West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Balcombe, West Sussex
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching across Balcombe, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Mortar washing out of the joints
For landlords and managing agents
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait.
Landlords and letting agents in Balcombe book surveys as well as householders. A written report with photos gives you a clear record of the chimney stack.
About our chimney survey in Balcombe
Each stack is looked at from the safest viewpoints available: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the loft space where it is safe. A drone inspection is part of our Premium Survey where applicable. If we cannot see part of the stack, the report makes that clear. Each defect is recorded with a photo and a plain description. We survey chimney breasts, shared and party-wall stacks and brick chimney stacks, and common reasons people get in touch are damaged chimney pots and cowls and frost-damaged brickwork on the stack.
In a village or hamlet like Balcombe, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs frequently need the most attention.
Most points in the report come with a picture, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. If something couldn’t be seen safely, the report is clear about it.
- Where
- Balcombe (RH17)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What you can safely check yourself
A lot can be seen from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
How the survey works
We work from the outside in: outside views come first, then the loft space if there is safe access. In total, it takes about 1–2 hours at a typical home, or half a day or so for a commercial building. Cottages and farmhouses around Balcombe frequently have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Where there’s safe access, we check 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 we arrive
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Booking a survey
Unsure which package suits your roof? The easiest way is to phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We will explain the options and the price.
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Your questions about chimney surveys in Balcombe
Will you come out to Balcombe?
Yes, we do. We cover the whole of London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
Is my home in Balcombe listed or in a conservation area?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
What’s in the report?
Written findings with photos, explaining the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our recommendations. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check, and the Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
What do I do with the report?
The report arrives by email. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation, and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
How long will you be at the property?
It normally takes about 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. You will then get the report by email, on the timescale of your package.
Should a redundant chimney be removed?
An unused stack still needs to stay weathertight and ventilated. If it is capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside. Our survey records its condition and how it’s capped, so you can plan what to do with it.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
It is worth having a leaning stack checked. Our survey notes how it looks and the condition of the bricks and joints, and recommend a structural engineer where it may be a structural concern.
What happens if roof problems are left?
For a buyer, the best time to learn about a chimney is before exchange. Once you’ve exchanged, the work is down to you. A report gives you something specific to put to the seller. Older and listed buildings around Balcombe may need consent and matching materials for repairs, so a defect found early gives time to plan the work properly.
One thing that affects the price is the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, including VAT. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
Why book us in Balcombe
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- PI and public liability insurance
- Customer satisfaction of 98%
Take a look at what a roof survey costs or our case studies.
Balcombe homes and their roofs
Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls are typical of older Sussex houses. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old Sussex buildings. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. With Tyes Place about 2.1 miles south-west, Balcombe sits in an area with a long building history. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Take a building like Balcombe CofE Controlled Primary School: long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. If you live in an older home near The Parish Church of St Mary, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Balcombe is about 4 miles north of Haywards Heath, in West Sussex. Wherever you are in Balcombe, we can carry out chimney surveys at your property. We cover towns and villages across West Sussex.
We work across RH17 for chimney surveys. Streets in the area include London Road, Stockcroft Road and Deanland Road. With the B2036 close by, Balcombe is simple for us to get to. We also cover Balcombe Lane (1 mile north), Brook Street (2 miles south), Staplefield (2 miles south-west), Worth Abbey (3 miles north) and Whitemans Green (3 miles south). Larger places within reach include Crawley (5 miles north-west), Horsham (8 miles west), Haywards Heath (4 miles south), Burgess Hill (7 miles south), East Grinstead (7 miles north-east) and Broadfield (4 miles north-west).
What’s near Balcombe
There’s a railway station in Balcombe itself: Balcombe station. Other landmarks nearby include Princess Royal Hospital (4.9 miles south) and Cuckfield Museum (3.5 miles south). Not far away are Blunts Wood and Paiges Meadow and Tilgate Lake.
What we’re asked to look at in Balcombe
Removing a chimney breast inside can leave questions about how the stack is supported. We note what’s visible in the loft space and outside, and the report recommends a structural engineer if support is a concern.
We are frequently asked to look at:
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- A chimney out of line
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
If you let a flat or house near Balcombe station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Before you book anyone
- What follow-up you get after the report
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- Their insurance cover
- When you will get the report
Nearby places to Balcombe
More services for Balcombe
Useful tips for Balcombe property owners
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
Many people use the report to get quotes for the work. With the same list in front of each contractor, comparing quotes is simpler.
Make sure fixings on the stack are sound, and moved if they’re working it loose. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.