Brighton and Hove · London and the South East
West Hill Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys in West Hill and the rest of Brighton and Hove. We survey seven days a week.
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Worn or missing pointing
About our chimney survey in West Hill
Chimney stacks take more weather than almost any other part of a house. Over the years, the flaunching cracks, the pointing wears and flashings lift. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the loft space. We record what we find with photographs and recommendations. We survey chimney pots and cowls, chimney breasts and flaunching, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are staining on walls around the chimney and signs that a stack is leaning.
Trees around homes in smaller places like West Hill drop leaves, twigs and moss onto roofs and into gutters. Once gutters and outlets block, water spills over and soaks the walls. A report spots that kind of slow problem before it becomes damp inside. Moss on the roof and weeds in the gutter are both easy to spot from the ground.
After the visit, you get a written report with photos, emailed to you. It explains the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Location
- West Hill (BN1, BN3, BN2)
- Wider area
- Brighton and Hove
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips that help
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Check unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Do not use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
Where another specialist is needed, such as a structural engineer or sweep, we explain why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Look at your chimneys from the ground now and then, especially after strong winds. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.
Towns and villages near West Hill
More services for West Hill
What a survey costs
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
- House, block, shop or office
- Which survey package you book
Every price we give includes VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Our price is from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Getting in touch
A little information up front helps. Please include:
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, so phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details.
What a chimney survey looks like in West Hill
The coast is about 1 mile or less from West Hill, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Near the sea, metal fixings wear faster and loose pieces on a roof are more likely to lift, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. With Royal Pavilion about 0.6 miles south-east, West Hill sits in an area with a long building history. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
For an older house near a landmark such as Galeed Strict Baptist Chapel, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first. Homes near green spaces such as St. Ann's Well Gardens can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls. Take a building like St Paul's CofE Primary School and Nursery: long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
West Hill is about 1 mile west of Brighton, in Brighton and Hove. West Hill is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area as part of our work across London and South East England. West Hill is one of the places in Brighton and Hove where we work.
We work across the BN1, BN3 and BN2 postcode area for chimney surveys. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Powis Road, North Road and York Avenue or a nearby road, we can survey it. You will find West Hill on the A2010, which makes it straightforward to reach. Other places close to West Hill include Seven Dials (1 mile north-west), Brunswick (1 mile south-west), Prestonville (1 mile north-west), Brighton (1 mile east) and Carlton Hill (1 mile south-east). Larger places within reach include Hangleton (3 miles north-west), Saltdean (5 miles east), East Saltdean (5 miles east), Rottingdean (4 miles east) and Ovingdean (3 miles east). West Hill is one of the larger places we cover in Brighton and Hove.
Landmarks near West Hill
Around West Hill, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Brighton Girls, The Cow pub and Academy of Creative Training and the streets around them. There’s a railway station in West Hill itself: Brighton station. Well-known places in the area include Churchill Square (0.5 miles south) and Montefiore Hospital (0.5 miles west). Open spaces near West Hill include Whitehawk Hill and Newmarket Hill.
Checking the roof from the ground
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
It helps to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry and it will help the survey.
What happens on the day
The aim of the visit is simple: to see as much of the chimney stack as can be seen safely and record it clearly. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. The visit typically takes roughly 1–2 hours for a house, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. A visit to West Hill is planned like any other: the time, the access and where to park are agreed beforehand. Weekday and weekend visits are both possible. Let us know about any garages, outbuildings or extensions you want included.
- 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.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Before the survey
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Keep pets in another room
Getting a price
Booking is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or email us and give us a few details about the property and we’ll explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Advice
Common questions in West Hill
Can a landlord with a rental near Brighton station book a roof survey?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and a few details, including who will give access on the day.
Will you come out to West Hill?
Yes, West Hill is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
What’s the best way to book?
Just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address. We will ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date, weekday or weekend.
Do you need to get into the loft?
Normally, if there is one and it can be reached safely. From inside, the underside of the roof often shows damp, staining or daylight that cannot be seen from outside.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 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, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
Will I get photos?
Yes, every report has them. Pictures sit next to the findings they show, which makes the report easy to follow.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We use safe viewpoints rather than climbing onto the stack. Where applicable, our Premium Survey adds a drone inspection for a closer view. The report is clear about anything that couldn’t be seen.
For landlords and managing agents
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, with the most urgent items set out first.
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.
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney pots and cowls
For unused flues, we check whether caps or cowls allow ventilation. Poor capping can lead to damp inside the stack.
Brick stacks
Brick stacks rely on sound pointing to keep water out. We check the bricks for spalling and the joints for erosion.