West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Racton, West Sussex
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching for Racton, from an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photographs.
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
Common questions in Racton
How do I find out if my home in Racton is listed?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Southbourne station?
Yes, that is a common request. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
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.
Can you survey in bad weather?
A survey can normally go ahead in light rain. Strong wind or a downpour can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so we’ll agree a new date if the weather isn’t suitable.
Is a chimney survey the same as a flue inspection?
No. A flue inspection, sweep or gas safety check is a separate job. We check the stack, pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings, and damp inside and flag anything that suggests the flue needs a look.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
Typically it’s water getting in from outside, or condensation in a sealed stack. We check the stack, the flashings and how unused flues are capped and records the likely cause.
How a chimney survey works in Racton
A damp patch on a chimney breast doesn’t always come from the same place. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. We check each possibility and record what we find. That points the work in the right direction. If you are worried about disused chimneys trapping moisture and staining on walls around the chimney, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on chimney pots and cowls, brick chimney stacks and flaunching alike.
In a village or hamlet like Racton, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few 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. On older roofs, it’s normally the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
The written findings come by email, ready to forward to whoever needs them. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24–48 hours and Premium on the day.
- Where
- Racton (PO18, PO10)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
More services for Racton
Leave it or get it looked at?
Chimneys are easy to forget because you rarely see the top of them. Problems often go unnoticed until damp appears inside. A survey gives you a clear picture before that happens. Older cottages and farmhouses around Racton can have roof timbers that have been there a very long time, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it’s left.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. You’ll know the figure before booking.
Why us?
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- 98% customer satisfaction
- An independent look at the roof
- Every finding written up with photos
See what a roof survey costs and two real surveys.
Useful tips for Racton property owners
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
If anything in the report isn’t clear, just ask us. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. It is far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
Chimney surveys in Racton: local notes
Racton is within about 3 miles of the coast, 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, while driving rain finds any gap. In Sussex, older roofs are often handmade clay tile, frequently with tile-hanging on the walls below. A few old Sussex buildings still carry heavy Horsham stone slabs. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
Landlords with a home close to Southbourne station may find that knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints. The streets around a church such as Racton Church are often among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Bourne Community College, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Racton is about 3 miles north-east of Emsworth, in West Sussex. Wherever you are in Racton, we can carry out chimney surveys at your property. Across West Sussex, we cover Racton. There’s also a page for Portsmouth.
Every address in PO18 and PO10 is covered for chimney surveys. We also cover Lordington (1 mile north), Walderton (1 mile north-east), Funtington (1 mile east), Hambrook (2 miles south) and West Ashling (2 miles south-east). Larger places within reach include Bognor Regis (11 miles south-east), Chichester (6 miles south-east), Selsey (11 miles south-east), Emsworth (3 miles south-west), Portfield (6 miles south-east) and Yapton (13 miles east).
What’s near Racton
We work in homes and buildings around Stansted Park and the streets around them. Racton’s nearest station is Southbourne station, about 2.1 miles south of the centre. Nearby you will also find Emsworth Museum (2.8 miles south-west) and Havant War Memorial Hospital (4.4 miles west). Green spaces nearby include Walderton Down and Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve.
What affects the price in Racton
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Which survey package you book
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package you pick makes a difference too. We’ll give you the figure before anything is booked.
Getting in touch
A little information up front helps. It helps to include:
- What’s prompted the survey
- The kind of building and roof involved
- The property’s address and postcode
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
When you’re ready to go ahead, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date.
How the survey works
Before we start, let us know 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. Most visits take about 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Older rural homes like those around Racton 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, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- The stacks are looked at from the ground, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- You get a report with photos and our recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
How to book
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine. To send them or to book, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Read more
Can I check my roof myself?
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. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
When you need someone else
It’s a careful look at the chimney stack, not the whole story. The main limits are:
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks