West Sussex · London and the South East
Amberley Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys in Amberley from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. Over 5,000 surveys and 20+ years behind us.
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
About our chimney survey in Amberley
A chimney survey looks at the stack and everything around it: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and the flashings at the roof line. Inside, we check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft where it is safe to reach. The findings come in a written report with photos and recommendations. We survey single stacks on houses and groups of stacks on bigger buildings. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, chimney breasts and flaunching, and people most often book us about loose, cracked or missing pots and damp patches on chimney breasts.
Village roofs often face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A roof report shows what needs attention first. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
It is not only a list of defects. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend.
- Where
- Amberley (BN18)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Common roof problems in Amberley
Flashings seal the gap where a stack passes through the roof. With age they can lift, split or come away from the joints. When flashings fail, water often shows up in the loft or on the chimney breast. Lead is also a target for theft.
People usually book a survey after spotting one of these:
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- A stack that appears to lean
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
Trees in and around Parham Park shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Before booking anyone
- Their track record with similar roofs
- Whether the price includes VAT
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
- What they will not be able to tell you
When you need someone else
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- Hidden damage within the stack
- Parts of the stack that can’t be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we can’t access
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will give you a straight answer before booking. The full list of what we check.
What we check
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
Amberley homes and their roofs
Parham House, about 1.9 miles east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Amberley. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Older houses across Sussex often have handmade clay tiles, and many have tile-hanging on their upper walls. A few old Sussex buildings still carry heavy Horsham stone slabs. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
If you look after a building such as Amberley CofE Primary School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. If you live in an older home near The Parish Church of St Michael and All Angels, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Amberley is about 7 miles north of Littlehampton, in West Sussex. We survey roofs in Amberley and the rest of West Sussex. Across West Sussex, we cover Amberley and the places around it. Brighton is in our area too.
Surveys in BN18 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Local streets include School Road, Turnpike Road and Hog Lane, all of which we cover. Other places close to Amberley include Cross Gate (1 mile north-east), Bury (1 mile west), Rackham (1 mile east), Watersfield (2 miles north-west) and West Burton (2 miles west). Further out, we also cover Horsham (14 miles north-east), Worthing (8 miles south-east), Bognor Regis (10 miles south-west), Chichester (12 miles south-west), Littlehampton (7 miles south) and Shoreham-by-Sea (13 miles south-east).
What’s near Amberley
Around Amberley, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Dorset House School and Parham Park and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Amberley station, roughly 0.8 miles south-west. Nearby you’ll also find Amberley Castle (less than half a mile west) and Arundel and District Hospital (3.9 miles south). The countryside around Amberley includes Amberley Wild Brooks and Bignor Hill.
FAQs for Amberley
I let a flat near Amberley station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and a few details.
Do you cover smaller places like Amberley?
Yes, we do. We work right across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
How long does the survey take?
That depends on the size and shape of the roof, but most surveys take about one to two hours for a house, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. The report is sent afterwards by email.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling are not something we do. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
Do not 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 need to get into the loft?
If the survey needs it and the loft space can be reached safely, yes. Please clear anything stored under the hatch, and if the loft cannot be reached safely, the report says so.
How can you see the top of the stack?
Each stack is viewed from the safest viewpoints: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the roof space. A drone inspection is included in our Premium Survey where applicable. We note anything we couldn’t see.
Towns and villages near Amberley
More services for Amberley
Roof by roof
Chimney breasts and the loft
Where a breast has been taken out, we check what supports the stack. A structural engineer should confirm whether it’s adequate.
Rendered stacks
We cannot see the bricks behind render without it being opened up, so the report says what can and cannot be judged.
What affects the price in Amberley
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before booking. These are the things that affect it:
- How big the roof is
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- Which survey package you book
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
Prices quoted always include 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
If you can, have these to hand when you get in touch:
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
We survey roofs on weekdays and at weekends. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
What happens on the day
We’ll ask a few questions first, such as when any problem began and what work has been done before. The inspection then takes between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In a small place like Amberley, access is normally the main thing to plan. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- 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.
Getting ready for the survey
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
How to book
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 send us an email to find out.
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Practical tips
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. Our suggestions:
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Photograph damp patches with the date
Once we have been, the findings are written up with photos. It covers the pots, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings, and any damp we found inside. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. It’s far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.