East Sussex · London and the South East
Westdean Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys in Westdean, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
Why it’s worth a survey now in Westdean
If you’re thinking of removing or reducing a stack, it is useful to know its condition first. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need permission from the council, so check with them first. For older village homes like those around Westdean, the right replacement materials are not always easy to find quickly. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, how it can safely be seen and which survey you book.
What you get with us
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- Clear package prices, including VAT
- PI and public liability insurance
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
See our cost guide or two real surveys.
Chimney survey in Westdean
A damp patch on a chimney breast doesn’t always come from the same place. It might come in at the top, through worn pointing or porous bricks, or where the flashings meet the roof. Condensation inside an unventilated stack is another common cause. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. That points the work in the right direction. If you are worried about signs that a stack is leaning and eroded joints in the brickwork, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
In a small place like Westdean, many roofs stand in the open, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are frequently where weather gets in first.
It isn’t only a list of defects. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, so you can plan your next steps.
- Location
- Westdean (BN25)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the price in Westdean
Our packages start from £150, inc. VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- Roof area
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
Every price we give includes VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
What we need to know
To price your survey accurately, we will ask about:
- The property’s address and postcode
- The type of building and roof, like pitched or flat
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Chimney surveys around Westdean
Westdean is within about 2 miles of the coast, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. About 2 miles north lies Alfriston Clergy House, a reminder of how long the area around Westdean has been built on. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
If you own a rental within reach of Seaford station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let. Anyone responsible for a site like Ladycross School will know that large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Westdean is about 2 miles east of Seaford, in East Sussex. Wherever you are in Westdean, we can come and survey your property. Westdean is one of the places in East Sussex we cover for chimney surveys. Our Brighton page covers surveys nearby.
We work across the BN25 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Litlington (1 mile north), Dukes Green (2 miles north), Lullington (2 miles north), Alfriston (2 miles north) and Seaford (2 miles west). Further out, we also cover Eastbourne (6 miles east), Bexhill-on-Sea (14 miles east), Lewes (10 miles north-west), Hailsham (7 miles north-east), Uckfield (13 miles north) and Newhaven (5 miles west).
Landmarks near Westdean
We work in homes and buildings around Cuckmere Inn, Seaford Head Nature Reserve and Seaford Head School and the streets around them. Westdean’s nearest station is Seaford station, about 2.6 miles west. Nearby you will also find Chailey Heritage Marine Hospital (3.9 miles west) and Old Forge Museum (Alfriston) (2.2 miles north). The countryside around Westdean includes Combe Hill.
Places near Westdean
What else we do in Westdean
The survey, step by step
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. It normally takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Older roofs in small places like Westdean can have low, tight loft spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- You let us know whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- 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.
Getting ready for the survey
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the building owner or managing agent
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Booking a survey
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. For a price or to book, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
Questions from Westdean
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Seaford station?
Yes, that’s a common request. We just need to know who will give access, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
Is my home in Westdean listed or in a conservation area?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Do you cover Westdean for chimney surveys?
Yes. We survey roofs across London and South East England, and that includes Westdean.
How can you see the top of the stack?
We use safe viewpoints rather than climbing onto the stack. Where applicable, our Premium Survey adds a drone inspection for a closer view. Any area we couldn’t view is noted.
Will you check the loft?
Usually, if there’s one and it can be reached safely. From inside, the underside of the roof frequently shows damp, staining or daylight that cannot be seen from outside.
Does the weather affect the survey?
It can, depending on the survey. Drones cannot fly safely in high wind or heavy rain, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. If the conditions are not right, we’ll talk to you about another date.
What’s in the survey report?
Written findings with photographs, covering the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend. Standard adds moisture detection and a structural check; Premium adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
Practical tips
Getting the most from a chimney survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
If anything in the report is not clear, just ask us. Standard Surveys come with a follow-up consultation, and Premium Surveys with an in-person one.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. It is far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Westdean
We survey roofs for landlords and letting agents as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photos, useful for planning maintenance.
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, with the most urgent items set out first.
Common roof problems in Westdean
Some owners book because a chimney breast has been removed below and they want to know about the stack above. We record what we can see in the loft and outside, and the report recommends a structural engineer if support is a concern.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Signs that a stack is leaning
The streets around a church such as The Parish Church of All Saints are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Before you book anyone
- What insurance they carry
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- When you’ll get the report
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID