East Sussex · London and the South East
Lower Dicker Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys around Lower Dicker, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- A chimney out of line
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Lifted or split lead flashings
Chimney survey in Lower Dicker
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. 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. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. You then know where to start. If you’ve noticed mortar washing out of the joints and gaps in the mortar around the pots, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
In a village or hamlet like Lower Dicker, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are frequently old. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
Nothing in the report is left vague: if work is needed, the report says so clearly.
- Place
- Lower Dicker (BN27)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Why it’s worth a survey now in Lower Dicker
Loose pots and bricks on a stack are a safety concern. A survey picks them out so they can be made safe by a suitable contractor. Older cottages and farmhouses around Lower Dicker can have roof timbers that have been there a very long time, where water from a failed roof can cause rot if it’s left.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so the price reflects that. You will know the figure before booking.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Lower Dicker
- 98% customer satisfaction
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- An independent look at the roof
- PI and public liability insurance
Take a look at what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
Questions from Lower Dicker
How do I find out if my home in Lower Dicker is listed?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Berwick (Sussex) station?
Yes, landlords and agents book with us as well as owners. Just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and tell us about the building, including who will give access on the day.
Do you inspect shared chimneys?
Yes. We look at the parts we can see safely and the parts you can give us access to. If a defect seems to be on your neighbour’s side, the report records it and you can raise it with them.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
It’s worth having a leaning stack checked. We record the lean, the brickwork and the pointing, and if it may be a structural issue, we recommend a structural engineer.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We note visible signs such as sagging or deflection, but we’re not structural engineers and do not carry out calculations. Where an engineer is needed, we say so in the report.
How much does a chimney survey cost in Lower Dicker?
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on its size, height, access and the package, confirmed before anything is booked.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Chimney surveys in Lower Dicker: local notes
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, and the county’s older buildings include oast houses and Wealden hall houses. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. With Horselunges Manor about 1.2 miles east, Lower Dicker sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
Take an older house close to Zoar Strict Baptist Chapel: its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Hellingly Community Primary School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Lower Dicker is about 2 miles north-west of Hailsham, in East Sussex. Roofs in Lower Dicker get the same thorough look as anywhere else in East Sussex. Across East Sussex, we cover Lower Dicker and the places around it. There’s also a page for Brighton.
Here we cover the BN27 postcode area for chimney surveys. Local streets include Hackhurst Lane, Diamond Drive and Court Lodge Close, all of which we cover. Other places close to Lower Dicker include Lower Horsebridge (1 mile east), Nash Street (1 mile north-west), Tile Hurst (1 mile south-east), Upper Dicker (1 mile south-west) and Upper Horsebridge (2 miles east). We also work in nearby towns such as Eastbourne (7 miles south-east), Hastings (15 miles east), Bexhill-on-Sea (11 miles east), Seaford (9 miles south-west), Lewes (9 miles west) and Crowborough (12 miles north).
What’s near Lower Dicker
In Lower Dicker, that means homes and buildings near Hailsham Community College and Bede's Prep School, among other places. The closest station to Lower Dicker is Berwick (Sussex) station, roughly 3.9 miles south-west of the centre. Nearby you will also find Sussex Farm Museum (3.5 miles north) and Hellingly Hospital Railway (1.8 miles east).
Signs you need a chimney survey in Lower Dicker
Removing a chimney breast inside can leave questions about how the stack is supported. We note what’s visible in the roof space and outside, and the report recommends a structural engineer if support is a concern.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- A chimney out of line
If you own a rental within reach of Berwick (Sussex) station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Before you book anyone
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- What they will not be able to tell you
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
Tips from our surveys
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Make sure unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Check your stacks from ground level after strong winds
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
If anything in the report isn’t clear, just ask us. Standard Surveys come with a follow-up consultation, and Premium Surveys with an in-person one.
Make sure fixings on the stack are sound, and moved if they’re working it loose. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
Not every roof costs the same to survey, and it comes down to:
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how safely it can be seen. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT.
What to let us know when you contact us
What helps most when you contact us:
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
- What kind of property and roof it is
- What’s prompted the survey
To get a price for chimney surveys in Lower Dicker, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. The address, the type of property and what you want to find out help us give you an accurate price.
How the survey works
Every roof is different; as a rough guide, the survey takes between one and two hours on an ordinary house, and more on a big or complicated roof. You’re welcome to ask questions while we are there. In a hamlet or village like Lower Dicker, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, so a few directions are welcome. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access.
- You get a written report with photographs and our recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
Getting a price
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Read more
Honest limits
Before booking, it’s worth knowing what a survey won’t do:
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Hidden damage within the stack
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
What we check
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks