East Sussex · London and the South East
Hellingly Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Hellingly, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
Local roofs in Hellingly
In Sussex, older roofs are often handmade clay tile, frequently with tile-hanging on the walls below. A few old Sussex buildings still carry heavy Horsham stone slabs, and the county’s older buildings include oast houses and Wealden hall houses. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. Horselunges Manor, about 0.6 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Hellingly. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Anyone responsible for a site like Hawkes Farm Academy will know that its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. For landlords with property near Polegate station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Hellingly is about 1 mile north of Hailsham, in East Sussex. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Hellingly can all book chimney surveys. Hellingly is one of the places in East Sussex we cover. Brighton is in our area too.
We survey roofs across BN27 for chimney surveys. Streets in the area include Station Road, Cheviot Street and Iris Close, all of which we cover. If you are just outside Hellingly, we cover Upper Horsebridge (1 mile south-west), Lower Horsebridge (1 mile west), Magham Down (1 mile east), Hailsham (1 mile south) and Tile Hurst (1 mile south-west). Further out, we also cover Eastbourne (7 miles south), Hastings (13 miles east), Bexhill-on-Sea (9 miles east), Seaford (10 miles south-west), Lewes (11 miles west) and Crowborough (12 miles north).
Near you in Hellingly
Around Hellingly, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Hailsham Community College. Hellingly’s nearest station is Polegate station, about 4.3 miles south of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Hellingly Hospital Railway (within half a mile north) and Sussex Farm Museum (3.6 miles north).
About our chimney survey in Hellingly
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. It might come in at the top, through worn pointing or porous bricks, or where the flashings meet the roof. Condensation inside an unventilated stack is another common cause. We check each possibility and record what we find. You then know where to start. If you are worried about cracked or missing flaunching and mortar washing out of the joints, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
Houses in smaller places like Hellingly can face open ground, where wind and driving rain hit the roof harder. That weather tells first on ridges, verges, chimneys and flashings. A close look shows whether anything has started to loosen before it lets water in. Once one ridge tile or slate moves, wind gets under the next one too.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Where
- Hellingly (BN27)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens on the day
Before we start, let us know why you’ve booked: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. It helps us focus on what matters most to you. Most visits take between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. A visit to a smaller place like Hellingly is no different on the day: outside, inside and from any safe vantage point, in that order. It is useful to show us anything you’ve already noticed.
- You tell us whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Preparing for the visit
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
- Let us know about parking before the day
How to book
Most bookings start with a short call: call 07833 053749 or send us an email. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Related advice
Questions from Hellingly
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Hellingly?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
I let a flat near Polegate station. Can you check the roof?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you need.
What should I do with a chimney I don’t use?
It depends on its condition and your plans. The survey shows its condition and how it’s been capped. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need consent.
Do you work in Hellingly?
Yes. Our area covers London and South East England, Hellingly included.
What does a chimney survey cover?
Every part of the stack we can see from safe positions: from the pots and flaunching down to the flashings. Leaning, unused stacks and damp on chimney breasts are recorded too.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. Our survey is not a structural engineer’s report. If we see signs that need an engineer’s opinion, we will recommend one.
Can you find out why my chimney breast is damp?
It can come from several places: water getting in at the top, through the brickwork or at the flashings, or moisture trapped in a stack with no ventilation. We look at each one and note the most likely cause.
Honest limits
Every survey has limits, and we’d rather be clear about that before you book. Keep these in mind:
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- Conditions inside walls
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you before you book. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Hellingly
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney breasts and the loft
Stains on timbers or brickwork around the stack can point to a leak. What we find is photographed and described.
Flaunching
The sloping mortar around the pots is called flaunching. Once it cracks, water can get straight into the brickwork.
Tips from our surveys
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Check your stacks from ground level after strong winds
The report is emailed to you, ready to share with a roofer or builder. Each defect is described in plain words and shown in a photo, so it’s easy to follow.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. The sooner damp is spotted, the easier the cause is to find.
Places near Hellingly
Other services in Hellingly
DIY checks: what’s safe
You can learn a lot from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and a fall can be serious. That is where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
What happens if roof problems are left?
A loose pot or brick can fall from height. Finding them early means they can be dealt with before they come down by a suitable contractor. Arranging work in a smaller place like Hellingly is easier with notice than in an emergency. Knowing early gives you time to get the right people in.
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how it can be reached and seen safely. Our price is from £150, including VAT.
Why book with us
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Customer satisfaction of 98%
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Over 20 years’ experience