Brighton and Hove · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Hollingbury
A careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Hollingbury, with photographs and a written report.
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
FAQs for Hollingbury
Is the coastal weather around Hollingbury hard on roofs?
Generally, yes: wind and salt air take more of a toll near the sea. Exposed details such as ridges, verges, flashings and metal fixings are the ones to watch, and Hollingbury is within about 3 miles of the coast.
Do you cover smaller places like Hollingbury?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We’re roof surveyors, not structural engineers, and it does not include calculations. We’ll recommend an engineer if we see signs that call for one.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Let us know which days suit you when you book.
Is it a problem to have an unused chimney?
There is no single answer. The survey shows its condition and how it’s been capped. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need consent.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, once access has been agreed. Roofs over flats are frequently shared, so we need permission from whoever owns or manages the building. We can only inspect what we are given access to.
What happens after the survey?
You will receive the report by email, and what you do next is up to you: raise it with a seller, send it to an insurer, brief a roofer or share it with a managing agent.
Chimney survey in Hollingbury: what you get
If a chimney looks out of line, it’s worth getting it checked. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down, frequently after years of flue gases and damp. The survey notes how the stack looks, how far it seems to lean and the state of the bricks and joints. Where it may be a structural concern, we’ll recommend a structural engineer. If you’ve noticed gaps in the mortar around the pots and mortar washing out of the joints, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
In a smaller place like Hollingbury, some roofs stand more exposed to wind and rain than in a built-up town. That weather tells first on ridges, verges, chimneys and flashings. Checking those edges shows whether anything has begun to work loose. A loose ridge tile or slate gives the wind something to catch, and others soon follow.
Report times depend on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Where
- Hollingbury (BN1)
- Wider area
- Brighton and Hove
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What this survey can’t tell you
This isn’t a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will recommend the right survey before booking. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
Do you need a chimney survey in Hollingbury?
Lots of homes have redundant stacks. If a stack is capped or blocked without ventilation, moisture can build up inside. Damp patches can appear on chimney breasts even when nothing is leaking.
Things that frequently lead to a survey include:
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Flaunching that has broken away
- A chimney out of line
Trees in and around Wild Park shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
What to check before booking
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- Their report turnaround times
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
What we look for on each type of roof
Rendered stacks
What’s behind the render cannot be seen without removing some, so the report says what can and cannot be judged.
Brick stacks
Older brick stacks often have soft lime mortar. We note where repairs should match the original mortar.
Towns and villages near Hollingbury
What else we do in Hollingbury
What affects the price in Hollingbury
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. That comes down to:
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- The shape of the roof and its details
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so the price reflects that. You will know the figure before booking.
Booking your survey
Getting the details right at the start saves time. Please include:
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- Any deadline, like an exchange date
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
If you are buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. Otherwise, simply call 07833 053749 or send us an email whenever suits you.
Chimney surveys around Hollingbury
Hollingbury is within about 3 miles of the coast, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, while gales work at loose ridges, slates and tiles. Historic houses such as Preston Manor & Gardens, about 1.4 miles south-west, show how far back building in the area around Hollingbury goes. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs.
If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for instance near Churchill Square, a dated report on the roof is useful for planning and for any lease discussions. If you let a flat or house near Moulsecoomb station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Hollingbury is about 2 miles north of Brighton, in Brighton and Hove. Whether the building in Hollingbury is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, we can survey the roof on a weekday or at the weekend. Hollingbury is one of the towns and villages in Brighton and Hove we cover for chimney surveys.
Every address in BN1 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. That includes homes and businesses on Keymer Road, Warmdene Road and Carden Avenue. Close by, we survey roofs in Patcham (1 mile west), Withdean (1 mile south-west), Hollingdean (1 mile south), Preston (1 mile south-west) and Westdene (1 mile west). Within a short drive, we also cover Brighton and Hove (3 miles south-west), Hove (3 miles south-west), Brunswick (3 miles south), Kemptown (3 miles south), Whitehawk (3 miles south-east) and Aldrington (3 miles south-west).
Landmarks near Hollingbury
We work in homes and buildings around University of Sussex Library, Patcham High School and Wild Park and the streets around them. Nearby too are The Dharma Primary School (0.5 miles north-west) and County Oak pub (less than half a mile north-east). The nearest railway station is Moulsecoomb station, about 1.1 miles south-east of the centre. A little further out are Brighton General Hospital (2.1 miles south) and Churchill Square (2.6 miles south). Not far away are Ladies Mile and Ditchling Beacon.
How the survey works
The visit normally starts outside and finishes in the loft: outside views come first, then the roof space if there’s safe access. In total, it takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. A visit to a smaller place like Hollingbury is no different on the day: we look from the ground, from windows, from the loft and from the roof where it’s safe. It helps to show us anything you’ve already noticed.
- You tell us how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- The stacks are looked at from ground level, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- Every part we can see is checked: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Where there’s safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
Preparing for the visit
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
How to book
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Advice
Checking the roof from the ground
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.