Brighton and Hove · London and the South East
Brighton Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching for Brighton, from an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photos.
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- A stack that appears to lean
Chimney survey in Brighton: what you get
Many terraced and semi-detached homes share their chimney stacks with a neighbour. We inspect the parts we can see safely and the parts the owner gives us access to. Where a problem seems to involve a neighbour’s side, the report records it and you can then discuss it with them. Everything is written up with photos and what we recommend. Typical surveys look at worn or missing pointing and flaunching that has broken away, on shared and party-wall stacks, flaunching and chimney pots and cowls.
Trees in streets, gardens and parks drop leaves into gutters across places like Brighton, and once a gutter blocks, water spills down the wall. Valley and parapet gutters can overflow inside the building. It is one reason a roof is worth looking at as a whole, not just the obvious problem. Late autumn, once the leaves are down, is a sensible time to check gutters and outlets.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent.
- Where
- Brighton (BN1, BN2, BN3)
- Wider area
- Brighton and Hove
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Signs you need a chimney survey in Brighton
The flaunching on top of a stack holds the pots in place and sheds water. Cracked flaunching lets water in, and each winter makes it worse. Loose pots can follow.
Typical things we are asked to look at include:
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Signs that a stack is leaning
Living close to William Clarke Park is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Are they insured for the work?
- What the survey will not cover
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
DIY checks: what’s safe
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and a fall can be serious. That is where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
FAQs for Brighton
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Brighton?
Near the coast, roofs face more wind and more salt than further inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, while strong wind lifts anything already loose.
I let a flat near London Road (Brighton) station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, that is a common request. We just need to know who will give access, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
How many surveys have you done?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, across 20+ years of surveying roofs, with 98% customer satisfaction.
What’s in the report?
Written findings with photographs, explaining the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our recommendations, in order of urgency where relevant. Standard adds moisture detection and a structural check; Premium adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies and structural analysis.
Is it a problem to have an unused chimney?
There is no single answer. The survey shows its condition and how it’s been capped. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need consent.
Is a chimney survey the same as a flue inspection?
No. A flue inspection, sweep or gas safety check is a separate job. We check the structure and weathering of the stack and any damp, and we’ll say if anything suggests the flue needs checking.
What do I do with the report?
You will receive the report by email, and you decide the next step: use it with a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent.
What a chimney survey looks like in Brighton
Brighton lies within about 1 mile of the sea, so there’s more wind and more salt in the air than further 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. Older houses across Sussex often have handmade clay tiles, and many have tile-hanging on their upper walls. 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.
Take an older house close to St Martin's Church: old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs. For site and facilities teams at buildings like Fairlight Primary School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Brighton is in Brighton and Hove. We provide chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Brighton and nearby. Our area takes in places right across Brighton and Hove, from the larger towns to small villages.
Chimney surveys in BN1, BN2 and BN3 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Whether your property is on London Road, Isetta Square and Pelham Square or anywhere close by, we can help. Main roads around Brighton include the A23 and A259, which makes travel easy. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Hanover (1 mile south), Carlton Hill (1 mile south), West Hill (1 mile west), Hollingdean (1 mile north) and Seven Dials (1 mile west). Within a short drive, we also cover Brighton and Hove (3 miles west), Aldrington (3 miles west), Hangleton (3 miles west), Saltdean (4 miles south-east), East Saltdean (5 miles south-east) and Rottingdean (3 miles south-east). Brighton is one of the larger places we cover in Brighton and Hove.
What’s near Brighton
Around Brighton, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Brighton Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College, William Clarke Park and Park Crescent pub. There is a railway station in Brighton itself: London Road (Brighton) station. Nearby you will also find Brighton General Hospital (0.7 miles east) and Old Police Cells Museum (1 mile south-west). For a walk, there is Newmarket Hill and Whitehawk Hill.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Brighton
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord. Access is agreed with the tenant beforehand.
Landlords and letting agents in Brighton book surveys as well as homeowners. A written report with photographs gives you a clear record of the chimney stack, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
What a chimney survey doesn’t cover
Some things cannot be seen without opening up the roof, and that sets some limits:
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
- Whether the flue is safe to use
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll suggest the right survey before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we look at
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
What happens on the day
It helps to start with what’s prompted the survey: buying, a leak, storm damage, new work or just wanting to know where things stand. That way we can focus on what matters to you. Most visits take about 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. If the property is near the centre of Brighton, let us know about car parks or permit rules nearby. We’ll want to see the loft, if there is one, and any ceiling or wall showing damp. Outside, the roof is viewed from every point that’s safe.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Where there’s safe access, we look at the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
How to prepare
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Find any records of previous roof work
Getting a price
Unsure which package suits your roof? It is easiest to ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will explain the options and the price.
Read more
How we price chimney surveys
To price your survey, we look at:
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- House, block, shop or office
- Height and safe access
Prices start from £150, including VAT, for a Basic Survey. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400. You will know the price for the job before booking.
Helping us price your survey
If you can, have these to hand when you contact us:
- The property’s address and postcode
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
Getting a price is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and give us some details about the property and we’ll explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.