West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Old Shoreham, West Sussex
Find out what’s going on with the chimney stack before you decide what to do next. Chimney surveys in Old Shoreham, with photos and a clear written report.
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
Chimney surveys in Old Shoreham: local notes
The coast is about 1 mile or less from Old Shoreham, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces. Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near St Nicolas' Church, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. Landlords with a home close to Shoreham-By-Sea station may find that a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant. Take a building like Swiss Gardens Primary School: a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Old Shoreham is about 1 mile west of Shoreham-by-Sea, in West Sussex. We provide chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Old Shoreham and the surrounding area. Our area takes in places right across West Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. Our Brighton page covers surveys nearby.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: BN43. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Shoreham-by-Sea (1 mile east), Adur (1 mile north), Kingston by Sea (2 miles east), Southwick (2 miles east) and Castle Town (3 miles north). We also work in nearby towns such as Worthing (5 miles west), Haywards Heath (14 miles north-east), Burgess Hill (11 miles north-east), Littlehampton (11 miles west), Rustington (10 miles west) and Storrington (9 miles north-west).
Around Old Shoreham
Around Old Shoreham, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Sir Robert Woodard Academy and The Amsterdam pub and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Shoreham-By-Sea station, about 0.7 miles east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Southlands Hospital (1.4 miles east) and Old Castle (4.6 miles west). Open spaces near Old Shoreham include Lancing Ring and Adur Estuary RSPB Reserve.
Chimney survey in Old Shoreham
Many terraced and semi-detached homes share their chimney stacks with a neighbour. We look at everything that’s safely in view and what the owner gives us access to. If a defect appears to be on the neighbour’s side, we note it, so you can talk to them. You get a written report with photos and what we recommend. We survey chimney breasts, shared and party-wall stacks and flaunching, and the problems we are asked to look at most are lifted or split lead flashings and unused flues sealed without airflow.
Older buildings in small places like Old Shoreham 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. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
The report is written in plain words, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Each point is backed by a photo where possible.
- Location
- Old Shoreham (BN43)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Places near Old Shoreham
More services for Old Shoreham
For landlords and managing agents
Landlords, agents and building managers in Old Shoreham and across West Sussex can book any of our surveys. To discuss a property or a block, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Landlords and letting agents in Old Shoreham book surveys as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photographs, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
Old Shoreham: your questions answered
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Old Shoreham?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Is the coastal weather around Old Shoreham hard on roofs?
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 go up on the roof?
Not always. Some roofs are too steep or fragile to walk on safely. We use safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where applicable, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tell us which days suit you when booking.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. It is a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof and can sit alongside a RICS survey.
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 we need permission from the building owner or managing agent. We inspect only the parts we’re allowed to reach.
How experienced are you?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years, across London and South East England.
What we look for on each type of roof
Flaunching
Sitting at the very top, flaunching is fully exposed. The survey checks for cracking and gaps around each pot.
Brick stacks
Many older stacks were built with lime mortar. We note where repairs should match the original mortar.
What we do, step by step
Before we start, tell us why you’ve booked: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. It helps us focus on what matters most to you. The visit usually takes about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Somewhere as small as Old Shoreham, access is frequently the only tricky part. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- 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.
Getting ready for the survey
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
How to book
For a price for chimney surveys in Old Shoreham, call 07833 053749 or send us an email. The address, the type of property and what you’d like to know help us price the survey accurately.
Related advice
Tips from our surveys
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Check your stacks from ground level after strong winds
Many people use the report to get quotes for the work. Because everyone is pricing the same findings, the quotes are easier to compare.
Check fixings on the stack are sound and taken off if they’re no longer needed. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
A lot can be seen from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
When you need someone else
Some things cannot be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll point you to the right survey. The full list of what we check.
What we check
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks