East Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in High Cross, East Sussex
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in High Cross. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
High Cross homes and their roofs
Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. 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. The wider area around High Cross has a long history of building, with Wadhurst Castle about 4.9 miles east. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs.
If you live in an older home near The Parish Church of St Denys, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs. If you look after a building such as Rotherfield Primary School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
High Cross is about 3 miles east of Crowborough, in East Sussex. Roofs in High Cross get the same thorough look as anywhere else in East Sussex. Our East Sussex coverage includes High Cross and the places around it. We also survey roofs in Crawley.
Every address in TN6 is covered for chimney surveys. High Cross sits on or near the B2101, so getting to you is simple. We also cover the places around High Cross: Argos Hill (1 mile east), Rotherfield (1 mile north-west), Town Row (1 mile north), Woolbridge (1 mile south) and Wellbrook (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover Lewes (15 miles south-west), Hailsham (12 miles south), Crowborough (3 miles west), Uckfield (7 miles south-west), Polegate (15 miles south) and South Malling (14 miles south-west).
Landmarks near High Cross
We work in homes and buildings around The King's Arms Public House. High Cross’s nearest station is Crowborough station, roughly 1.8 miles west. Well-known places in the area include Crowborough War Memorial Hospital (3.1 miles west). The countryside around High Cross includes Crowborough Country Park.
How a chimney survey works in High Cross
A damp patch on a chimney breast doesn’t 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. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. That points the work in the right direction. Typical surveys look at staining on walls around the chimney and cracked or missing flaunching, on chimney breasts, shared and party-wall stacks and lead flashings.
Village roofs frequently face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A roof report shows what needs attention first. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
What you get is a clear record of the chimney stack on the day we saw it. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, such as when you want to compare after future work.
- Place
- High Cross (TN6)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
High Cross questions
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Crowborough station?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. You can call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and what you need.
Do you cover smaller places like High Cross?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Is it a problem to have an unused chimney?
It depends on its condition and your plans. The survey shows its condition and how it’s been capped. If you are thinking of removing it, check with the council first in a conservation area or on a listed building.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We are roof surveyors, not structural engineers, and it doesn’t include calculations. If we see signs that need an engineer’s opinion, we’ll recommend one.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it is applicable and safe, yes. We are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where it applies.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
A leaning stack should be looked at. 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.
How can you see the top of the stack?
Each stack is viewed from the safest viewpoints: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the loft space. A drone inspection is included in our Premium Survey where applicable. We note anything we couldn’t see.
Tips that help
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Our tips:
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Check your stacks from ground level after strong winds
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
After the visit, we write up the report with photos of each stack. It explains the condition of each part of the stack and any damp inside. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. With binoculars, you can frequently see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
Also near High Cross
What else we do in High Cross
Should I look at the roof myself first?
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
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.
Do you need a chimney survey in High Cross?
The flaunching on top of a stack holds the pots in place and sheds water. Once it cracks, water gets in and frost makes the cracks bigger. Loose pots can follow.
People usually book a survey when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
Landlords with a home close to Crowborough station may find that a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Questions to ask before you book
- Will the report include photos?
- What experience they bring
- Is VAT included in the price?
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
Leave it or get it looked at?
Loose pots and bricks on a stack are a safety concern. Finding them early means they can be dealt with before they come down by a roofer. Matching old materials, like handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. That’s one more reason to find defects before they become urgent.
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, inc. VAT, and we can help you choose.
Why book us in High Cross
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- A photo-illustrated written report
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- An independent view of the roof
See what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
How the survey works
We photograph the roof as we go, so you can see in the report what we found and where. We take close-ups from wherever is safe. A typical visit takes about 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Cottages and farmhouses around High Cross frequently have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely.
- You let us know 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.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Before the survey
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Keep pets in another room
Arrange a survey
When you are ready to go ahead, phone 07833 053749 or email us. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Advice
For landlords and managing agents
With a portfolio of properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, from shops and offices to industrial units. Larger roofs take longer, and they’re priced for the size.