East Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in East Chiltington
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in East Chiltington, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Call or email for a price.
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
For landlords and managing agents
Landlords, agents and building managers in East Chiltington and across East Sussex can book any of our surveys. To discuss a property or a block, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work around your tenants.
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in East Chiltington
A chimney survey looks at the stack and everything around it: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and the flashings at the roof line. Inside, we check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft where it’s safe to reach. The findings come in a written report with photos and recommendations. We survey single stacks on houses and groups of stacks on bigger buildings. We survey chimney pots and cowls, chimney breasts and flaunching, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are loose, cracked or missing pots and flaunching that has broken away.
Some older homes in villages like East Chiltington are listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. A roof report helps you plan work with that in mind. Older materials like clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Place
- East Chiltington (BN7)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Common roof problems in East Chiltington
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.
We are often asked to look at:
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
Take a building like Plumpton Primary School: a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Which limits apply to the survey
- What follow-up you get after the report
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Whether VAT is added on top
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney breasts and the loft
Inside, chimney breasts can show damp when water gets into the stack. We check the breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach.
Rendered stacks
What’s behind the render can’t be seen without removing some, so the report explains what we could and couldn’t assess.
Practical tips
Getting the most from a chimney survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Don’t use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
If the stack is shared, you can pass the report to your neighbour. The photos show the problem and which side it is on from the viewpoints we used.
Have aerial and dish brackets on the stack checked, and moved if they’re working it loose. Less load on the stack means less strain in wind.
East Chiltington homes and their roofs
Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls are typical of older Sussex houses. 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. Historic houses such as Anne of Cleves House, about 4.3 miles south-east, show how far back building in the area around East Chiltington goes. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years.
The streets around a church like The Parish Church are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first. For landlords with property near Plumpton station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
East Chiltington is about 4 miles north-west of Lewes, in East Sussex. We carry out chimney surveys for householders, landlords and businesses in East Chiltington. East Chiltington is one of the towns and villages in East Sussex we cover. We also survey roofs in Brighton.
We work across BN7 for chimney surveys and the streets around it. If you are just outside East Chiltington, we cover Chiltington (1 mile east), Plumpton (1 mile south-west), Plumpton Green (1 mile north-west), Streat (1 mile west) and South Chailey (2 miles north-east). Larger places within reach include Seaford (12 miles south-east), Lewes (4 miles south-east), Hailsham (14 miles east), Crowborough (13 miles north-east), Uckfield (7 miles north-east) and Newhaven (10 miles south-east).
Near you in East Chiltington
Typical jobs here are in homes near Chailey School and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Plumpton station, about 0.7 miles north-west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft (3 miles west) and Lewes Victoria Hospital (3.7 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Blackcap and Malling Down.
Can I check my roof myself?
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That is where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
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.
How the survey works
We’ll ask a few questions first, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. Then the inspection itself takes an hour or two for a house, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. Around East Chiltington, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. We only go where it’s safe.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- 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
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Getting a price
You can call us seven days a week. To book or ask a question, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Read more
Nearby places to East Chiltington
More services for East Chiltington
Questions from East Chiltington
I let a flat near Plumpton station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. Just phone 07833 053749 or email us and tell us about the building.
Will you come out to East Chiltington?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Light rain is normally fine; heavy rain and wind are different. In strong wind or heavy rain, a drone cannot fly and access may not be safe, and we’d agree another day.
Do you need to go on the roof to check the chimney?
Each stack is viewed from the safest viewpoints: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the loft space. Our Premium Survey includes a drone inspection where it applies. If part of a stack cannot be seen, the report says so.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We’re experienced roof surveyors, and our survey covers the roof rather than the whole building. For the rest of the building, a RICS home survey is a separate job.
Are you insured?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Why is my chimney breast damp?
Typically it is water getting in from outside, or condensation in a sealed stack. The survey looks at the stack, the flashings and the capping and records the likely cause.