East Sussex · London and the South East
Hooe Common Chimney Survey
Know where you stand with the chimney stack before you decide what to do next. Chimney surveys in Hooe Common.
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- A stack that appears to lean
- Mortar washing out of the joints
When to book a survey in Hooe Common
Removing a chimney breast inside can leave questions about how the stack is supported. We note what’s visible in the loft space and outside, and the report recommends a structural engineer if support is a concern.
Things that frequently lead to a survey include:
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
Landlords with a home close to Cooden Beach station may find that the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
What to check before booking
- How soon the report will arrive
- Whether the price includes VAT
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
How a chimney survey works in Hooe Common
A damp patch on a chimney breast doesn’t always come from the same place. It might come in at the top, through worn pointing or porous bricks, or where the flashings meet the roof. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. We check each possibility and record what we find. You then know where to start. If you are worried about loose, cracked or missing pots and gaps where the stack meets the roof, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
In a small place like Hooe Common, many roofs stand in the open, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. 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 often the first to give way.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent, whichever applies.
- Place
- Hooe Common (TN33)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Can I check my roof myself?
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way. That part is for a survey.
What we cannot see
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll tell you. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
How it works
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, like when any problem began and what work has been done before. The inspection then takes about one to two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. For a village or hamlet like Hooe Common, the journey is planned ahead of time: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We check every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Before we arrive
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
Booking a survey
You can call us seven days a week. For a price or to book, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Read more
Tips from our surveys
Small things make a difference. Some pointers:
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
- Make sure fixings on the stack are secure
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
After the visit, we write up the report with photographs of each stack. It covers the pots, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings, and any damp we found 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 often see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
Local roofs in Hooe Common
Hooe Common is within about 3 miles of the coast, so there’s more wind and more salt in the air than further inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces, while driving rain finds any gap. An older home may be listed, or stand in a conservation area. Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the council can say whether a street is in a conservation area. In either case, a change of roofing material may need consent.
Take a building like Ninfield Church of England Primary School: large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. If you live in an older home near The Parish Church of St Mary, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Hooe Common is about 3 miles north-west of Bexhill-on-Sea, in East Sussex. We survey roofs in Hooe Common and the surrounding area across London and South East England. Hooe Common is one of the places in East Sussex where we work. You can also see our page for Brighton.
We cover every part of the TN33 postcode area for chimney surveys. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Russell's Green (1 mile north-east), Lunsford's Cross (1 mile east), Ninfield (1 mile north), Watermill (2 miles east) and Catsfield (3 miles north-east). Larger places within reach include Eastbourne (8 miles south-west), Hastings (7 miles east), Bexhill-on-Sea (3 miles south-east), Seaford (15 miles south-west), Hailsham (7 miles west) and St Leonards (6 miles east).
Landmarks near Hooe Common
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Highwoods, The Red Lion Inn and Bexhill High Academy. The closest station to Hooe Common is Cooden Beach station, about 2.6 miles south of the centre. A little further out are Bexhill Costume And Social History Museum (3.5 miles south-east) and Herstmonceux Castle (3.1 miles west). For a walk, there is Senlac Hill and Gillham Wood.
Towns and villages near Hooe Common
What else we do in Hooe Common
Landlords, agents and block managers in Hooe Common
Letting agents frequently book on a landlord’s behalf, and the report can go to both. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan.
FAQs for Hooe Common
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Hooe Common?
Often, yes. Hooe Common is within about 3 miles of the sea, and coastal roofs tend to see faster wear on metal parts and more wind lifting loose pieces.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Hooe Common?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you’re planning to re-roof in a different material.
Does the report include photos?
Yes. We photograph the roof as we go, and they go into the written report alongside our recommendations.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so the freeholder or managing agent needs to agree access. We can only inspect what we are given access to.
Is it a problem to have an unused chimney?
A redundant chimney needs looking after like any other. If it’s capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside. Our survey records its condition and how it’s capped, so you can decide with a builder what to do.
How can you see the top of the stack?
We inspect from wherever is safe: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the roof space. Our Premium Survey includes a drone inspection where applicable. We note anything we couldn’t see.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Only when it is safe. Safety comes first, and fragile or steep roofs can’t always be walked on. We use safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where applicable.