East Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Crumbles, East Sussex
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Crumbles, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photographs.
- Bricks with flaking faces
- A chimney out of line
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
Chimney survey in Crumbles
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. Condensation inside an unventilated stack is another common cause. We check each possibility and record what we find. That points the work in the right direction. We are often asked to look into flaunching that has broken away and redundant stacks capped without ventilation, on chimney pots and cowls, chimney breasts and brick chimney stacks.
Some older homes in villages like Crumbles are 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. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Older materials like clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Crumbles (BN23)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
How it works
The visit typically starts outside and finishes in the loft: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the loft space where it can be reached. All told, expect an hour or two at a typical home, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. Older rural homes like those around Crumbles 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.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can safely be seen.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks 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.
Before we arrive
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Booking 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, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Read more
Your questions about chimney surveys in Crumbles
How do I find out if my home in Crumbles is listed?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Is Crumbles within the area you cover?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We’re covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
How many surveys have you done?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
Do I need to be at home?
Someone needs to let us in if we are looking inside or in the loft. We’ll talk about access when you book.
Our stack is shared. Can you still survey it?
Yes. We inspect whatever is safely visible and what you give us access to. Where a problem appears to be on next door’s side, we note it, so you can discuss it with them.
Does the report include photographs?
Yes. Photos are taken throughout the survey, and the report uses them to show each finding alongside our recommendations.
Chimney surveys in Crumbles: local notes
Crumbles lies within about 1 mile of the sea, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, and strong wind lifts anything already loose on a roof, while driving rain finds any gap. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, so the council is the place to ask.
If you own a rental within reach of Pevensey & Westham station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant. If you look after a building such as St Catherine's College, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. Homes near green spaces such as Princes Park can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
Crumbles is about 2 miles east of Eastbourne, in East Sussex. We carry out chimney surveys in Crumbles for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings. Our area takes in places right across East Sussex. Our Brighton page covers surveys nearby.
Every address in BN23 is covered for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We offer chimney surveys to properties on Tambora Square, Long Beach View and Golden Gate Way. If you are just outside Crumbles, we cover Langney (1 mile west), Pevensey Bay (1 mile north-east), Pevensey (2 miles north), Westham (2 miles north-west) and Stone Cross (2 miles north-west). We also work in nearby towns like Hastings (11 miles north-east), Bexhill-on-Sea (7 miles north-east), Seaford (10 miles west), Lewes (15 miles west), Hailsham (6 miles north-west) and St Leonards (10 miles north-east).
Landmarks near Crumbles
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Haven Voluntary Aided CofE/Methodist Primary School and Princes Park. For rail, the closest station is Pevensey & Westham station, about 1.3 miles north of the centre. A little further out are Pevensey Court House Museum And Gaol (1.6 miles north) and Pevensey Castle (1.5 miles north). The countryside around Crumbles includes Combe Hill.
What a survey costs
To price your survey, we look at:
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Roof area
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
One thing that affects the price is the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all inc. VAT. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
What to let us know when you contact us
Getting the details right at the start saves time. Please include:
- Dates you are working to, like exchange
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Where the property is, with the postcode
You can call us seven days a week. For a price or to book, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Different roofs, different checks
Flaunching
The sloping mortar around the pots is called flaunching. Cracks in it let water into the stack.
Brick stacks
Many older stacks were built with lime mortar. Repairs should suit the original materials, which we mention where relevant.
Why it is worth a survey now in Crumbles
If a stack seems to lean, don’t leave it. Our survey records it and says when a structural engineer should look at it, so you know where you stand. In a small place like Crumbles, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and damp in older walls is slow to dry out.
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we can help you choose.
Why book with us
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
- Every finding written up with photos
- Prices that include VAT
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
Take a look at our cost guide or what we found on two real jobs.
DIY checks: what’s safe
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and a fall can be serious. That’s where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Do not go up yourself.
Tips that help
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Do not use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
Once we’ve been, the findings are written up with photos. It covers the pots, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings, and any damp we found inside. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. That helps stop damp building up inside.