West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Felbridge
Get a clear view of the chimney stack at a property in Felbridge from an independent roof surveyor. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- A stack that appears to lean
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Cracked or missing flaunching
How a chimney survey works in Felbridge
A chimney stands up above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. In time, flaunching cracks, mortar washes out and flashings come loose. Water then gets into the stack and can show as damp on a chimney breast or a stain in the loft. A survey finds these problems and records them with photos. We survey flaunching, brick chimney stacks and chimney pots and cowls, and common reasons people get in touch are worn or missing pointing and damp patches on chimney breasts.
Some older homes in villages like Felbridge 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. 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.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Felbridge (RH19)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What we do, step by step
Photos are taken throughout the visit, so the report shows exactly what we saw. We take close-ups from wherever is safe, including by drone where it is applicable and the weather allows. Most surveys take about 1–2 hours at most homes; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. Somewhere like Felbridge needs a little journey planning: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- 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.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Where there’s safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- You get a written report with photos and our recommendations.
How to prepare
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Book a survey
We survey roofs on any day of the week. To arrange a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
Roof by roof
Chimney breasts and the loft
Damp patches on chimney breasts frequently point to a problem above. We look at them and at the stack in the loft where there’s safe access.
Flaunching
Flaunching is the mortar on top of a stack that holds the pots and sheds water. Cracks in it let water into the stack.
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. The main factors are:
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so the price reflects that. The price is confirmed before booking.
What to let us know when you get in touch
What helps most when you contact us:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Anything about access we should know
- Where the property is, with the postcode
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, and you can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email to find out.
What a chimney survey does not cover
Some things cannot be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- A structural engineer’s assessment
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you before you book. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
Tips that help
Small things make a difference, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Our tips:
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
After the visit, we write up the report with photos of each stack. 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.
Keep an eye on chimney breasts for new damp patches. The sooner damp is spotted, the easier the cause is to find.
Questions from Felbridge
Do you cover smaller places like Felbridge?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Our area covers London and the South East. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route as you book.
Is my home in Felbridge listed or in a conservation area?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case.
What does a chimney survey cover?
The whole stack, as far as it can safely be seen: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. Leaning, unused stacks and damp on chimney breasts are recorded too.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. For the rest of the building, a RICS home survey is a separate job.
How experienced are you?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys.
What will the report tell me?
Written findings with photographs, covering the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend, by urgency where it matters. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check, and the Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
Is a chimney survey the same as a flue inspection?
No. We survey the stack and its weathering, not the flue. The flue should be checked by a sweep, or by a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances.
Local roofs in Felbridge
In Sussex, older roofs are often handmade clay tile, frequently with tile-hanging on the walls below. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old Sussex buildings. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. With Saint Hill Manor about 2.5 miles south-east, Felbridge sits in an area with a long building history. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
The streets around a church such as St John's Felbridge are often among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs. Anyone responsible for a site like Felbridge Primary School will know that its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Felbridge is about 2 miles north-west of East Grinstead, in West Sussex. Felbridge is part of the area we cover across London and South East England. Felbridge is one of the towns and villages in West Sussex where we work. Crawley is in our area too.
Here we cover the RH19 postcode area for chimney surveys. Whether your property is on London Road, Mciver Close and Cherry Way or a nearby road, we can help. We also cover the places around Felbridge: Furnace Wood (1 mile west), Domewood (1 mile west), Snow Hill (2 miles west), Newchapel (2 miles north) and Crawley Down (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Crawley (6 miles west), Horsham (13 miles south-west), Haywards Heath (10 miles south), Burgess Hill (13 miles south), Broadfield (7 miles south-west) and Bewbush (8 miles west).
What’s near Felbridge
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Bush Davies School of Theatre Arts and Imberhorne School, among other places. The closest station to Felbridge is East Grinstead station, about 1.6 miles south-east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Effingham Park Motor Museum (1.8 miles west) and Queen Victoria Hospital (2.2 miles east). Not far away are Hedgecourt Lake.
Common roof problems in Felbridge
Years of fires can affect the mortar inside a stack. Flue gases and damp can break down the mortar, sometimes more on one side than the other, which is one reason stacks start to lean.
Common reasons to book include:
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Staining on walls around the chimney
If you let a flat or house near East Grinstead station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- What follow-up you get after the report
- Is VAT included in the price?
- Which limits apply to the survey