East Sussex · London and the South East
Cooksbridge Chimney Survey
Not sure what state the chimney stack is in? You can book a chimney survey in Cooksbridge and across East Sussex.
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
About our chimney survey in Cooksbridge
For buyers, a chimney survey before exchange can flag work you may want to raise. On older stacks, we frequently find cracked flaunching, loose flashings and worn pointing. You get photos and findings you can take back to the seller or agent. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it. If you’ve noticed damp on a chimney breast inside and mortar washing out of the joints, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
In a small place like Cooksbridge, many roofs stand in the open, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A roof report shows what needs attention first. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are frequently where weather gets in first.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photos, emailed to you. It sets out the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our written recommendations.
- Location
- Cooksbridge (BN8)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney breasts and the loft
In the loft, staining around the stack often shows where water is getting in. What we find is photographed and described.
Lead flashings
Over time, lead can lift or come away from the brickwork. Any loose or split flashings are recorded.
Cooksbridge homes and their roofs
Historic houses such as Anne of Cleves House, about 2.5 miles south, show how far back building in the area around Cooksbridge goes. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs, and oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of East Sussex’s older buildings. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Church of St Peter, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. If you own a rental within reach of Cooksbridge station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak. Anyone responsible for a site like Hamsey Community Primary School will know that a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Cooksbridge is about 2 miles north of Lewes, in East Sussex. We visit Cooksbridge as part of our work across East Sussex. Across East Sussex, we cover Cooksbridge and the places around it. For surveys nearby, see our Brighton page.
Surveys in BN8 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Streets in the area include Station Mews, Chatfield Close and Chandler's Mead, all of which we cover. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Chiltington (1 mile north-west), Barcombe (1 mile north-east), Barcombe Cross (2 miles north-east), Barcombe Mills (2 miles north-east) and Upper Wellingham (2 miles east). Further out, we also cover Eastbourne (15 miles south-east), Seaford (10 miles south-east), Hailsham (12 miles east), Crowborough (13 miles north-east), Uckfield (7 miles north-east) and Newhaven (8 miles south).
Around Cooksbridge
Around Cooksbridge, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Rainbow Inn. There is a railway station in Cooksbridge itself: Cooksbridge station. Other landmarks nearby include Lewes Victoria Hospital (2 miles south) and Lewes Castle (2.3 miles south). The countryside around Cooksbridge includes Malling Down and Offham Hill.
What affects the price in Cooksbridge
Not every roof costs the same to survey, and it comes down to:
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- The roof’s overall size
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
Price depends partly on the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, including VAT. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
What we need to know
A few details help us point you to the right survey and price. When you contact us, tell us:
- Anything about access we should know
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
Booking is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form, let us know about the property and we will point you to the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
What happens on the day
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photos, sent to you by email. As for time on site, most surveys take an hour or two at a typical home, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. Older rural homes like those around Cooksbridge can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Getting ready for the survey
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
Booking a survey
Every survey is priced before it’s booked, so you know the cost up front. Prices start from £150, including VAT. To book, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Advice
Also near Cooksbridge
Other services in Cooksbridge
Landlords, agents and block managers in Cooksbridge
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
Where a roof is shared: we need access agreed with the freeholder or managing agent. Mention it when you contact us and we’ll plan the visit with that in mind.
What you can safely check yourself
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
What we cannot see
To be straight with you, a roof survey has limits:
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll tell you before you book. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
Questions from Cooksbridge
I let a flat near Cooksbridge station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, letting agents and landlords book with us as well as owners. You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and some details.
Is Cooksbridge within the area you cover?
Yes, Cooksbridge is covered. We survey roofs across London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
Will you go up on the roof?
Only when it’s safe. Safety comes first, and fragile or steep roofs cannot always be walked on. We use safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where applicable.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
There are a few common causes: cracked flaunching, worn pointing, failed flashings, uncapped pots, or damp trapped in an unventilated stack. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause.
What’s the best way to book?
To book, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and let us know the address and what you’d like to know. We’ll confirm the price and find a day that suits.
Will I get photos?
Yes. The report includes photographs of what we found.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, if whoever owns or manages the building agrees access. We look at the parts we are given access to, and the report makes that clear.