East Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Hadlow Down
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Hadlow Down, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photographs.
- Worn or missing pointing
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Bricks with flaking faces
About our chimney survey in Hadlow Down
A damp patch on a chimney breast does not always come from the same place. 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. If you’ve noticed disused chimneys trapping moisture and lifted or split lead flashings, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on chimney breasts, chimney pots and cowls and brick chimney stacks alike.
Some older homes in villages like Hadlow Down 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 such as clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photographs, emailed to you. It sets out the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our written recommendations.
- Location
- Hadlow Down (TN22)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Local roofs in Hadlow Down
Older buildings may be listed or sit in a conservation area. Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the council can say whether a street is in a conservation area. Re-roofing in different materials may need permission there. Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. A few old Sussex buildings still carry heavy Horsham stone slabs, and the county’s older buildings include oast houses and Wealden hall houses. Whatever the covering, it is often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
For landlords with property near Buxted station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as St Mark's Church of England Primary School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Hadlow Down is about 4 miles south of Crowborough, in East Sussex. Surveys in Hadlow Down work the same way as everywhere we cover: a close look at what can be seen safely, photographs and a clear written report. Our East Sussex coverage includes Hadlow Down. For surveys nearby, see our Brighton page.
Here we cover the TN22 postcode area for chimney surveys. Streets in the area include Waghorns Lane, School Lane and St Marks Field, all of which we cover. We also cover the places around Hadlow Down: Etchingwood (2 miles south-west), Buxted (2 miles west), Potter's Green (2 miles south-west), Blackboys (2 miles south) and Framfield (3 miles south-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Eastbourne (15 miles south), Lewes (11 miles south-west), Hailsham (10 miles south), Crowborough (4 miles north), Uckfield (4 miles south-west) and Newhaven (15 miles south).
Around Hadlow Down
The nearest railway station is Buxted station, roughly 2.1 miles west. Other landmarks nearby include Crowborough War Memorial Hospital (3.8 miles north) and Tickerage Castle (2.3 miles south-west). Not far away are Selwyns Wood.
When to book a survey in Hadlow Down
Where a chimney meets the roof, lead flashings keep water out. With age they can lift, split or come away from the joints. When flashings fail, water frequently shows up in the loft or on the chimney breast. Lead flashings can also be stolen.
Look out for signs like these:
- A chimney out of line
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near St Mark's Church, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Before booking anyone
- Are they insured for the work?
- What the survey won’t cover
- What happens after the report arrives
- What exactly goes into their report
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf, with the report sent to whoever needs it. Access is agreed with the tenant beforehand.
We survey roofs for landlords and agents as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photographs.
The survey, step by step
We photograph the roof as we go, so the report shows exactly what we saw. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available, including by drone where it’s applicable and the weather allows. Most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours at most homes, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. Older rural homes like those around Hadlow Down 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.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Before the survey
- Let us know about parking before the day
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
How to book
We survey roofs on any day of the week. To arrange a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Advice
What you can safely check yourself
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way. That is where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
What we look for on each type of roof
Flaunching
We often find flaunching that has cracked or broken away. Caught early, it is frequently a small job.
Chimney pots and cowls
Pots sit in the flaunching on top of the stack, and cowls or caps sit on the pots. We check that they look secure and undamaged.
Hadlow Down questions
Can a landlord with a rental near Buxted station book a roof survey?
Yes, that is a common request. We just need to know who will give access, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
Is Hadlow Down within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when booking.
What does the report include?
A photo-illustrated written report, explaining the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our recommendations. Standard adds moisture detection and a structural check; Premium adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies and structural analysis.
What if it rains on the day?
It depends on the weather and the survey. High wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, and we’d agree another day.
How long will you be at the property?
That depends on the size and shape of the roof, but most surveys take an hour or two for most houses, and longer for a large or complex roof. The report is sent afterwards by email.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. Visible signs such as deflection or sagging are recorded, but we don’t provide calculations or an engineer’s opinion. The report will say if you need an engineer.
What happens after the survey?
The report comes by email, and you decide the next step: raise it with a seller, send it to an insurer, brief a roofer or share it with a managing agent.
What this survey can’t tell you
In fairness, a roof survey has limits:
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- Hidden damage within the stack
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will point you to the right survey. What a survey covers and does not.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts