West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Colwood
A careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Colwood, and put it all in a report with photos.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Signs that a stack is leaning
How a chimney survey works in Colwood
We inspect chimneys from wherever they can safely be seen: from the ground, from windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there is access. With our Premium Survey, a drone inspection is included where it applies. Where part of a stack can’t be seen, the report says so. Each defect is recorded with a photo and a plain description. We survey lead flashings, chimney pots and cowls and shared and party-wall stacks, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are a chimney out of line and worn or missing pointing.
Older buildings in small places like Colwood 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.
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, whichever applies.
- Location
- Colwood (RH17)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What we do, step by step
You don’t need to do much on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we will take it from there. The survey itself takes about 1–2 hours for most houses, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. In a hamlet or village like Colwood, a postcode does not always lead to the right gate, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- 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 check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
Preparing for the visit
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
Getting a price
To book a survey, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You will know the price before anything is booked.
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Nearby places to Colwood
What else we do in Colwood
Leave it or get it looked at?
Most people never get a careful look at their chimney stacks. Problems often go unnoticed until damp appears inside. A survey gives you a clear picture before that happens. For an older or listed building in a place like Colwood, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so leaving a defect until it is urgent leaves less time to plan.
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) 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
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- PI and public liability insurance
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and our case studies.
Questions from Colwood
How do I find out if my home in Colwood is listed?
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.
Is Colwood within the area you cover?
Yes, Colwood is covered. We survey roofs across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
How experienced are you?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, over more than 20 years, and 98% of clients are satisfied.
Does someone need to be in?
That depends on the survey. For inside areas and the loft space, someone has to give us access.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. It is a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. Our survey isn’t a structural engineer’s report, and it does not include calculations. We will recommend an engineer if we see signs that call for one.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
What a chimney survey does not cover
A survey is a proper look at the chimney stack, but it cannot do everything. Its limits include:
- Conditions inside walls
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- A structural engineer’s assessment
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roofs we survey in Colwood
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
Chimney surveys in Colwood: local notes
With Tyes Place about 3.4 miles north-east, Colwood sits in an area with a long building history. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. 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.
Trees in and around Leonardslee shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters.
Colwood is about 5 miles north-west of Burgess Hill, in West Sussex. Colwood gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photos and a written report. Across West Sussex, we cover Colwood. Our Crawley page covers surveys nearby.
We cover every part of RH17 for chimney surveys and the streets around it. That includes homes and businesses on Earwig Lane and Cross Colwood Lane. If you’re just outside Colwood, we cover Crabtree (1 mile north-west), Lower Beeding (2 miles north-west), Slaugham (3 miles north), Plummers Plain (3 miles north) and Monk's Gate (3 miles north-west). Larger places within reach include Crawley (8 miles north), Horsham (6 miles north-west), Worthing (15 miles south-west), Haywards Heath (6 miles east), Burgess Hill (5 miles south-east) and East Grinstead (13 miles north-east).
Around Colwood
Typical jobs here are in homes near Leonardslee, among other places. A little further out are The Dene Hospital (3.8 miles south-east) and Cuckfield Museum (3.7 miles east). For a walk, there’s Blunts Wood and Paiges Meadow.
For landlords and managing agents
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. Recommendations are set out with the most urgent first where relevant.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on, photos included.
Checking the roof from the ground
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we look at the roof.
What affects the price in Colwood
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. That comes down to:
- Which survey package you book
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package matters as well. We’ll give you the figure before anything is booked.
What to let us know when you get in touch
We will typically ask about:
- What made you get in touch
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
If you’re buying, it is useful to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just phone 07833 053749 or email us when you’re ready.