East Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Old Town, East Sussex
Need a chimney survey in Old Town? We can help, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Worn or missing pointing
Chimney survey in Old Town
For buyers, a chimney survey before exchange can flag work you may want to raise. On older stacks, we frequently find cracked flaunching, loose flashings and worn pointing. 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. We survey lead flashings, chimney pots and cowls and chimney breasts, and the problems we are asked to look at most are damp patches on chimney breasts and spalled or crumbling bricks.
Trees around homes in smaller places like Old Town drop leaves, twigs and moss onto roofs and into gutters. Once gutters and outlets block, water spills over and soaks the walls. A report spots that kind of slow problem before it becomes damp inside. Moss on the roof and weeds in the gutter are both easy to spot from the ground.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets, each with a short note and a photo. It records what’s sound as well as what is not.
- Where
- Old Town (BN21, BN20, BN22)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Your questions about chimney surveys in Old Town
Can a landlord with a rental near Eastbourne station book a roof survey?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. Just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details, and we will talk through which survey suits.
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Old Town?
Frequently, yes. Old Town is within about 2 miles of the sea, and coastal roofs tend to see faster wear on metal parts and more wind lifting loose pieces.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning, with the freeholder or managing agent. Tell us about it when booking and we will explain what’s needed.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime. Let us know your preferred days as you book.
What insurance do you have?
We’re covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Which parts of the chimney do you look at?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. You get a written report with photos.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We are roof surveyors, not structural engineers. We’ll recommend an engineer if we see signs that call for one.
Why get it checked now?
Chimneys are easy to forget because you rarely see the top of them. Defects tend to go unseen until there is a stain. A survey gives you a clear picture before that happens. In a smaller place like Old Town, wherever a roof is exposed, a loose ridge or flashing does not stay loose for long. Each storm lifts it a little further.
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how it can be reached and seen safely. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Old Town
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Prices that include VAT
- An independent view of the roof
Take a look at our cost guide and what we found on two real jobs.
Before and after the survey
A little preparation and a few simple habits help, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Our tips:
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Check unused flues are capped with ventilation
You get the report by email and can pass it to whoever does the work. We use plain English and a photo for each defect so anyone reading it can see what we saw.
Make sure redundant flues are capped with ventilation. That helps stop damp building up inside.
When to book a survey in Old Town
The flaunching on top of a stack holds the pots in place and sheds water. Cracked flaunching lets water in, and each winter makes it worse. Loose pots can follow.
Here are some of the things we see frequently:
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
If you let a flat or house near Eastbourne station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Before you book anyone
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
Should I look at the roof myself first?
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, which helps when we look at the roof.
How the survey works
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the loft space is checked as well as the outside. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement, as far as the space allows. All in, the survey typically takes roughly 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. Homes around Old Town frequently have gardens on more than one side, which gives us room to step back and see the roof. Let us know if any side is fenced off or hard to reach. The loft, where there’s safe access, completes the picture.
- You let us know whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We look at the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Getting ready for the survey
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with whoever owns or manages the building
Book a survey
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know where you stand. Prices start from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Read more
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Old Town
The coast is about 2 miles or less from Old Town, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, and strong wind lifts anything already loose on a roof. Listing and conservation areas can both shape what roof work is allowed on an older home. Your council and Historic England’s list will tell you where you stand, before anyone quotes for re-roofing.
Trees in and around Gildrege Park shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching. For an older house near a landmark like Church of St Mary, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Old Town is about 1 mile south-west of Eastbourne, in East Sussex. We cover Old Town and the rest of East Sussex, as part of our work across London and the South East. Our area takes in places right across East Sussex. For surveys nearby, see our Brighton page.
All of BN21, BN20 and BN22 is within our area for chimney surveys. Whether your property is on Love Lane, Mill Road and Greys Road or anywhere close by, we can help. We also cover the places around Old Town: Upperton (1 mile east), Meads (1 mile south), Eastbourne (1 mile north-east), Holywell (1 mile south) and Ratton Village (1 mile north). Larger places within reach include Hastings (15 miles north-east), Bexhill-on-Sea (10 miles north-east), Seaford (7 miles west), Lewes (13 miles north-west), Hailsham (6 miles north) and St Leonards (14 miles north-east).
Around Old Town
Typical jobs here are in homes near Motcombe Infants' School, Gildrege Park and WMG Academy for Young Engineers and the streets around them. The closest station to Old Town is Eastbourne station, about 0.7 miles east of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Eastbourne District General Hospital (1 mile north) and Pevensey Castle (4.4 miles north-east). Open spaces near Old Town include Combe Hill.
Towns and villages near Old Town
More services for Old Town
When you need someone else
This isn’t a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching