West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Highbrook, West Sussex
Find out the condition of the chimney stack at your property in Highbrook from an independent roof surveyor. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
What we do, step by step
We will ask a few questions first, such as when any problem began and what work has been done before. Then the inspection itself takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Older rural homes like those around Highbrook can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there is access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Getting ready for the survey
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Book a survey
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price before booking.
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About our chimney survey in Highbrook
Many terraced and semi-detached homes share their chimney stacks with a neighbour. We look at whatever is safely visible and what the owner gives us access to. Where a problem seems to involve a neighbour’s side, the report records it and you can then discuss it with them. You get a written report with photos and what we recommend. We are frequently asked to look into staining on walls around the chimney and signs that a stack is leaning, on chimney breasts, shared and party-wall stacks and lead flashings.
Village roofs often 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 written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are frequently the first to give way.
Findings are set out part by part, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets, each with a short note and a photograph. It records what’s sound as well as what is not.
- Location
- Highbrook (RH17)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
FAQs for Highbrook
How do I find out if my home in Highbrook is listed?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Will you come out to Highbrook?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. We check the parts we’re given access to, and the report makes that clear.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. It is a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
How soon will I get the report?
Each package has its own report time. Basic: within 48 hours. Standard: 24 to 48 hours. Premium: the same day. If you have a deadline, such as an exchange date, tell us when booking.
Are you insured?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Do you look in the roof space?
If it is needed and safe to reach, yes. Inside, we look for damp, staining, gaps and sagging.
For landlords and managing agents
With a portfolio of properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the addresses.
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps when budgeting.
What this survey cannot tell you
Every survey has limits, and we’d rather be clear about that before you book. Keep these in mind:
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Flue inspections or sweeping
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we will point you to the right survey. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Highbrook
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
How we price chimney surveys
To price your survey, we check:
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- The shape of the roof and its details
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on the size and height of the roof, access and the package you choose.
Helping us price your survey
These details help when you get in touch:
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Anything about access we should know
Booking is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email, tell us about the property and we will recommend the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Highbrook
With Priest House about 1.5 miles north, Highbrook sits in an area with a long building history. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years. Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old Sussex buildings. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
If you live in an older home near All Saints Church, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. If you own a rental within reach of Balcombe station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. Take a building like St Peter's CofE Primary School: its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Highbrook is about 4 miles north-east of Haywards Heath, in West Sussex. Roofs in Highbrook get the same thorough look as anywhere else in West Sussex. Our West Sussex coverage includes Highbrook. There’s also a page for Crawley.
Surveys in RH17 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. If you are just outside Highbrook, we cover Ardingly (1 mile south-west), Little London (1 mile west), Sharpthorne (2 miles north), West Hoathly (2 miles north) and Horsted Keynes (2 miles south-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Crawley (7 miles north-west), Horsham (11 miles west), Haywards Heath (4 miles south-west), Burgess Hill (7 miles south-west), East Grinstead (5 miles north) and Broadfield (7 miles north-west).
What’s near Highbrook
We work in homes and buildings around The Ardingly Inn and the streets around them. Highbrook’s nearest station is Balcombe station, roughly 3.4 miles west of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Princess Royal Hospital (4.6 miles south) and Parish Museum (2.8 miles south). For a walk, there is Blunts Wood and Paiges Meadow.
DIY checks: what’s safe
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
It’s useful to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us when booking.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Damp in a chimney breast normally gets worse while the cause is left. It can spoil decoration and plaster. Finding the cause means the right work can be planned. In a small place like Highbrook, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and damp in older walls is slow to dry out.
Every price we give includes VAT. Prices start from £150, including VAT. We confirm the exact price before booking.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Highbrook
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- Package prices that include VAT
See how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.