East Sussex · London and the South East
Hamsey Chimney Survey
Wondering about the chimney stack at a property in Hamsey? You can book a chimney survey in Hamsey and across East Sussex, with plain-English findings.
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Mortar washing out of the joints
How the survey changes by roof type
Rendered stacks
We cannot see the bricks behind render without it being opened up, so the report explains what we could and couldn’t assess.
Lead flashings
Mortar fillets are sometimes used where lead would typically be. They crack with age, and we check them too.
Chimney survey in Hamsey
A chimney stands up above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Over the years, the flaunching cracks, the pointing wears and flashings lift. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the roof space. A survey finds these problems and records them with photos. We survey brick chimney stacks, chimney pots and cowls and chimney breasts, and common reasons people get in touch are damp patches on chimney breasts and a chimney out of line.
In a small place like Hamsey, many roofs stand in the open, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
The written findings come by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Where
- Hamsey (BN8)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Leave it or get it looked at?
If you are buying, find out about the stacks before you exchange. After that, any work is yours to arrange and pay for. A report gives you something specific to put to the seller. Around Hamsey, older homes frequently have old roof timbers, where water from a failed roof can cause rot if it’s left.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on the size and height of the roof, how it can safely be seen and the package you choose.
Why book with us
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- An independent look at the roof
- 98% of clients satisfied
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
Take a look at our cost guide or our case studies.
Honest limits
We only report whatever is safely visible on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will recommend the right survey before you book. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
How it works
We’ll ask a few questions first, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. Then the inspection itself takes about one to two hours at a typical home, and more on a big or complicated roof. For a village or hamlet like Hamsey, the journey is planned beforehand: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access.
- You get a photo-illustrated written report and our recommendations.
Preparing for the visit
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Getting a price
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We’ll confirm the price before you book.
Related advice
How we price chimney surveys
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- House, block, shop or office
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Height and safe access
- How big the roof is
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) come with the Premium Survey, which starts from £400, including VAT. We will tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Getting in touch
These details help when you get in touch:
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- What made you get in touch
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
Booking is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and give us a few details about the property and we’ll recommend the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Hamsey homes and their roofs
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’s frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. With Anne of Cleves House about 1.9 miles south, Hamsey sits in an area with a long building history. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Take a building like Hamsey Community Primary School: long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. If you let a flat or house near Cooksbridge station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant. If you live in an older home near The Parish Church of St Peter, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Hamsey is about 1 mile north of Lewes, in East Sussex. We cover Hamsey and the rest of East Sussex, as part of our work across London and the South East. Across East Sussex, we cover Hamsey and the places around it. For surveys nearby, see our Brighton page.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: BN8. If you are just outside Hamsey, we cover Offham (1 mile south-west), South Malling (1 mile south), Lewes (1 mile south), Cliffe (2 miles south) and Southover (2 miles south). Further out, we also cover Eastbourne (14 miles south-east), Seaford (9 miles south-east), Hailsham (11 miles east), Crowborough (13 miles north-east), Uckfield (7 miles north-east) and Newhaven (7 miles south).
Around Hamsey
We work in homes and buildings around Railway Land, Priory School and The Blacksmiths Arms, among other places. The closest station to Hamsey is Cooksbridge station, about 0.8 miles north-west of the centre. A little further out are Lewes Castle (1.6 miles south) and Lewes Victoria Hospital (1.5 miles south). Open spaces near Hamsey include Malling Down and Offham Hill.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Shared roofs need a little more planning: we need access agreed with the building owner or managing agent. Mention it when you get in touch and we will plan the visit with that in mind.
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed beforehand. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, which can make access easier.
Hamsey: your questions answered
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Cooksbridge station?
Yes, that’s a common request. We just need to know who will give access, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
Is Hamsey within the area you cover?
Yes, Hamsey is covered. Our area covers London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
Will I get photos?
Yes. The report includes photos of what we found, so you can see exactly what each finding refers to.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. If you need a full building survey, you’ll need a RICS survey as well.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Light rain does not usually stop a survey. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so we will agree a new date if the weather isn’t suitable.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
It is worth having a leaning stack checked. Our survey notes how it looks and the condition of the bricks and joints, and if it may be a structural issue, we recommend a structural engineer.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We note visible signs such as sagging or deflection, but we’re not structural engineers and don’t carry out calculations. Where an engineer is needed, we say so in the report.