West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Clapham, West Sussex
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Clapham, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- A chimney out of line
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
About our chimney survey in Clapham
If a chimney looks out of line, it’s worth getting it checked. A stack may lean because the mortar on one side has weakened, which can happen over many years of use. The survey notes how the stack looks, how far it seems to lean and the state of the bricks and joints. Where it may be a structural concern, we will recommend a structural engineer. We survey flaunching, brick chimney stacks and shared and party-wall stacks, and common reasons people get in touch are a stack that appears to lean and damp on a chimney breast inside.
Some older homes in villages like Clapham are listed or in a conservation area. If yours is, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so the council is the place to check. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets, each with a short note and a photograph. You’ll see the good as well as the bad.
- Where
- Clapham (BN13)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips from our surveys
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
If anything in the report isn’t clear, just ask us. Standard Surveys come with a follow-up consultation, and Premium Surveys with an in-person one.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
Clapham questions
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Clapham, take more of a battering?
Yes, coastal weather is harder on roofs: there is more wind, and more salt in the air. Ridges, verges, flashings and fixings are where it usually shows, and Clapham is within about 4 miles of the coast.
Do you cover smaller places like Clapham?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Our area covers London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when booking.
Will you check the loft?
If the survey needs it and the roof space can be reached safely, yes. Please clear anything stored under the hatch.
What does a roof survey cost?
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. You will know the exact price before booking. For a price, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Only if it’s safe. We inspect everything that’s safely in view: from the ground, from windows and vantage points, from the loft space, from the roof itself where safe and by drone where it applies. Anything we can’t see is noted in the report.
Will you check the chimney is safe to use with a fire?
No. We survey the stack and its weathering, not the flue. The flue should be checked by a sweep, or by a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances.
What do you check on a chimney?
The whole stack, as far as it can be seen safely: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. We also note leaning, redundant stacks and damp inside.
Also in Clapham
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, putting the urgent items at the top.
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To discuss a number of properties, call 07833 053749 or email us with the addresses.
The survey, step by step
We don’t take risks to get a closer look. We inspect everything that’s safely in view, and anything we cannot see is noted in the report. Most visits take between one and two hours for most houses, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. In a small place like Clapham, access is normally the main thing to plan. 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 whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We check the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
How to prepare
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Let us know about parking before the day
How to book
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
Read more
What a chimney survey looks like in Clapham
Clapham lies within about 4 miles of the sea, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces. 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.
Living close to Clapham Wood is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls. For an older house near a landmark like The Parish Church of St Mary, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Clapham is about 3 miles north-west of Worthing, in West Sussex. We carry out chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Clapham and the surrounding area. Clapham is one of the places in West Sussex where we work. Our Brighton page covers surveys nearby.
Here we cover the BN13 postcode area for chimney surveys. That includes homes and businesses on The Street, Long Furlong and Church Close. Clapham sits on or near the A280. Close by, we survey roofs in Patching (1 mile north-west), Cote (1 mile east), Hammerpot (2 miles west), Durrington (2 miles south-east) and Hangleton (2 miles south). Larger places within reach include Worthing (3 miles south-east), Bognor Regis (11 miles west), Chichester (14 miles west), Littlehampton (4 miles south-west), Shoreham-by-Sea (8 miles east) and Lancing (6 miles east).
What’s near Clapham
Typical jobs here are in homes near Clapham Wood, The Fox pub and Chatsmore Catholic High School, among other places. Clapham’s nearest station is Goring-By-Sea station, roughly 2.1 miles south of the centre. A little further out are Museum of Sussex Folklore (2.9 miles south-east) and Old Castle (2.9 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include WWT Arundel and Highdown Hill.
Do you need a chimney survey in Clapham?
Lots of homes have redundant stacks. If a stack is capped or blocked without ventilation, moisture can build up inside. Damp patches can appear on chimney breasts even when nothing is leaking.
Common reasons to book include:
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
Ecclesden Manor, about 1.5 miles south-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Clapham. Older roofs nearby often mix original materials with later repairs, and the survey shows where each one is.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Whether the price includes VAT
- What insurance they carry
- Will the report include photos?
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
What we can’t see
Some things cannot be seen without opening up the roof, and that sets some limits:
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
- Whether the flue is safe to use
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will suggest the right survey. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
DIY checks: what’s safe
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date.
A lot can be seen from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.