West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in West Hoathly
Chimney surveys in West Hoathly, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. You get a clear report with photos.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
Chimney survey in West Hoathly: what you get
If you’re 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 photographs and findings you can take back to the seller or agent. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it. Typical surveys look at loose, cracked or missing pots and eroded joints in the brickwork, on shared and party-wall stacks, lead flashings and flaunching.
Village roofs often face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are often the first to give way.
The report records the chimney stack as we found it on the day. It is useful straight away, and a good reference for later, for example when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Place
- West Hoathly (RH19)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
Photos are taken throughout the visit, so the report shows exactly what we saw. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available. A typical visit takes between one and two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Somewhere as small as West Hoathly, access is often the only tricky part. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- You let us know how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach them.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
Preparing for the visit
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the freeholder or managing agent
Book a survey
We survey roofs on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
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When you need someone else
No survey can tell you everything, and we’d rather be clear about that before booking. Bear these in mind:
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll recommend the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
Different roofs, different checks
Lead flashings
Mortar fillets are sometimes used where lead would normally be. They tend to crack, so we check them closely.
Chimney breasts and the loft
If a chimney breast has been removed below, we note what we can see of the support above. A structural engineer should confirm whether it’s adequate.
Common questions in West Hoathly
Is West Hoathly within the area you cover?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Is my home in West Hoathly listed or in a conservation area?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. We are experienced roof surveyors, and our survey covers the roof rather than the whole building. For the rest of the building, a RICS home survey is a separate job.
How many surveys have you done?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys, across London and South East England.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and every flight depends on the airspace and the weather.
How long does the survey take?
Expect it to take an hour or two on an ordinary house, and longer for a large or complex roof. The written report follows by email.
How do I book a survey in West Hoathly?
The quickest way is to ring 07833 053749 or email us. Tell us the address and a little about the roof, and we’ll take it from there. We survey seven days a week.
Prices for chimney surveys in West Hoathly
Prices vary from roof to roof, and it comes down to:
- Height and safe access
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where applicable, which starts from £400, inc. VAT. We can help you choose the package that fits what you’d like to know.
Getting in touch
There’s no need for technical words. It is enough to tell us:
- The kind of building and roof involved
- The property’s address and postcode
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
To arrange a survey, call 07833 053749 or email us and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price before you book.
Nearby places to West Hoathly
Also in West Hoathly
When to book a survey in West Hoathly
Removing a chimney breast inside can leave questions about how the stack is supported. We note what’s visible in the loft space and outside, and the report recommends a structural engineer if support is a concern.
Things that frequently lead to a survey include:
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
Take a building like West Hoathly CofE Primary School: long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- What follow-up you get after the report
- What the survey will not cover
- How soon the report will arrive
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are frequently out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
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.
Local roofs in West Hoathly
Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls are typical of older Sussex houses. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old Sussex buildings. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. Historic houses such as Priest House, about 0.2 miles south-west, show how far back building in the area around West Hoathly goes. If your house is among the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
For landlords with property near East Grinstead station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let. For an older house near a landmark such as St Margaret's Church, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
West Hoathly is about 4 miles south-west of East Grinstead, in West Sussex. If you are in West Hoathly, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. West Hoathly is one of the towns and villages in West Sussex where we work for chimney surveys. You can also see our page for Crawley.
Surveys in RH19 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. You’ll find streets such as Hilltop Road, Sandy Lane and North Lane. If you’re just outside West Hoathly, we cover Sharpthorne (1 mile east), Selsfield Common (1 mile north-west), Highbrook (2 miles south), Little London (2 miles south-west) and Ardingly (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Crawley (6 miles west), Horsham (12 miles west), Haywards Heath (6 miles south), Burgess Hill (9 miles south), East Grinstead (4 miles north-east) and Broadfield (7 miles west).
Local landmarks in West Hoathly
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Fox pub and the streets around them. The closest station to West Hoathly is East Grinstead station, roughly 3.7 miles north-east. Well-known places in the area include East Grinstead Museum (3.8 miles north-east) and Waterbury Castle (2.8 miles south). Open spaces near West Hoathly include Hedgecourt Lake.