East Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Ashburnham, East Sussex
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching for Ashburnham, from an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photographs.
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
About our chimney survey in Ashburnham
Many homes have chimneys that are no longer used. Even when it isn’t used, a stack has to stay weathertight. If it has been capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside it. We check how redundant stacks have been capped and look for damp in the chimney breasts. The report sets out what we found and what we recommend. We survey lead flashings, chimney pots and cowls and flaunching, and people most often book us about worn or missing pointing and lifted or split lead flashings.
Older buildings in small places like Ashburnham may be 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. A roof report helps you plan work with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
You receive the findings by email, ready to forward to whoever needs them. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24–48 hours and Premium on the day.
- Location
- Ashburnham (TN33)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Practical tips
Nothing here needs a ladder. Our suggestions:
- Check your stacks from ground level after strong winds
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
Where another specialist is needed, such as a structural engineer or sweep, we explain why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Check fixings on the stack are sound, and moved if they’re working it loose. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
Signs you need a chimney survey in Ashburnham
Lots of homes have redundant stacks. A stack sealed without ventilation can trap damp. That can lead to damp patches on chimney breasts, even with the roof in good order.
Most people get in touch after spotting something like this:
- A stack that appears to lean
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Bricks with flaking faces
If you live in an older home near Parish Church of St Peter, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Before booking anyone
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
- Whether VAT is added on top
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
What we do, step by step
We do not take risks to get a closer look. We inspect everything that’s safely in view, and if part of the roof cannot be seen, the report says so. The survey normally takes roughly 1–2 hours for most houses, and more on a big or complicated roof. Rural addresses near Ashburnham can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions are welcome. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- You let us know how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- The stacks are looked at from the ground, 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 check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- You get a written report with photographs and our recommendations.
Preparing for the visit
- Check pets are kept safely away
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
How to book
Getting a price is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and give us some details about the property and we will explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Related advice
Can I check my roof myself?
A lot can be seen from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground.
What a survey costs
When we price a survey, we consider:
- The size of the roof
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Basic, Standard or Premium
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where applicable) come with the Premium Survey, which starts from £400, including VAT. We can help you choose the package that fits what you want to find out.
What we need to know
What helps most when you contact us:
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
We survey roofs on any day of the week. To arrange a day that suits you, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
What we look for on each type of roof
Lead flashings
Mortar fillets are sometimes used where lead would usually be. They crack with age, and we check them too.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Inside, chimney breasts can show damp when water gets into the stack. We look at them and at the stack in the loft where there’s safe access.
Chimney surveys around Ashburnham
Before planning roof work on an older home, find out whether it is listed or in a conservation area. Changes that affect a listed building’s special interest need listed building consent, and councils can also use Article 4 directions to control changes in conservation areas. In Sussex, older roofs are frequently handmade clay tile, frequently with tile-hanging on the walls below. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old Sussex buildings, alongside oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. Whatever the covering, it is often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
If you live near a park such as Ashburnham Park, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching. If you own a rental within reach of Battle station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Ashburnham is about 5 miles north-west of Bexhill-on-Sea, in East Sussex. Bookings from Ashburnham are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Our East Sussex coverage includes Ashburnham. Our Brighton page covers surveys nearby.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: TN33. We offer chimney surveys to properties on Church Road and The Forge. We also cover Brownbread Street (1 mile west), The Pound (1 mile south), Bodle Street Green (2 miles west), Wood's Corner (3 miles north-west) and Dallington (3 miles north-west). Larger places within reach include Eastbourne (10 miles south-west), Hastings (8 miles east), Bexhill-on-Sea (5 miles south-east), Hailsham (7 miles south-west), Crowborough (14 miles north-west) and St Leonards (8 miles south-east).
Landmarks near Ashburnham
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Ashburnham Park and The Ash Tree Inn. For rail, the closest station is Battle station, about 4.4 miles east. Nearby you will also find Old Castle (3.1 miles north-west) and Battle Museum of Local History (3.9 miles east). The countryside around Ashburnham includes Senlac Hill.
Towns and villages near Ashburnham
Other services in Ashburnham
Ashburnham: your questions answered
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Ashburnham?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it’s in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Is Ashburnham within the area you cover?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Does someone need to be in?
Not always. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
What’s the best way to book?
Just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day, weekday or weekend.
What do you check on a chimney?
Every part of the stack we can see from safe positions: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. Leaning, unused stacks and damp on chimney breasts are recorded too.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We’re covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is frequently shared, so the freeholder or managing agent needs to agree access. We inspect only the parts we’re allowed to reach.