East Sussex · London and the South East
Playden Chimney Survey
We carry out chimney surveys in Playden and the rest of East Sussex. Surveys run seven days a week.
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
About our chimney survey in Playden
A chimney survey is about the outside of the stack and the roof around it. It’s not a flue inspection, a chimney sweep or a gas safety inspection. For the flue itself, you will need a sweep or, for gas appliances, a Gas Safe registered engineer. If something we see points to the flue, we’ll say so. We survey flaunching, lead flashings and chimney pots and cowls, and the problems we are asked to look at most are flaunching that has broken away and bricks with flaking faces.
In a village or hamlet like Playden, 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. On older roofs, it is normally the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
We write the report in plain English, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Each point is backed by a photograph where possible.
- Where
- Playden (TN31)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Practical tips
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Photograph damp patches with the date
Many people use the report to get quotes for the work. Because everyone is pricing the same findings, the quotes are easier to compare.
Make sure fixings on the stack are sound and taken off if they’re no longer needed. Less load on the stack means less strain in wind.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Playden
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To discuss a number of properties, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the addresses.
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client, photos included.
What we do, step by step
Photos are taken throughout the visit, so the report shows exactly what we saw. We take close-ups from wherever is safe. Most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours at most homes, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Older rural homes like those around Playden can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- 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.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- Check pets are kept safely away
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
Getting a price
You can call us seven days a week. For a price or to book, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Related advice
Places near Playden
What else we do in Playden
Can I check my roof myself?
A lot can be seen from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Local roofs in Playden
The coast is about 3 miles or less from Playden, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Near the sea, metal fixings wear faster and loose pieces on a roof are more likely to lift, while driving rain finds any gap. Lamb House, about 0.9 miles south, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Playden. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years.
Take an older house close to The Parish Church of St Michael: old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs. Landlords with a home close to Rye station may find that knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Playden is about 10 miles north-east of Hastings, in East Sussex. From houses to flats and shops in Playden, we can survey the roof. We cover towns and villages across East Sussex. You can also see our page for Maidstone.
All of TN31 is covered for chimney surveys. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Rectory Lane, New England Lane and Saltcote Lane or a nearby road, we can survey it. Other places close to Playden include Houghton Green (1 mile north-east), East Guldeford (1 mile east), Rye (1 mile south), Iden (1 mile north) and Rye Foreign (1 mile west). Within a short drive, we also cover Hastings (10 miles south-west), Bexhill-on-Sea (14 miles south-west), St Leonards (11 miles south-west), Hastings Old Town (10 miles south-west), Belmont (10 miles south-west) and Hollington (10 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Playden
We work in homes and buildings around Rye College, Kings Head Inn and St Anthony of Padua Church and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Rye station, about 0.7 miles south. A little further out are Ypres Tower (0.9 miles south) and Rye Castle Museum (East Street) (0.8 miles south). The countryside around Playden includes Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.
Why act early in Playden
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 know where you stand. For an older or listed building in a place like Playden, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so leaving a defect until it is urgent leaves less time to plan.
To find out what your survey will cost, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and tell us about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Why us?
- 20+ years’ experience
- Plain-English reports with photos
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Surveys seven days a week
Read our cost guide or two real surveys.
FAQs for Playden
Is my home in Playden listed or in a conservation area?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. If a 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.
Do you cover smaller places like Playden?
Yes. Playden is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We survey roofs across London and the South East. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when booking.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys.
What if it rains on the day?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drone flights need calm, dry weather, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. If the conditions aren’t right, we’ll talk to you about another date.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey is a roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey of the whole building. It focuses on the roof and can sit alongside a RICS survey.
Should a redundant chimney be removed?
It depends on its condition and your plans. We record how the stack is doing and whether it’s capped with ventilation. If you’re thinking of removing it, check with the council first in a conservation area or on a listed building.
Our stack is shared. Can you still survey it?
Yes. Shared stacks are common on terraced and semi-detached houses. We record the stack as far as we can see it and flag anything on the neighbour’s side.
When to book a survey in Playden
The flaunching on top of a stack holds the pots in place and sheds water. Once it cracks, water gets in and frost makes the cracks bigger. Loose pots can follow.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Worn or missing pointing
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as St Michael's Church of England Primary School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Will the report include photos?