West Sussex · London and the South East
Clayton Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys around Clayton, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- A stack that appears to lean
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
What we are asked to look at in Clayton
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.
Problems we come across frequently include:
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- A chimney out of line
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Worn or missing pointing
If you let a flat or house near Hassocks station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
What to check before booking
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- Their report turnaround times
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Clayton
A leaning chimney stack is worth having looked at. A stack may lean because the mortar on one side has weakened, which can happen over many years of use. The survey notes how the stack looks, how far it seems to lean and the state of the bricks and joints. Where it may be a structural concern, we will recommend a structural engineer. If you’ve noticed frost-damaged brickwork on the stack and mortar washing out of the joints, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
In a small place like Clayton, many roofs stand in the open, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are frequently where weather gets in first.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. If something couldn’t be seen safely, the report is clear about it.
- Location
- Clayton (BN6)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Chimney surveys around Clayton
About 4.7 miles south lies Preston Manor & Gardens, a reminder of how long the area around Clayton has been built on. 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. Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls are typical of older Sussex houses. A few old Sussex buildings still carry heavy Horsham stone slabs. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
Take a building like The Windmills Junior School: long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. Take an older house close to St John the Baptist's Church: its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Clayton is about 3 miles south of Burgess Hill, in West Sussex. Clayton gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a close look at what can safely be seen, photographs and a clear written report. Across West Sussex, we cover Clayton and the places around it.
We survey roofs across the BN6 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. Local streets include Spring Lane, Underhill Lane and Brighton Road, and we cover them all. If you’re just outside Clayton, we cover Keymer (1 mile north-east), Hassocks (1 mile north), Ditchling (2 miles north-east), Westmeston (2 miles east) and Hurst Wickham (2 miles north-west). We also work in nearby towns like Crawley (14 miles north), Horsham (13 miles north-west), Worthing (13 miles south-west), Haywards Heath (6 miles north), Burgess Hill (3 miles north) and Shoreham-by-Sea (7 miles south-west).
Landmarks near Clayton
In Clayton, that means homes and buildings near Downlands Community School and The Greyhound Public House and the streets around them. Clayton’s nearest station is Hassocks station, roughly 1 mile north of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Clayton Castle (less than half a mile south-west) and The Budding Foundation Museum of Gardening (0.9 miles north-west). For a walk, there is Wolstonbury Hill and Ladies Mile.
What happens on the day
We look at the roof from outside and, where it is relevant and there is safe access, from inside the roof space too. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging, as far as the space allows. All in, the survey normally takes roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Older rural homes like those around Clayton can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- You let us know how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach them.
- You get a written report with photos and our recommendations.
How to prepare
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the building owner or managing agent
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. The price is agreed up front.
Advice
How the survey changes by roof type
Lead flashings
Where the chimney meets the roof slopes, lead flashings keep water out. The survey looks at whether the lead is tight, sound and well fixed.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Damp patches on chimney breasts often point to a problem above. We check the breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach.
Honest limits
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you. What a survey covers and does not.
What we check
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
For landlords and managing agents
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Clayton. For a price for a let property or a block, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Where a roof is shared: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you get in touch and we will plan the visit with that in mind.
Questions from Clayton
Can a landlord with a rental near Hassocks station book a roof survey?
Yes, that is a common request. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
Is my home in Clayton listed or in a conservation area?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Do I need to be at home?
That depends on the survey. For inside areas and the loft space, someone has to give us access.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it’s applicable. Whether we can fly on the day depends on the weather and the airspace rules, including flight restriction zones near airports. We are a CAA-registered drone operator.
Will you check the loft?
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.
Do you cover Clayton?
Yes. Our area covers London and South East England, and that includes Clayton.
How do I arrange a chimney survey in Clayton?
Simply ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day.
Why get it checked now?
If a stack seems to lean, do not leave it. We record its condition and recommend a structural engineer where needed, so you know where you stand. In a small place like Clayton, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where applicable) come with the Premium Survey, which starts from £400, inc. VAT. We’ll tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Why book with us
- Prices that include VAT
- An independent look at the roof
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- Photographs and a written report every time
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and two real surveys.