West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Kilnwood Vale
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Kilnwood Vale, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Signs that a stack is leaning
What a chimney survey looks like in Kilnwood Vale
Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls are typical of older Sussex houses. A few old Sussex buildings still carry heavy Horsham stone slabs. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. There are about 500,000 buildings on England’s list of listed buildings, and around 10,000 conservation areas. If your home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission, so the council is the place to ask.
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near St Francis' Church, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as The Bewbush Academy, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Kilnwood Vale is about 1 mile south-west of Bewbush, in West Sussex. Whether the building in Kilnwood Vale is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, the roof can be surveyed. Kilnwood Vale is one of the places in West Sussex where we work for chimney surveys.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: RH12 and RH11. We cover properties on Turnpike Lane, Crusades Road and Rookfield Road and the roads around them. Being close to the A264, Kilnwood Vale is simple for us to get to for chimney surveys. Close by, we survey roofs in Faygate (1 mile west), Colgate (1 mile south), Broadfield (2 miles east), Roffey (3 miles south-west) and Handcross (3 miles south-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Crawley (3 miles east), Horsham (4 miles south-west), Haywards Heath (9 miles south-east), Burgess Hill (11 miles south-east), East Grinstead (10 miles east) and Storrington (15 miles south-west).
Around Kilnwood Vale
Typical jobs here are in homes near Target Hill Park, Holy Trinity CofE Secondary School and Cottesmore School and the streets around them. Kilnwood Vale’s nearest station is Faygate station, about 0.9 miles west. A little further out are County Mall (2.7 miles north-east) and Crawley Museum (2.7 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Warnham LNR and Tilgate Lake.
Chimney survey in Kilnwood Vale: what you get
If you are buying a home with chimneys, it is worth knowing their condition before you exchange. Cracked flaunching, failed flashings and worn pointing are common findings on older stacks. You get photos and findings you can take back to the seller or agent. It works alongside a RICS home survey, not instead of one. If you are worried about flashings pulling away from the stack and disused chimneys trapping moisture, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Some older homes in villages like Kilnwood Vale are listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. A roof report helps you plan work with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
Findings are set out part by part, from the coverings down to the gutters, each with a short note and a photo. It records what’s sound as well as what isn’t.
- Place
- Kilnwood Vale (RH12, RH11)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What we can’t see
No survey can tell you everything, and we’d rather be clear about that before booking. Keep these in mind:
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will tell you before booking. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
What we’re asked to look at in Kilnwood Vale
Some owners book because a chimney breast has been removed below and they want to know about the stack above. We note what’s visible in the loft space and outside, and recommend a structural engineer where support is in question.
Look out for signs like these:
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Worn or missing pointing
Trees in and around Target Hill Park shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
Before booking anyone
- What experience they bring
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
- Is VAT included in the price?
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
Kilnwood Vale questions
Is my home in Kilnwood Vale listed or in a conservation area?
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.
Is Kilnwood Vale within the area you cover?
Yes, Kilnwood Vale is covered. We work right across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends. To arrange a date, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing aren’t part of what we do. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, like cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them.
Our stack is shared. Can you still survey it?
Yes. We inspect everything that’s safely in view and what you give us access to. Where a problem appears to be on next door’s side, we note it, so you can discuss it with them.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We note visible signs such as sagging or deflection, but we don’t carry out calculations or give an engineer’s opinion. If we think you need an engineer, the report says so.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is often shared, so we need permission from whoever owns or manages the building. We can only inspect what we’re given access to.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Why act early in Kilnwood Vale
A leaning stack should be looked at sooner rather than later. Our survey records it and says when a structural engineer should look at it, so you can decide what to do next. Older and listed buildings around Kilnwood Vale may need consent and matching materials for repairs, so leaving a defect until it is urgent leaves less time to plan.
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, including VAT.
Why book us in Kilnwood Vale
- Photographs and a written report every time
- Surveys seven days a week
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
Before and after the survey
Getting the most from a chimney survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Tips:
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Don’t use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
Many people use the report to get quotes for the work. With the same list in front of each contractor, comparing quotes is simpler.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
Towns and villages near Kilnwood Vale
Other services in Kilnwood Vale
How the survey works
After the inspection, everything we found is written up as a photo-illustrated written report, emailed to you. On timing, most surveys take between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Cottages and farmhouses around Kilnwood Vale frequently have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- 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’s access.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
Arrange a survey
Not sure which survey you need? It is easiest to call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll explain the options and the price.