East Sussex · London and the South East
Ridgewood Chimney Survey
Wondering about the chimney stack at a property in Ridgewood? You can book a chimney survey in Ridgewood and across East Sussex, with plain-English findings.
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
Chimney survey in Ridgewood: what you get
If you are buying a home with chimneys, it is worth knowing their condition before you exchange. Cracked flaunching, failed flashings and worn pointing are common findings on older stacks. 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 chimney breasts, shared and party-wall stacks and chimney pots and cowls, and people most often book us about flaunching that has broken away and damaged chimney pots and cowls.
Around Ridgewood, older cottages sit alongside bungalows and newer houses. Older roofs can have slate, clay tiles or other traditional coverings, while many later ones have concrete tiles. On older homes, chimney stacks, valleys and gutters are normally where the work is, and the fixings under the coverings matter too. The fixings under an older roof frequently fail before good slates or tiles do.
Where we can’t see part of the chimney stack, the report says so. You’ll know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Location
- Ridgewood (TN22)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Prices for chimney surveys in Ridgewood
All our prices include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- The size of the roof
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
Price depends partly on the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, including VAT. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
Getting in touch
Getting the details right at the start saves time. It helps to include:
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine; never climb up to get a better view. To send them or to book, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
What we are asked to look at in Ridgewood
Chimney stacks stand above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Frost works into cracks in the flaunching and pointing, and rain soaks into worn brickwork. People normally call us when they notice damp or a problem with the stack, or before a purchase.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
For landlords with property near Uckfield station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
What to check before booking
- Their report turnaround times
- Whether VAT is added on top
- Their insurance cover
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
Questions from Ridgewood
Is Ridgewood within the area you cover?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
How do I find out if my home in Ridgewood is listed?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We’re covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
What if it rains on the day?
It depends on the weather and the survey. Strong wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, so we’d move the date with you.
Do I need to be at home?
That depends on the survey. For inside areas and the loft space, someone has to give us access; we’ll agree the details when booking.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We carry out surveys on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To arrange a date, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Do you look in the roof space?
If the survey needs it and the roof space can be reached safely, yes. A clear path to the hatch helps.
Nearby places to Ridgewood
More services for Ridgewood
What a chimney survey looks like in Ridgewood
Older buildings may be listed or sit in a conservation area. Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the council can say whether a street is in a conservation area. In either case, a change of roofing material may need consent. Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls are typical of older Sussex houses. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs, and oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of East Sussex’s older buildings. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
Anyone responsible for a site like Harlands Primary School will know that its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near St Saviour, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Ridgewood is about 1 mile south of Uckfield, in East Sussex. Whether the building in Ridgewood is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, the roof can be surveyed. Our area takes in places right across East Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. For surveys nearby, see our Brighton page.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: TN22. You’ll find streets such as New Road, Lewes Road and Wares Road. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Little Horsted (1 mile south-west), Isfield (2 miles south-west), Budlett's Common (2 miles north), Rose Hill (2 miles south-west) and Maresfield (3 miles north). Larger places within reach include Eastbourne (14 miles south-east), Seaford (12 miles south), Lewes (7 miles south-west), Hailsham (9 miles south-east), Crowborough (7 miles north-east) and Newhaven (11 miles south).
Near you in Ridgewood
In Ridgewood, that means homes and buildings near Uckfield College, The Highlands pub and Hempstead Meadow. For rail, the closest station is Uckfield station, about 0.8 miles north. Other landmarks nearby include Uckfield Community Hospital (0.7 miles north-east) and Tickerage Castle (2.4 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Brickfield Meadow.
For landlords and managing agents
We survey roofs for landlords and letting agents as well as homeowners. A written report with photos gives you a clear record of the chimney stack, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on, photos included.
What a chimney survey does not cover
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will point you to the right survey. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we check
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
Different roofs, different checks
Brick stacks
Older brick stacks often have soft lime mortar. We note where repairs should match the original mortar.
Lead flashings
Mortar fillets are sometimes used where lead would typically be. They tend to crack, so we check them closely.
What happens on the day
Safety comes first on every visit. We inspect whatever is safely visible, and if part of the roof cannot be seen, the report says so. The survey usually takes about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Homes around Ridgewood frequently have gardens on more than one side, which gives us room to step back and see the roof. Mention any side of the property we can’t get to. 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.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Getting ready for the survey
- Check pets are kept safely away
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
Book a survey
If you’re buying, it’s useful to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. Otherwise, simply phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email whenever suits you.