West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Chelwood Common, West Sussex
Find out what’s going on with the chimney stack before you decide what to do next. We carry out chimney surveys in Chelwood Common, with photos and a clear written report.
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- A chimney out of line
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
Chimney survey in Chelwood Common: what you get
A leaning chimney stack is worth having looked at. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down, often after years of flue gases and damp. We record the lean and the condition of the brickwork and pointing. If the stack looks like a structural issue, the report recommends a structural engineer. If you’ve noticed gaps in the mortar around the pots and mortar washing out of the joints, we can find out what’s behind it, on brick chimney stacks, chimney breasts and lead flashings alike.
Older buildings in small places like Chelwood Common may be listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. 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.
What you get is a clear record of the chimney stack on the day we saw it. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later.
- Where
- Chelwood Common (RH17)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Should I look at the roof myself first?
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, which helps when we check the roof.
Also near Chelwood Common
What else we do in Chelwood Common
Chelwood Common questions
Do you cover Chelwood Common?
Yes, Chelwood Common is within the area we cover. Our area covers London and the South East. You can ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and a few details.
Is my home in Chelwood Common listed or in a conservation area?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Do you need to get into the loft?
If there is a loft and safe access to it, yes. The loft space can show things the outside cannot, such as damp timbers, staining or daylight.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We don’t sample or test for asbestos. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. Visible signs such as deflection or sagging are recorded, but we don’t provide calculations or an engineer’s opinion. The report will say if you need an engineer.
Do you inspect shared chimneys?
Yes. Many houses share stacks with a neighbour. We record the stack as far as we can see it and flag anything on the neighbour’s side.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. We check the parts we’re given access to.
Practical tips
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
After the visit, we write up the report with photos of each stack. It explains the condition of each part of the stack and any damp inside. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24 to 48 hours and Premium reports the same day.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
What a chimney survey looks like in Chelwood Common
Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. 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. The wider area around Chelwood Common has a long history of building, with Priest House about 3.9 miles north-west. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
Anyone responsible for a site like Danehill Church of England Primary School will know that large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Chelwood Common is about 6 miles north-east of Haywards Heath, in West Sussex. We provide chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Chelwood Common. Chelwood Common is one of the places in West Sussex where we work. Our Crawley page covers surveys nearby.
Surveys in RH17 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Whether your property is on Baxters Lane, Tanyard Lane and Box's Lane or anywhere close by, we can help. We also cover Chelwood Gate (1 mile north), Danehill (1 mile south-west), Birchgrove (1 mile north-west), Furner's Green (2 miles south) and Nutley (2 miles east). We also work in nearby towns like Crawley (10 miles north-west), Horsham (15 miles west), Haywards Heath (6 miles south-west), Burgess Hill (9 miles south-west), East Grinstead (6 miles north) and Broadfield (10 miles west).
Landmarks near Chelwood Common
Other landmarks nearby include Waterbury Castle (2.3 miles west) and Heaven Farm Museum (1.6 miles south). For a walk, there’s Brickfield Meadow.
What we do, step by step
A survey visit follows a simple order: we listen to what’s been worrying you, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photographs as we go and make notes for the report. Most visits take an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Around Chelwood Common, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so tell us about the loft hatch and any ladder. We only go where it’s safe.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- We check every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the roof space.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.
How to prepare
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
How to book
When you’re ready to go ahead, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Related advice
What we cannot see
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so there are some things a survey cannot cover:
- Conditions inside walls
- Parts of the stack that can’t be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we can’t access
- Whether the flue is safe to use
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Landlords and letting agents in Chelwood Common book surveys as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photographs, useful for planning maintenance.
Where a roof is shared: we need access agreed with the freeholder or managing agent. Tell us about it when booking and we’ll plan the survey around it.
Do you need a chimney survey in Chelwood Common?
Years of fires can affect the mortar inside a stack. Flue gases and damp can break down the mortar, sometimes more on one side than the other, which is one reason stacks start to lean.
A survey can pick up problems such as:
- Worn or missing pointing
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Cracked or missing flaunching
For an older house near a landmark such as Chelwood Gate Church, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- What exactly goes into their report
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- What insurance they carry
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report