West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Donnington, West Sussex
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Donnington. We have completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Worn or missing pointing
Chimney survey in Donnington
If a chimney looks out of line, it is 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. If the stack looks like a structural issue, the report recommends a structural engineer. If you are worried about unused flues sealed without airflow and damp patches on chimney breasts, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on flaunching, lead flashings and shared and party-wall stacks alike.
Somewhere as small as Donnington, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent, whichever applies.
- Location
- Donnington (PO20)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the price in Donnington
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. That comes down to:
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- House, block, shop or office
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- How big the roof is
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package you pick makes a difference too. The price is always agreed first.
Helping us price your survey
Before you get in touch, it is useful to have:
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Dates you’re working to, such as exchange
- What made you get in touch
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, so call 07833 053749 or email us with the details.
Places near Donnington
What else we do in Donnington
Your questions about chimney surveys in Donnington
I let a flat near Chichester 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.
Is my home in Donnington listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you’re planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Not necessarily. If we only need the outside, we can agree that beforehand, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is frequently shared, so we need permission from the freeholder or managing agent. We can only inspect what we’re given access to.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only where it’s safe to do so. We look at everything that can be seen safely: from ground level, from windows, from inside the roof space, from the roof where it is safe and by drone where it applies. The report says if anything couldn’t be seen.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
We carry out surveys on any day of the week. To arrange a date, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
What happens next?
We email you the written report with photos and recommendations. It’s yours to share with a seller, insurer, roofer or managing agent, whichever applies.
What we’re asked to look at in Donnington
Years of fires can affect the mortar inside a stack. Mortar can deteriorate unevenly from flue gases and moisture, which is one reason stacks start to lean.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Flaunching that has broken away
If you own a rental within reach of Chichester station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
What to check before booking
- When you will get the report
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
The survey, step by step
On the day, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you need to know. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where applicable. The survey typically takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. In a hamlet or village like Donnington, a postcode does not always lead to the right gate, so a few directions are welcome. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- The stacks are looked at from the ground, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- Every part we can see is checked: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Before we arrive
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
Booking a survey
To arrange a survey, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We will confirm the price before booking.
Read more
DIY checks: what’s safe
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date.
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
Chimney surveys in Donnington: local notes
The coast is about 3 miles or less from Donnington, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Near the sea, metal fixings wear faster and loose pieces on a roof are more likely to lift, while driving rain finds any gap. Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. A few old Sussex buildings still carry heavy Horsham stone slabs. Whatever the covering, it’s frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
Goodwood House lies about 4.8 miles north-east, so building around Donnington goes back a long way. Older homes in the area may have roofs that need matching materials when work is done. If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near The Parish Church of St George, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Donnington is about 2 miles south of Chichester, in West Sussex. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Donnington can all book chimney surveys, with a written report and photographs every time. Donnington is one of the towns and villages in West Sussex where we work for chimney surveys. We also survey roofs in Portsmouth.
Here we cover the PO20 postcode area for chimney surveys. Being close to the B2201, Donnington is simple for us to get to. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Hunston (1 mile east), North Mundham (1 mile east), Runcton (2 miles east), Chichester (2 miles north) and Portfield (2 miles north-east). We also work in nearby towns like Bognor Regis (5 miles east), Selsey (5 miles south), Littlehampton (11 miles east), Emsworth (7 miles north-west), Rustington (12 miles east) and Angmering (14 miles east).
Landmarks near Donnington
We work in homes and buildings around The Blacksmith's Arms Public House. The nearest railway station is Chichester station, roughly 1.6 miles north. Well-known places in the area include Chichester Cathedral Treasury (1.8 miles north) and St Richard's Hospital (2.5 miles north). For a walk, there is Nutborne Marshes.
What we look for on each type of roof
Lead flashings
Where the chimney meets the roof slopes, lead flashings keep water out. The survey looks at whether the lead is tight, sound and well fixed.
Rendered stacks
What’s behind the render cannot be seen without removing some, so the report says what can and can’t be judged.
What a chimney survey doesn’t cover
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- Conditions inside walls
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer before booking. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Donnington
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls