West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Colgate
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Colgate, using drones and thermal imaging where it applies. Call or email for a price.
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Worn or missing pointing
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
Chimney survey in Colgate: what you get
Our chimney survey covers the stack and the details that keep water out around it: the pots and cowls, the flaunching on top, the pointing, the brickwork and the flashings where it meets the roof. We also look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access. The findings come in a written report with photos and recommendations. It suits a single stack on a house as well as several on a larger building. If you are worried about damp patches on chimney breasts and flaunching that has broken away, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Older buildings in small places like Colgate 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. Older materials such as clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Location
- Colgate (RH13, RH12)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
DIY checks: what’s safe
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That’s where a survey comes in.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it.
What we look for on each type of roof
Rendered stacks
Water can get in through cracks and then struggle to dry out. Cracks are photographed and noted.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Where a breast has been taken out, we check what supports the stack. A structural engineer should confirm whether it is adequate.
Colgate questions
Is my home in Colgate listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
I let a flat near Faygate station. Can you check the roof?
Of course. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
We survey seven days a week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Tell us which days suit you when booking.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Not always. If we only need the outside, we can agree that in advance, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
When does the report arrive?
The Premium Survey report comes the same day, the Standard within 24–48 hours and the Basic within 48 hours. All of them come by email.
My chimney looks like it is leaning. What should I do?
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.
How do I arrange a chimney survey in Colgate?
It’s easiest to ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. Give us the address and a few details about the roof. We survey on weekdays and at weekends.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Colgate
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, and the report can go to both. Access is agreed with the tenant in advance.
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Tell us about it as you book and we will plan the visit with that in mind.
What we are asked to look at in Colgate
Flaunching is the mortar bed that holds the pots and throws water off the top. Once it cracks, water gets in and frost makes the cracks bigger. In time, the pots can become loose.
Things that frequently lead to a survey include:
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Cracked or missing flaunching
Homes near green spaces such as Target Hill Park can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
Before you book anyone
- How soon the report will arrive
- What insurance they carry
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Colgate
Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. Tyes Place, about 4.5 miles south-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Colgate. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If you run a business near County Mall, a dated report on the roof is useful for planning and for any lease discussions. If you live in an older home near St. Saviour's Church, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Colgate is about 3 miles south-west of Crawley, in West Sussex. Whether the building in Colgate is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, the roof can be surveyed. We cover towns and villages across West Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: RH13 and RH12. You will find streets like Forest Road, Vicarage Close and Blackhouse Road. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Kilnwood Vale (1 mile north), Faygate (1 mile north-west), Broadfield (2 miles north-east), Roffey (2 miles west) and Handcross (3 miles south-east). We also work in nearby towns like Crawley (3 miles north-east), Horsham (4 miles west), Haywards Heath (9 miles south-east), Burgess Hill (10 miles south-east), East Grinstead (11 miles east) and Storrington (14 miles south-west).
Around Colgate
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Dragon pub, Target Hill Park and Cottesmore School, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Faygate station, roughly 1.3 miles north-west of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Crawley Museum (3.4 miles north-east) and County Mall (3.4 miles north-east). Not far away are Tilgate Lake and Warnham LNR.
How we price chimney surveys
Prices vary from roof to roof, for these reasons:
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- House, block, shop or office
- The roof’s overall size
For a price for your roof in Colgate, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and tell us about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Booking your survey
These details help when you contact us:
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- The kind of building and roof involved
- The address and postcode of the property
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We will confirm the price before you book.
What we do, step by step
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the roof space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging, as far as the space allows. The whole visit typically takes roughly 1–2 hours for most houses, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. Somewhere like Colgate needs a little journey planning: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Before we arrive
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Arrange a survey
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine, and please do not climb up for a closer look. To send them or to book, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.