West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Broadwater
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching for Broadwater, from an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photographs.
- A stack that appears to lean
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
About our chimney survey in Broadwater
A chimney stands up above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. In time, flaunching cracks, mortar washes out and flashings come loose. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the roof space. A survey finds these problems and records them with photos. If you’ve noticed staining on walls around the chimney and spalled or crumbling bricks, we can find out what’s behind it.
Houses in smaller places like Broadwater can face open ground, where wind and driving rain hit the roof harder. That weather tells first on ridges, verges, chimneys and flashings. Checking those edges shows whether anything has begun to work loose before it lets water in. A loose ridge tile or slate gives the wind something to catch, and others soon follow.
Nothing in the report is left vague: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, and where it can wait, that is said too.
- Place
- Broadwater (BN14, BN11)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Signs you need a chimney survey in Broadwater
Flaunching is the mortar bed that holds the pots and throws water off the top. Cracked flaunching lets water in, and each winter makes it worse. In time, the pots can become loose.
It is worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
If you look after a building such as Broadwater CofE Primary School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Questions to ask before booking
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- Their report turnaround times
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
The survey, step by step
The visit normally starts outside and finishes in the loft: outside views come first, then the loft space if there is safe access. All told, expect about 1–2 hours for a house, and more on a big or complicated roof. With a bit of garden around a house, as there frequently is around Broadwater, the roof can be viewed from several angles. Let us know if any side is fenced off or hard to reach. The loft, where there’s safe access, completes the picture.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can safely be seen.
- 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.
- You get a report with photographs and our recommendations.
How to prepare
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
Arrange a survey
You can call us seven days a week. For a price or to book, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
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Chimney surveys in Broadwater: local notes
Broadwater lies within about 2 miles of the sea, 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. Older houses across Sussex frequently have handmade clay tiles, and many have tile-hanging on their upper walls. A few old Sussex buildings still carry heavy Horsham stone slabs. Whatever the covering, it’s often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near St. Mary's Church, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs. Living close to Beach House Park is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Broadwater is about 1 mile east of Worthing, in West Sussex. Broadwater gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a close look at what can be seen safely, photographs and a clear written report. Broadwater is one of the towns and villages in West Sussex where we work. For surveys nearby, see our Brighton page.
We work across BN14 and BN11 for chimney surveys and the streets around it. Whether your property is on Forest Road, Turner Road and Langton Road or anywhere close by, we can help. Other places close to Broadwater include Offington (1 mile north-west), Worthing (1 mile west), Salvington (1 mile north-west), East Worthing (1 mile south-east) and Sompting (2 miles east). Further out, we also cover Bognor Regis (14 miles west), Burgess Hill (14 miles north-east), Littlehampton (7 miles west), Shoreham-by-Sea (5 miles east), Rustington (6 miles west) and Storrington (7 miles north-west).
Around Broadwater
In Broadwater, that means homes and buildings near Thomas A Becket First School, Bohunt School Worthing and Beach House Park and the streets around them. Broadwater’s nearest station is Worthing station, roughly 0.7 miles south of the centre. A little further out are Museum of Sussex Folklore (0.9 miles west) and Old Castle (0.8 miles west). Open spaces near Broadwater include Widewater Lagoon and Steep Down.
Common questions in Broadwater
I let a flat near Worthing station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, that is a common request. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
Will you come out to Broadwater?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when booking.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We point out what can be seen, such as sagging or deflection, but we don’t carry out calculations or give an engineer’s opinion. Where an engineer is needed, we say so in the report.
Can you find out why my chimney breast is damp?
It can come from several places: cracked flaunching, worn pointing, failed flashings, uncapped pots, or damp trapped in an unventilated stack. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. We are experienced roof surveyors, and our survey covers the roof rather than the whole building. If you need a full building survey, you will need a RICS survey as well.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not always. Safety comes first, and fragile or steep roofs cannot always be walked on. We use safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where applicable, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
Also near Broadwater
Other services in Broadwater
Prices for chimney surveys in Broadwater
Not every roof costs the same to survey, and it comes down to:
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
Price depends partly on the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all including VAT. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
Getting in touch
To price your survey accurately, we will ask about:
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Dates you are working to, such as exchange
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
We survey roofs on any day of the week. To arrange a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Tips from our surveys
A little preparation and a few simple habits help, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Our tips:
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
With a shared stack, the report can help when talking to next door. The photos show the problem and which side it’s on, as far as we could see.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
Why it’s worth a survey now in Broadwater
If a stack seems to lean, don’t leave it. Our survey records it and says when a structural engineer should look at it, so you can decide what to do next. Tradespeople may need to travel further to a smaller place like Broadwater, so it helps to plan roof work rather than call someone out in a hurry. Knowing early gives you time to get the right people in.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before booking.
What you get with us
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
See what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Broadwater
Letting agents and landlords in Broadwater book surveys as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photos, useful for planning maintenance.
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the addresses.