West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Hambrook, West Sussex
Chimney surveys around Hambrook, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Flaunching that has broken away
What happens on the day
You don’t need to do much on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, like stains, drips or loose pieces, and we will get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes an hour or two for a house, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. Somewhere like Hambrook needs a little journey planning: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. On the day, we inspect whatever is safely visible, inside and out.
- You tell us how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can safely be seen.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
Before the survey
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
How to book
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know where you stand. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. To book, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
How a chimney survey works in Hambrook
For buyers, a chimney survey before exchange can flag work you may want to raise. Cracked flaunching, failed flashings and worn pointing are common findings on older stacks. You get photographs and findings you can take back to the seller or agent. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it. If you’ve noticed gaps in the mortar around the pots and a chimney out of line, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on brick chimney stacks, chimney breasts and lead flashings alike.
Village roofs frequently face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are often the first to give way.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Hambrook (PO18)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey changes by roof type
Flaunching
We frequently find flaunching that has cracked or broken away. Caught early, it’s often a small job.
Chimney pots and cowls
On redundant flues, we check how the pots are capped. Poor capping can lead to damp inside the stack.
Local roofs in Hambrook
The coast is about 3 miles or less from Hambrook, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, while gales work at loose ridges, slates and tiles, while driving rain finds any gap. Historic houses such as Warblington Castle, about 3.8 miles west, show how far back building in the area around Hambrook goes. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Take an older house close to St Wilfrid's Church and Hall: its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first. Take a building like Chidham Parochial Primary School: large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. For landlords with property near Nutbourne station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Hambrook is about 5 miles west of Chichester, in West Sussex. Hambrook gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a proper look at everything that’s safely in view, photographs and a clear written report. Our West Sussex coverage includes Hambrook. There is also a page for Portsmouth.
Chimney surveys in PO18 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We offer chimney surveys to properties on Kingfisher Close, Dragonfly Grove and Pipistrelle Way and the roads around them. We also cover Nutbourne (1 mile south), Funtington (1 mile north-east), West Ashling (1 mile east), Chidham (1 mile south) and Racton (2 miles north). We also work in nearby towns such as Bognor Regis (10 miles south-east), Chichester (5 miles east), Selsey (9 miles south-east), Emsworth (3 miles west), Portfield (5 miles east) and Yapton (12 miles east).
Around Hambrook
Typical jobs here are in homes near Bourne Community College, among other places. The nearest railway station is Nutbourne station, roughly 0.6 miles south. Other landmarks nearby include Havant War Memorial Hospital (4.7 miles west) and Emsworth Museum (2.5 miles west). The countryside around Hambrook includes Nutborne Marshes and Stoke Down.
Also near Hambrook
Also in Hambrook
What you can safely check yourself
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Don’t go up yourself.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Tips from our surveys
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Our tips:
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Photograph damp patches with the date
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. Because everyone is pricing the same findings, the quotes are easier to compare.
Have aerial and dish brackets on the stack checked and taken off if they’re no longer needed. Less load on the stack means less strain in wind.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Hambrook
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the addresses.
Landlords, agents and building managers in Hambrook and across West Sussex can book any of our surveys. To discuss a property or a block, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Your questions about chimney surveys in Hambrook
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Hambrook?
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 normally shows, and Hambrook is within about 3 miles of the coast.
Is my home in Hambrook listed or in a conservation area?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
What should I do with a chimney I do not use?
There’s no single answer. We record how the stack is doing and whether it is capped with ventilation. If you’re thinking of removing it, check with the council first in a conservation area or on a listed building.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
It is worth having a leaning stack checked. Our survey notes how it looks and the condition of the bricks and joints, and if it may be a structural issue, we recommend a structural engineer.
What do you check on a chimney?
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.
Are you insured?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
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 often shared, so the freeholder or managing agent needs to agree access. We can only inspect what we are given access to.
When you need someone else
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Conditions inside walls
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll recommend the right survey before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roof types and parts we check
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls