East Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Skippers Hill, East Sussex
We carry out chimney surveys in Skippers Hill and the rest of East Sussex. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
- A chimney out of line
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Worn or missing pointing
Chimney survey in Skippers Hill
If a chimney looks out of line, it’s worth getting it checked. A stack may lean because the mortar on one side has weakened, which can happen over many years of use. The survey notes how the stack looks, how far it seems to lean and the state of the bricks and joints. If the stack looks like a structural issue, the report recommends a structural engineer. We’re often asked to look into a stack that appears to lean and bricks with flaking faces, across brick chimney stacks, flaunching and chimney breasts.
In a village or hamlet like Skippers Hill, 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 often old. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photos, emailed to you. It explains the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Place
- Skippers Hill (TN20)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens if roof problems are left?
Before deciding what to do with a redundant stack, a survey shows how it is doing. Changes to stacks in conservation areas or on listed buildings may need consent, so check with them first. In a small place like Skippers Hill, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and damp in older walls is slow to dry out.
Every price we give includes VAT. Our price is from £150, including VAT. We confirm the exact price before booking.
Why us?
- An independent look at the roof
- Plain-English reports with photos
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
Towns and villages near Skippers Hill
What else we do in Skippers Hill
Questions from Skippers Hill
Do you cover smaller places like Skippers Hill?
Yes, Skippers Hill is covered. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Crowborough station?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and what you need.
My chimney looks like it’s leaning. What should I do?
It is worth having a leaning stack checked. We record the lean, the brickwork and the pointing, and recommend a structural engineer where it may be a structural concern.
Should a redundant chimney be removed?
An unused stack still needs to stay weathertight and ventilated. If it is capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside. Our survey records its condition and how it’s capped, so you can decide with a builder what to do.
How many surveys have you done?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Only when it is safe. Safe viewpoints, the loft space and a drone where it applies cover most of what’s needed.
How much does a chimney survey cost in Skippers Hill?
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Our three packages are Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, inc. VAT.
What a chimney survey does not cover
This is not a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Conditions inside walls
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
What we do, step by step
Safety comes first on every visit. Everything that can safely be seen is inspected, and if part of the roof cannot be seen, the report says so. The survey usually takes between one and two hours at most homes, and more on a big or complicated roof. In a hamlet or village like Skippers Hill, a postcode does not always lead to the right gate, so a few directions are welcome. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Getting ready for the survey
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
Book a survey
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, so phone 07833 053749 or email us with the details.
Advice
Signs you need a chimney survey in Skippers Hill
Flashings seal the gap where a stack passes through the roof. They can lift in wind, crack with age or pull out of the mortar joints. When flashings fail, water often shows up in the loft or on the chimney breast. Lead flashings can also be stolen.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Signs that a stack is leaning
If you let a flat or house near Crowborough station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
Questions to ask before you book
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- When you will get the report
- What happens after the report arrives
- Whether you get a written report with photos
Tips from our surveys
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They apply to most roofs:
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Photograph damp patches with the date
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. With the same list in front of each contractor, comparing quotes is simpler.
Have aerial and dish brackets on the stack checked and taken off if they’re no longer needed. Less load on the stack means less strain in wind.
Local roofs in Skippers Hill
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. Re-roofing in different materials may need permission there. 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. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
Anyone responsible for a site like Skippers Hill Manor School will know that long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. If your house is among the older ones in the streets near Church of the Good Shepherd, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Skippers Hill is about 4 miles south-east of Crowborough, in East Sussex. If you are in Skippers Hill, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. Across East Sussex, we cover Skippers Hill and the places around it. For surveys nearby, see our Brighton page.
Here we cover the TN20 postcode area for chimney surveys. You’ll find streets such as Queensmount, Criers Lane and Holly Beech Lane. We also cover Butcher's Cross (1 mile north-east), Five Ashes (1 mile south), Woolbridge (1 mile north-east), Wellbrook (1 mile north-east) and Mayfield (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Eastbourne (15 miles south), Bexhill-on-Sea (15 miles south-east), Lewes (13 miles south-west), Hailsham (10 miles south), Crowborough (4 miles north-west) and Uckfield (6 miles south-west).
Around Skippers Hill
Typical jobs here are in homes near Five Ashes CofE Primary School and The Five Ashes Inn. The nearest railway station is Crowborough station, about 3.1 miles north-west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Tickerage Castle (3.9 miles south-west) and Crowborough War Memorial Hospital (4.1 miles north-west). For a walk, there is Selwyns Wood.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Skippers Hill
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, putting the urgent items at the top.
We survey roofs for landlords and letting agents as well as homeowners. A photo-illustrated written report gives you a clear record of the chimney stack.