, while gales work at loose ridges, slates and tiles, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. About 0.2 miles south-east lies Alfriston Clergy House, a reminder of how long the area around Alfriston has been built on. 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.
If you let a flat or house near Berwick (Sussex) station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant. Take an older house close to Church of St. Andrew: its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Alfriston is about 3 miles north-east of Seaford, in East Sussex. Bookings from Alfriston are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Our area takes in places right across East Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. Brighton is in our area too.
Surveys in BN26 are booked the same way as anywhere else. If you need a chimney survey at a property on High Street, Ropewalk and West Street or anywhere close by, we can survey it. If you’re just outside Alfriston, we cover Winton (1 mile north), Lullington (1 mile south-east), Dukes Green (1 mile south), Milton Street (1 mile north-east) and Alciston (2 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Eastbourne (6 miles east), Bexhill-on-Sea (14 miles east), Seaford (3 miles south-west), Lewes (8 miles north-west), Hailsham (6 miles north-east) and Uckfield (11 miles north).
Around Alfriston
Around Alfriston, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Ye Olde Smugglers Inn. For rail, the closest station is Berwick (Sussex) station, about 2.2 miles north. Nearby you will also find Old Forge Museum (Alfriston) (within half a mile north-east) and Chailey Heritage Marine Hospital (4.2 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include Firle Beacon.
Prices for chimney surveys in Alfriston
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. The main factors are:
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- How big the roof is
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
We offer three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
What to let us know when you contact us
What helps most when you contact us:
- The property’s address and postcode
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
Most bookings start with a short call: call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
What this survey can’t tell you
In fairness, a roof survey has limits:
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- Parts of the stack that can’t be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we cannot access
- Conditions inside walls
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll point you to the right survey. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
Do you need a chimney survey in Alfriston?
TV aerials, satellite dishes and their brackets are often fixed to chimneys. Their weight and the wind on them can loosen bricks and pointing. Any fixings on the stack are checked and recorded.
Common reasons to book include:
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Worn or missing pointing
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
Take a building like Alfriston School: its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Before you book anyone
- How soon the report will arrive
- Their track record with similar roofs
- Is VAT included in the price?
- Are they insured for the work?