West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Poynings
Chimney surveys in Poynings and the rest of West Sussex. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends.
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- A stack that appears to lean
Different roofs, different checks
Flaunching
The sloping mortar around the pots is called flaunching. Once it cracks, water can get straight into the brickwork.
Brick stacks
Most chimney stacks are built of brick, with mortar joints that wear over time. We check the bricks for spalling and the joints for erosion.
Chimney survey in Poynings: what you get
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. 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 cracked or missing flaunching and eroded joints in the brickwork, we can find out what’s behind it.
Older buildings in small places like Poynings may be 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. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
We write the report in plain English, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Each point is backed by a photo where possible, with the urgent items made clear.
- Place
- Poynings (BN45)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens on the day
We don’t take risks to get a closer look. Everything that can be seen safely is inspected, and anything we can’t see is noted in the report. The survey typically takes an hour or two for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Somewhere like Poynings needs a little journey planning: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We check every stack from wherever it can be seen safely.
- 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 photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
How to prepare
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
Book a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email when you are ready.
Advice
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
- House, block, shop or office
- The roof’s overall size
For a price for your roof in Poynings, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and tell us about the roof. We will confirm the figure before booking.
What we need to know
We’ll typically ask about:
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
When you’re ready to go ahead, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Poynings
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf. Access is agreed with the tenant beforehand.
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps with budgets and planning.
Chimney surveys in Poynings: local notes
Poynings lies within about 5 miles of the sea, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces. Portslade Manor, about 3.7 miles south, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Poynings. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years.
If you live in an older home near The Church of the Holy Trinity, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs. If you let a flat or house near Hassocks station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
Poynings is about 4 miles north of Brighton and Hove, in West Sussex. We survey roofs in Poynings and the rest of West Sussex, as part of our work across London and the South East. Across West Sussex, we cover Poynings and the places around it.
All of BN45 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We cover properties on The Street and Cora's Walk. We also cover the places around Poynings: Fulking (1 mile south-west), Hangleton (3 miles south), Portslade (4 miles south), Castle Town (4 miles west) and Kingston by Sea (4 miles south). Further out, we also cover Crawley (15 miles north), Horsham (13 miles north-west), Worthing (10 miles south-west), Haywards Heath (9 miles north-east), Burgess Hill (5 miles north-east) and Littlehampton (15 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Poynings
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Royal Oak pub. Poynings’s nearest station is Hassocks station, roughly 3.3 miles north-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include The Budding Foundation Museum of Gardening (2.9 miles north-east) and Southlands Hospital (4.4 miles south-west). Not far away are Wolstonbury Hill and Woods Mill.
Common questions in Poynings
Can a landlord with a rental near Hassocks station book a roof survey?
Yes, that is a common request. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
Is Poynings within the area you cover?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
What happens next?
The report arrives by email, with photographs and clear recommendations. With Standard there is a follow-up consultation; with Premium, an in-person consultation.
How fast do I get the report?
It depends on the package: the Basic Survey report arrives within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey the same day. The report is emailed to you.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We use safe viewpoints rather than climbing onto the stack. Where it applies, our Premium Survey adds a drone inspection for a closer view. The report is clear about anything that couldn’t be seen.
Does the weather affect the survey?
It depends on the weather and the survey. High wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, and we’d agree another day.
Will I get photos?
Yes. We photograph the roof as we go, and they go into the written report alongside our recommendations.
Towns and villages near Poynings
More services for Poynings
Why it’s worth a survey now in Poynings
Damp in a chimney breast usually gets worse while the cause is left. It can spoil decoration and plaster. Knowing whether it is the flaunching, flashings, brickwork or ventilation means the right fix can be planned. In a small place like Poynings, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
Price depends partly on the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, with VAT included. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
Why us?
- Clear package prices, inc. VAT
- Photos and a written report every time
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced or our case studies.
Checking the roof from the ground
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey.