West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Cootham
Wondering about the chimney stack at a property in Cootham? You can book a chimney survey in Cootham and across West Sussex, with plain-English findings.
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
Chimney survey in Cootham: what you get
Our chimney survey covers the stack and the details that keep water out around it: the pots and cowls, the flaunching on top, the pointing, the brickwork and the flashings where it meets the roof. Inside, we check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft where it is safe to reach. You get a photo-illustrated written report and our recommendations. It suits a single stack on a house as well as several on a larger building. If you’re worried about loose, cracked or missing pots and damp patches on chimney breasts, we can find out what’s behind it.
In a small place like Cootham, many roofs stand in the open, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are frequently the first to give way.
Where we can’t see part of the chimney stack, the report says so. You will know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Where
- Cootham (RH20)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What you can safely check yourself
You can learn a lot from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
How the survey changes by roof type
Rendered stacks
Some stacks are rendered, which can hide the condition of the brickwork beneath. The survey checks for cracking, bulging and staining in the render.
Brick stacks
Brick stacks rely on sound pointing to keep water out. We check the bricks for spalling and the joints for erosion.
What affects the price in Cootham
To price your survey, we check:
- The shape of the roof and its details
- House, block, shop or office
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- Height and safe access
To find out what your survey will cost, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and let us know about the roof. We will confirm the figure before booking.
Helping us price your survey
These details help when you contact us:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- When you need the report by
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
Unsure which package suits your roof? The easiest way is to ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
When you need someone else
We only report whatever is safely visible on the day, so there are some things a survey can’t cover:
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
What we check
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
What we do, 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. The visit typically takes roughly 1–2 hours for most houses, or half a day or so for a commercial building. Around Cootham, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so it helps to know whether there’s a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. 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.
- We check the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Preparing for the visit
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Arrange a survey
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, so call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details.
Read more
Common roof problems in Cootham
Where a chimney meets the roof, lead flashings keep water out. With age they can lift, split or come away from the joints. When flashings fail, water frequently shows up in the loft or on the chimney breast. Lead is also a target for theft.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- A stack that appears to lean
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
Homes near green spaces such as Parham Park can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
Questions to ask before you book
- What insurance they carry
- What experience they bring
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
Chimney surveys around Cootham
The wider area around Cootham has a long history of building, with Parham House about 1.1 miles west. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. Older houses across Sussex often have handmade clay tiles, and many have tile-hanging on their upper walls. 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.
Anyone responsible for a site like Storrington Primary School will know that long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. If you let a flat or house near Pulborough station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Cootham is about 7 miles north-west of Worthing, in West Sussex. Cootham is part of the area we cover across London and South East England. Cootham is one of the places in West Sussex where we work. Brighton is in our area too.
We cover every part of RH20 for chimney surveys and the streets around it. Streets in the area include Warren Croft, Pulborough Road and The Crescent, all of which we cover. Other places close to Cootham include Storrington (1 mile east), Wiggonholt (2 miles north-west), Sullington (2 miles south-east), West Chiltington Common (2 miles north) and Abingworth (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Horsham (12 miles north-east), Worthing (7 miles south-east), Bognor Regis (13 miles south-west), Chichester (15 miles west), Burgess Hill (15 miles east) and Littlehampton (8 miles south).
Landmarks near Cootham
We work in homes and buildings around Rydon Community College, Parham Park and The Crown Inn and the streets around them. The closest station to Cootham is Pulborough station, about 3.3 miles north-west. A little further out are The Storrington And District Museum (1 mile east) and Amberley Castle (3.2 miles west). The countryside around Cootham includes Chanctonbury Hill and Amberley Wildbrooks RSPB Reserve.
Towns and villages near Cootham
Also in Cootham
Cootham: your questions answered
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Pulborough station?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you need.
Do you cover smaller places like Cootham?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
What do I do with the report?
You receive the written report by email, with photographs and recommendations. It is yours to share with a seller, insurer, roofer or managing agent, whichever applies.
Our stack is shared. Can you still survey it?
Yes. We inspect everything that’s safely in view and what you give us access to. Where a problem appears to be on next door’s side, we note it, so you can discuss it with them.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey is a roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey of the whole building. It focuses on the roof and can sit alongside a RICS survey.
Which parts of the chimney do you look at?
The whole stack, as far as it can safely be seen: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. We also note leaning, redundant stacks and damp inside.
What should I do with a chimney I do not use?
An unused stack still needs to stay weathertight and ventilated. Capping without airflow can lead to damp. Our survey records its condition and how it is capped, so you can decide with a builder what to do.