West Sussex · London and the South East
Tilgate Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys in Tilgate and the rest of West Sussex. Surveys run on any day of the week.
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
How a chimney survey works in Tilgate
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. We look at each possibility and record what we find. You then know where to start. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, lead flashings and chimney pots and cowls, and the problems we are asked to look at most are frost-damaged brickwork on the stack and mortar washing out of the joints.
Houses in smaller places like Tilgate can face open ground, where wind and driving rain hit the roof harder. Ridge tiles, verges, chimney stacks and flashings take the worst of it. Checking those edges shows whether anything has begun to work loose. Once one ridge tile or slate moves, wind gets under the next one too.
The written findings come by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24–48 hours and Premium on the day.
- Location
- Tilgate (RH10, RH11)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Tilgate homes and their roofs
The wider area around Tilgate has a long history of building, with Tyes Place about 4.6 miles south. If your home is one of the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof. Crawley, which Tilgate is part of, is one of England’s post-war new towns. Many homes in the new towns date from the post-war decades, with concrete interlocking tiles, low-pitched roofs and flat-roofed garages and porches. On homes of that age, felt underlay, flat roofs, gutters and fixings may all be due attention.
Trees in and around Tilgate Park shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters. If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for instance near County Mall, a dated report on the roof is useful for planning and for any lease discussions.
Tilgate is about 1 mile south-east of Crawley, in West Sussex. We cover Tilgate and the rest of West Sussex, as part of our work across London and the South East. Our West Sussex coverage includes Tilgate and the places around it.
Surveys in RH10 and RH11 are booked the same way as anywhere else. You will find streets such as York Road, Nash Road and Cook Road, and we cover them all. Other places close to Tilgate include Southgate (1 mile west), Crawley (1 mile north-west), Three Bridges (1 mile north-east), Maidenbower (1 mile east) and West Green (1 mile north-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Horsham (7 miles south-west), Haywards Heath (8 miles south-east), Burgess Hill (10 miles south), East Grinstead (7 miles east), Billingshurst (13 miles south-west) and Roffey (6 miles west).
Around Tilgate
Around Tilgate, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Thomas Bennett Community College, The Grasshopper pub and Tilgate Park, among other places. Tilgate’s nearest station is Crawley station, about 0.6 miles north-west. A little further out are County Mall (0.7 miles north-west) and Crawley Hospital (1.2 miles north-west). Not far away are Tilgate Lake.
Nearby places to Tilgate
More services for Tilgate
Surveys for landlords and agents in Tilgate
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed ahead of time. Surveys run seven days a week, which can make access easier.
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget.
Questions from Tilgate
I let a flat near Crawley station. Can you check the roof?
Of course. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
Will you come out to Tilgate?
Yes, we do. We work right across London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
We survey seven days a week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Let us know which days suit you when booking.
How soon will I get the report?
Each package has its own report time. Basic is within 48 hours, Standard is 24–48 hours and Premium is the same day. Mention any deadline when you book.
Do you take photos of the roof?
Yes, every report has them. Pictures sit next to the findings they show.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
Don’t ignore it. Leaning often comes from mortar breaking down unevenly. The survey records what we can see, and a structural engineer can confirm whether it’s stable.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance cover our surveys. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
Why act early in Tilgate
Damp in a chimney breast typically gets worse while the cause is left. It can spoil decoration and plaster. Knowing whether it’s the flaunching, flashings, brickwork or ventilation means the right fix can be planned. In a smaller place like Tilgate, wherever a roof is exposed, a loose ridge or flashing does not stay loose for long. Each storm lifts it a little further, and water follows.
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) come with the Premium Survey, which starts from £400, with VAT included. We’ll tell you which package suits the questions you have.
What you get with us
- Over 20 years’ experience
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- An independent view of the roof
- 5,000+ surveys completed
What a survey costs
Survey packages start from £150, with VAT included. The price for your roof depends on:
- House, block, shop or office
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- The size of the roof
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with VAT included. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both with VAT included. You will know the exact price before booking.
What to let us know when you contact us
To price your survey accurately, we will ask about:
- The address and postcode of the property
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
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 use the contact form to find out.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
You can learn a lot from the ground. 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.
What we are asked to look at in Tilgate
TV aerials, satellite dishes and their brackets are often fixed to chimneys. Their weight and the wind on them can loosen bricks and pointing. We check fixings on the stack as part of the survey.
We’re often asked to look at:
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
Anyone responsible for a site like The Oaks Primary School & Nursery will know that long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- What experience they bring
How the survey works
Once we have finished looking, we write up our findings in a report with photographs. On timing, most surveys take an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. A visit to a smaller place like Tilgate is no different on the day: we look from ground level, from windows, from the loft and from the roof where it is safe. It is useful to show us anything you’ve already noticed.
- You let us know whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Before the survey
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Keep pets in another room
- Jot down any questions you want answered
Arrange a survey
A quick phone call is normally the easiest start: phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will ask a few questions about the roof. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.