West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Bramber, West Sussex
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Bramber. We have completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- A chimney out of line
Useful tips for Bramber property owners
There’s plenty you can do without going near the roof. Here’s what helps most:
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
Many people use the report to get quotes for the work. Because everyone is pricing the same findings, the quotes are easier to compare.
Make sure redundant flues are capped with ventilation. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
About our chimney survey in Bramber
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 brick chimney stacks, flaunching and lead flashings, and common reasons people get in touch are spalled or crumbling bricks and unused flues sealed without airflow.
Some older homes in villages like Bramber are listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Older materials like clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- Bramber (BN44)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Local roofs in Bramber
The coast is about 5 miles or less from Bramber, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, while gales work at loose ridges, slates and tiles, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls are typical of older Sussex houses. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
For an older house near a landmark such as The Parish Church of St Nicholas, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. Take a building like Upper Beeding Primary School: its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Bramber is about 4 miles north-west of Shoreham-by-Sea, in West Sussex. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Bramber can all book chimney surveys, with a written report and photographs every time. Bramber is one of the towns and villages in West Sussex we cover. For surveys nearby, see our Brighton page.
Every address in BN44 is covered for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We offer chimney surveys to properties on The Street, King's Stone Avenue and Saxon Road and the roads around them. Close by, we survey roofs in Steyning (1 mile west), Upper Beeding (1 mile east), Botolphs (1 mile south), Sompting (4 miles south) and Lancing (4 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Horsham (12 miles north), Worthing (6 miles south-west), Haywards Heath (12 miles north-east), Burgess Hill (10 miles north-east), Littlehampton (11 miles south-west) and Shoreham-by-Sea (4 miles south-east).
Around Bramber
We work in homes and buildings around Hillside Park (parke sa Hiniusang Gingharian), The Model Bakery The Norfolk Arms and Steyning Grammar School. The nearest railway station is Shoreham-By-Sea station, roughly 4.1 miles south-east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Southlands Hospital (4.1 miles south-east) and Steyning Museum (under half a mile west). For a walk, there’s Steep Down and Woods Mill.
DIY checks: what’s safe
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we look at the roof.
What a survey costs
We confirm the exact price before booking. This is what makes a difference:
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- The size of the roof
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so the price reflects that. The price is confirmed before you book.
What to let us know when you get in touch
There is no need for technical words. Just tell us:
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from the ground or a window, and please don’t climb up for a closer look. To send them or to book, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
What we are asked to look at in Bramber
The flaunching on top of a stack holds the pots in place and sheds water. Cracked flaunching lets water in, and each winter makes it worse. In time, the pots can become loose.
People typically book a survey after spotting one of these:
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
Living close to Hillside Park (parke sa Hiniusang Gingharian) is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Their report turnaround times
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
Your questions about chimney surveys in Bramber
I let a flat near Shoreham-By-Sea station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. Just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and let us know about the building.
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Bramber, take more of a battering?
Places near the sea get more wind and more salt in the air than inland, and both are hard on roofs. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is often shared, so whoever owns or manages the building needs to agree access. We can only inspect what we are given access to.
Do you look in the roof space?
Yes, where the survey calls for it and there is safe access. Inside, we look for damp, staining, gaps and sagging.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
It can come from several places: water getting in at the top, through the brickwork or at the flashings, or moisture trapped in a stack with no ventilation. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause.
When does the report arrive?
Report times are set by the package. Basic is within 48 hours, Standard is 24–48 hours and Premium is the same day. If you have a deadline, such as an exchange date, tell us as you book.
How much does a chimney survey cost in Bramber?
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The final figure depends on the roof and the package you choose.
When you need someone else
A survey is a proper look at the chimney stack, but it can’t do everything. Its limits include:
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- Conditions inside walls
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or email us and we will point you to the right survey. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
What else we do in Bramber
What we do, step by step
Every visit follows the same pattern: we listen to what’s been worrying you, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, photograph what we find and record our findings for the written report. It typically takes between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Somewhere like Bramber needs a little journey planning: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect whatever is safely visible, inside and out.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there is access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Getting ready for the survey
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
Book a survey
We confirm the price for your survey before you book, so you know the cost up front. Prices start from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.