West Sussex · London and the South East
East Ashling Chimney Survey
Find out what’s going on with the chimney stack before you decide what to do next. Chimney surveys in East Ashling, with photographs and a clear written report.
- Worn or missing pointing
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Bricks with flaking faces
How a chimney survey works in East Ashling
Many terraced and semi-detached homes share their chimney stacks with a neighbour. We inspect the parts we can see safely and the parts the owner gives us access to. If a defect appears to be on the neighbour’s side, we note it and you can then discuss it with them. Everything is written up with photos and our recommendations. If you’re worried about spalled or crumbling bricks and lifted or split lead flashings, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
Older buildings in small places like East Ashling may be 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. Older materials like clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Location
- East Ashling (PO18)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Honest limits
In fairness, there are limits to any roof survey:
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
- Hidden damage within the stack
- Flue inspections or sweeping
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roofs we survey in East Ashling
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
Nearby places to East Ashling
Other services in East Ashling
East Ashling questions
Do roofs near the sea, like those around East Ashling, take more of a battering?
Near the coast, roofs face more wind and more salt than further inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
Will you come out to East Ashling?
Yes, East Ashling is covered. Our area covers London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Do you inspect the flue?
No. A flue inspection, sweep or gas safety check is a separate job. We check the structure and weathering of the stack and any damp and flag anything that suggests the flue needs a look.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
A leaning stack should be looked at. Our survey notes how it looks and the condition of the bricks and joints, and recommend a structural engineer where it may be a structural concern.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it’s applicable. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Does someone need to be in?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. Access is agreed with you when you book.
The survey, step by step
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the loft space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging, as far as the space allows. All in, the survey usually takes roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Older rural homes like those around East Ashling can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Booking a survey
Getting a price is simple: just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email, let us know about the property and we will explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.
Advice
Leave it or get it looked at?
A small amount of repointing or new flaunching is usually a modest job. Left for a few winters, frost and water can loosen pots and bricks, and the work grows. Older cottages and farmhouses around East Ashling can have roof timbers that have been there a very long time, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it is left.
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.
Why book with us
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- An independent view of the roof
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced or our case studies.
Common roof problems in East Ashling
Some owners book because a chimney breast has been removed below and they want to know about the stack above. We record what we can see in the loft and outside, and the report recommends a structural engineer if support is a concern.
We are frequently asked to look at:
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
If you own a rental within reach of Bosham station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Questions to ask before booking
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- What they won’t be able to tell you
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
What you can safely check yourself
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Do not go up yourself.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That’s where a survey comes in.
Tips that help
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Don’t use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- Check fixings on the stack are secure
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
If the stack is shared, you can pass the report to your neighbour. It shows what we found and where, as far as we could see.
Keep an eye on chimney breasts for new damp patches. Early signs are easier to trace.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in East Ashling
East Ashling lies within about 4 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. In Sussex, older roofs are often handmade clay tile, frequently with tile-hanging on the walls below. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. Whatever the covering, it’s frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
Anyone responsible for a site like Funtington 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 live in an older home near Church of St Andrew, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
East Ashling is about 3 miles north-west of Chichester, in West Sussex. In East Ashling, as across West Sussex, every roof gets the same careful survey. Across West Sussex, we cover East Ashling and the places around it. You can also see our page for Portsmouth.
We work across the PO18 postcode area for chimney surveys. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in West Ashling (1 mile west), West Stoke (1 mile north-east), Funtington (1 mile north-west), Broadbridge (2 miles south) and Hambrook (2 miles west). We also work in nearby towns like Bognor Regis (8 miles south-east), Chichester (3 miles south-east), Selsey (9 miles south), Littlehampton (14 miles east), Emsworth (4 miles west) and Rustington (15 miles east).
Local landmarks in East Ashling
In East Ashling, that means homes and buildings near Bishop Luffa School and The Horse And Groom Public House and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Bosham station, about 1.4 miles south. Other landmarks nearby include Novium Museum (3 miles south-east) and Chichester Castle (3.1 miles south-east). Open spaces near East Ashling include Stoke Down and Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve.