West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Shermanbury, West Sussex
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Shermanbury, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photographs.
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
Chimney survey in Shermanbury
If you’re buying a home with chimneys, it is worth knowing their condition before you exchange. 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. We survey chimney pots and cowls, shared and party-wall stacks and flaunching, and the problems we are asked to look at most are spalled or crumbling bricks and a chimney out of line.
In a village or hamlet like Shermanbury, 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 frequently old. We report on everything that’s safely in view, and thatch is a specialist material. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
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 it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Shermanbury (RH13)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Landlords, agents and block managers in Shermanbury
We survey roofs for letting agents and landlords as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photographs, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work.
The survey, step by step
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the roof space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging. All in, the survey typically takes between one and two hours for most houses, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. In a small place like Shermanbury, access is usually the main thing to plan. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We check every stack from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Before we arrive
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Jot down any questions you want answered
Book a survey
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
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Towns and villages near Shermanbury
What else we do in Shermanbury
Shermanbury: your questions answered
Do you cover smaller places like Shermanbury?
Yes, we do. We survey roofs across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Is my home in Shermanbury listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only where it is safe to do so. We check everything that can safely be seen: from the ground, from windows and vantage points, from the loft space, from the roof itself where safe and by drone where applicable. The report says if anything couldn’t be seen.
Do you need to get into the loft?
Yes, where the survey calls for it and there is safe access. Inside, we look for damp, staining, gaps and sagging.
Why is my chimney breast damp?
There are a few common causes: water getting in at the top, through the brickwork or at the flashings, or moisture trapped in a stack with no ventilation. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause.
What happens after the survey?
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.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it is applicable. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, including flight restriction zones near airports. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID.
DIY checks: what’s safe
A lot can be seen from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Before deciding what to do with a redundant stack, a survey shows how it is doing. Changes to stacks in conservation areas or on listed buildings may need consent, so check with them first. Matching old materials, such as handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
A Basic Survey starts from £150, including VAT. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, both inc. VAT. We confirm the exact price before you book.
What you get with us
- Prices that include VAT
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Over 20 years’ experience
Common roof problems in Shermanbury
Where a chimney meets the roof, lead flashings keep water out. They can lift in wind, crack with age or pull out of the mortar joints. Failed flashings are one of the most common causes of damp around chimneys. Lead is also a target for theft.
Problems we come across often include:
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
For an older house near a landmark such as The Parish Church of St Giles, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Before booking anyone
- Their insurance cover
- Their report turnaround times
- What the survey will not cover
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
What a survey costs
Prices always include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- The roof’s overall size
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, inc. VAT.
Getting in touch
Here’s what helps us most when you get in touch:
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
- The property’s address and postcode
Most bookings start with a short call: call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Shermanbury
Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls are typical of older Sussex houses. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old Sussex buildings. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. An older home may be listed, or stand in a conservation area. To find out, check Historic England’s list and ask the council about conservation areas. Re-roofing in different materials may need permission there.
If you look after a building like Jolesfield CofE Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Shermanbury is about 7 miles west of Burgess Hill, in West Sussex. Anywhere in Shermanbury, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Shermanbury is one of the towns and villages in West Sussex we cover for chimney surveys. Brighton is in our area too.
Here we cover the RH13 postcode area for chimney surveys. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Knapp Drive, Brighton Road and Partridge Green Road or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Close by, we survey roofs in Kent Street (2 miles north-east), Cowfold (2 miles north), Wineham (2 miles east), Henfield (2 miles south) and Blackstone (3 miles south-east). Larger places within reach include Crawley (11 miles north), Horsham (7 miles north), Worthing (11 miles south-west), Haywards Heath (9 miles east), Burgess Hill (7 miles east) and Littlehampton (15 miles south-west).
Around Shermanbury
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Bull Inn. Nearby you will also find The Dene Hospital (5.2 miles east). The countryside around Shermanbury includes Knepp Wildland.