West Sussex · London and the South East
Cross Gate Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching for Cross Gate and the rest of West Sussex. We survey seven days a week.
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
Checking the roof from ground level
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Cross Gate
Our survey covers the structure of the stack and its weathering details. It isn’t a flue inspection, a sweep or a gas safety check. For the flue itself, you’ll need a sweep or, for gas appliances, a Gas Safe registered engineer. If something we see points to the flue, we will say so. We survey chimney pots and cowls, lead flashings and shared and party-wall stacks, and common reasons people get in touch are damaged chimney pots and cowls and flashings pulling away from the stack.
Somewhere as small as Cross Gate, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, often with chimneys that have stood a long time. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. On older roofs, it is usually the chimneys and lead flashings that need work 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, so you can decide what to do next.
- Location
- Cross Gate (BN18)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Questions from Cross Gate
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Cross Gate?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
I let a flat near Amberley station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and what you need, and we will talk through which survey suits.
How long is the visit?
It typically takes between one and two hours for most houses, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. The report follows by email.
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 loft space. Our Premium Survey includes a drone inspection where applicable. We note anything we couldn’t see.
Which parts of the chimney do you look at?
Every part of the stack we can see from safe positions: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. We also note leaning, redundant stacks and damp inside.
What do I do with the report?
We email you the written report with photos and recommendations. You can use it to talk to a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent, whichever applies.
How soon will I get the report?
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 when you book.
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
Prices vary from roof to roof, and it comes down to:
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- The size of the roof
All our prices include VAT. Our price is from £150, including VAT. We confirm the price for the job before booking.
Booking your survey
To price your survey accurately, we will ask about:
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- What made you get in touch
- Dates you are working to, such as exchange
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Different roofs, different checks
Brick stacks
Brick stacks rely on sound pointing to keep water out. The survey looks for crumbling bricks and worn or missing mortar.
Chimney pots and cowls
On redundant flues, we look at how the pots are capped. Poor capping can lead to damp inside the stack.
The survey, step by step
We will 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 at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. For a village or hamlet like Cross Gate, the journey is planned ahead of time: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. On the day, we inspect everything that’s safely in view, inside and out.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Before the survey
- Tell us about parking before the day
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Booking a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply phone 07833 053749 or email us whenever suits you.
Advice
Nearby places to Cross Gate
Other services in Cross Gate
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Cross Gate
Parham House, about 1.1 miles east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Cross Gate. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old Sussex buildings. Whatever the covering, it is frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
If you let a flat or house near Amberley station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak. If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near The Parish Church of St Michael and All Angels, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Amberley CofE Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Cross Gate is about 7 miles north of Littlehampton, in West Sussex. We survey roofs in Cross Gate and the rest of West Sussex, as part of our work across London and the South East. Cross Gate is one of the towns and villages in West Sussex where we work. You can also see our page for Brighton.
All of BN18 is covered for chimney surveys. We also cover Rackham (1 mile east), Amberley (1 mile south-west), Bury (2 miles west), Coldwaltham (2 miles north-west) and Watersfield (2 miles north-west). Further out, we also cover Horsham (14 miles north-east), Worthing (8 miles south-east), Bognor Regis (11 miles south-west), Chichester (12 miles south-west), Littlehampton (7 miles south) and Shoreham-by-Sea (12 miles south-east).
Landmarks near Cross Gate
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Parham Park, among other places. The closest station to Cross Gate is Amberley station, about 1.5 miles south-west of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Amberley Museum (1.4 miles south-west) and Amberley Castle (1 mile west). Not far away are Bignor Hill and Amberley Wild Brooks.
Practical tips
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. Our suggestions:
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
With a shared stack, the report can help when talking to next door. It shows what we found and where, as far as we could see.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
Honest limits
It’s a careful look at the chimney stack, not the whole story. The main limits are:
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- Whether the flue is safe to use
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks