East Sussex · London and the South East
Herstmonceux Chimney Survey
Independent chimney surveys in Herstmonceux. We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Flaunching that has broken away
Landlords, agents and block managers in Herstmonceux
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, from shops and offices to industrial units. Bigger roofs take more time.
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, with the report sent to whoever needs it. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
How a chimney survey works in Herstmonceux
A leaning chimney stack is worth having looked at. A stack may lean because the mortar on one side has weakened, which can happen over many years of use. We record the lean and the condition of the brickwork and pointing. Where it may be a structural concern, we’ll recommend a structural engineer. Common reasons to book are pots or cowls that look unsafe and spalled or crumbling bricks, across lead flashings, brick chimney stacks and chimney pots and cowls.
Somewhere as small as Herstmonceux, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. We report on whatever is safely visible, and thatch is a specialist material. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
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.
- Place
- Herstmonceux (BN27)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What a survey costs
We confirm the price for the job before booking. These are the things that affect it:
- Which survey package you book
- House, block, shop or office
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and which survey you book.
What to let us know when you contact us
What helps most when you contact us:
- Anything about access we should know
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know where you stand. Prices start from £150, including VAT. To book, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Local roofs in Herstmonceux
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. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. With Horselunges Manor about 3.1 miles west, Herstmonceux sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Herstmonceux is about 3 miles north-east of Hailsham, in East Sussex. We cover Herstmonceux and the rest of East Sussex, as part of our work across London and South East England. Our area takes in places right across East Sussex. For surveys nearby, see our Brighton page.
Every address in BN27 is covered for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We offer chimney surveys to properties on Fairlawns Drive, Dacre Road and Fiennes Road and the roads around them. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Chapel Row (1 mile south-east), Stunts Green (1 mile north-west), Flowers Green (1 mile south), Windmill Hill (1 mile east) and Golden Cross (1 mile south). Further out, we also cover Eastbourne (7 miles south), Hastings (11 miles east), Bexhill-on-Sea (7 miles south-east), Seaford (12 miles south-west), Lewes (14 miles west) and Hailsham (3 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Herstmonceux
We work in homes and buildings around Woolpack Inn. A little further out are Amberstone Hospital (2 miles west) and Herstmonceux Castle (1.6 miles south-east).
Places near Herstmonceux
What else we do in Herstmonceux
Do you need a chimney survey in Herstmonceux?
Aerials and dishes are often fixed to stacks. The extra load in wind can work bricks and joints loose. Any fixings on the stack are checked and recorded.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
Take a building like Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School: its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
What to check before booking
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Whether the price includes VAT
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
Your questions about chimney surveys in Herstmonceux
Will you come out to Herstmonceux?
Yes, we do. We cover the whole of London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Is Herstmonceux in the area you cover?
Yes. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and Herstmonceux is part of that. You can phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and some details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Do you inspect the flue?
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.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
Have it checked rather than leaving it. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down. The survey records what we can see, and a structural engineer can confirm whether it’s stable.
Do you inspect shared chimneys?
Yes. Shared stacks are common on terraced and semi-detached houses. We record the stack as far as we can see it and flag anything on the neighbour’s side.
How long does the survey take?
Time on site depends on the roof; most visits take between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. The written report follows by email.
Do you look in the loft space?
Yes, where the survey calls for it and there’s safe access. Inside, we look for damp, staining, gaps and sagging, as far as the space allows.
The survey, step by step
We do not take risks to get a closer look. Everything that can safely be seen is inspected, and anything we cannot see is noted in the report. Most visits take roughly 1–2 hours for a house, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. For a village or hamlet like Herstmonceux, the journey is planned in advance: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- 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.
How to prepare
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
Arrange a survey
Booking is simple: just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form, tell us about the property and we will suggest the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Read more
Practical tips
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They apply to most roofs:
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
With a shared stack, the report can help when talking to next door. The photos show the problem and which side it’s on, as far as we could see.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. Early signs are easier to trace.
How the survey changes by roof type
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 loft space where we can reach.
Brick stacks
Frost can damage bricks that have soaked up water, making the faces flake away. We record any we can see.