West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Plaistow, West Sussex
Chimney surveys around Plaistow, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
About our chimney survey in Plaistow
A leaning chimney stack is worth having looked at. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down, often after years of flue gases and damp. We record the lean and the condition of the brickwork and pointing. If the stack looks like a structural issue, the report recommends a structural engineer. Typical surveys look at gaps where the stack meets the roof and bricks with flaking faces, on chimney pots and cowls, brick chimney stacks and chimney breasts.
Some older homes in villages like Plaistow 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. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Older materials like clay tiles, slate and stone are frequently matched when work is done.
Most points in the report come with a picture, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Where
- Plaistow (RH14)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Surveys for landlords and agents in Plaistow
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, and the report can go to both. Access is agreed with the tenant ahead of time.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, including offices, shops and units. Larger roofs take longer, so they’re priced to suit.
Nearby places to Plaistow
Other services in Plaistow
How we price chimney surveys
We confirm the price for your survey before booking. These are the things that affect it:
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- House, block, shop or office
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Getting in touch
We’ll typically ask about:
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- The type of building and roof, like pitched or flat
- What made you get in touch
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, and you can phone 07833 053749 or email us to find out.
What we do, step by step
We photograph the roof as we go, so the report shows exactly what we saw. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available, including by drone where it’s applicable and the weather allows. A typical visit takes roughly 1–2 hours for a house, or half a day or so for a commercial building. Somewhere like Plaistow needs a little journey planning: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- 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.
Preparing for the visit
- Check pets are kept safely away
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
Book a survey
A quick phone call is normally the easiest start: phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will ask a few questions about the roof. You will have a price before anything is arranged.
Related advice
Chimney surveys in Plaistow: local notes
In Sussex, older roofs are often handmade clay tile, frequently with tile-hanging on the walls below. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old Sussex buildings. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. Older buildings may be listed or sit in a conservation area. To find out, check Historic England’s list and ask the council about conservation areas. Re-roofing in different materials may need permission there.
If you live in an older home near Holy Trinity Church, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Plaistow is about 11 miles west of Horsham, in West Sussex. We carry out chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Plaistow. Plaistow is one of the towns and villages in West Sussex we cover. You can also see our page for Guildford.
We cover every part of the RH14 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. We cover properties on The Street, Loxwood Road and Oakfield and the roads around them. We also cover the places around Plaistow: Durfold Wood (1 mile north-west), Ifold (1 mile east), Mackerel's Common (2 miles south), Loxwood (2 miles east) and Kirdford (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Horsham (11 miles east), Storrington (11 miles south-east), Billingshurst (6 miles south-east), Bewbush (15 miles east), Roffey (12 miles east) and Southwater (10 miles east).
Local landmarks in Plaistow
The countryside around Plaistow includes Shillinglee Lake.
Before and after the survey
Small things make a difference, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Some pointers:
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- Make sure fixings on the stack are secure
- Don’t use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
With a shared stack, the report can help when talking to next door. It shows what we found and where from the viewpoints we used.
Look at your chimneys from ground level now and then, particularly after strong winds. With binoculars, you can often see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
What a chimney survey does not cover
It is a careful look at the chimney stack, not the whole story. Its limits include:
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll point you to the right survey. What our survey covers.
What we check
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
Questions from Plaistow
Do you cover smaller places like Plaistow?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
Is Plaistow in the area you cover?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Do you need to go on the roof to check the chimney?
We inspect from wherever is safe: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the loft space. A drone inspection is included in our Premium Survey where it applies. We note anything we couldn’t see.
How experienced are you?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, across 20+ years of surveying roofs, and 98% of clients are satisfied.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey seven days a week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Just let us know the days that suit you.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
It’s worth having a leaning stack checked. Our survey notes how it looks and the condition of the bricks and joints, and if it may be a structural issue, we recommend a structural engineer.
What will the report tell me?
It explains what we saw, what it means and what we’d suggest, with photos throughout. It also says if any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely.
What we’re asked to look at in Plaistow
Stacks that were used for open fires for many years can weaken from the inside. Mortar can deteriorate unevenly from flue gases and moisture, which can make a stack lean.
Problems we come across often include:
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Lifted or split lead flashings
Take a building like Plaistow and Kirdford Primary School: a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Their insurance cover
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID