West Sussex · London and the South East
Sompting Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching for Sompting and the rest of West Sussex. We survey on any day of the week.
- A stack that appears to lean
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Mortar washing out of the joints
How a chimney survey works in Sompting
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, so you can talk to them. Everything is written up with photos and what we recommend. If you’ve noticed cracked or missing flaunching and redundant stacks capped without ventilation, we can find out what’s behind it.
Around Sompting, older cottages sit alongside bungalows and newer houses. Older roofs can have slate, clay tiles or other traditional coverings, while many later ones have concrete tiles. Chimneys, valleys and gutters on older homes often need the most attention. Nails and battens under older coverings frequently give out before the slates or tiles themselves.
What you get is a clear record of the chimney stack on the day we saw it. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later.
- Place
- Sompting (BN15)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Common questions in Sompting
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Sompting?
Generally, yes: wind and salt air take more of a toll near the sea. Ridges, verges, flashings and fixings are where it usually shows.
Will you come out to Sompting?
Yes, we do. We survey roofs across London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. We check the roof, not the whole building, and it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It can sit alongside a RICS survey if you want both.
What should I do with a chimney I do not use?
It depends on its condition and your plans. We record how the stack is doing and whether it’s capped with ventilation. If you are thinking of removing it, check with the council first in a conservation area or on a listed building.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
There are a few common causes: cracked flaunching, worn pointing, failed flashings, uncapped pots, or damp trapped in an unventilated stack. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first, with the building owner or managing agent. Let us know about it as you book and we will plan the survey around it.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
Don’t ignore it. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down. We record its condition with photographs, and a structural engineer can confirm whether it’s stable.
Also near Sompting
Also in Sompting
How it works
The visit normally starts outside and finishes in the loft: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the loft space where it can be reached. In total, it takes an hour or two for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. A visit to Sompting is planned like any other: the time, the access and where to park are agreed beforehand. Weekday and weekend visits are both possible. If there are outbuildings or garages you want looked at, mention them.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- We check every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Preparing for the visit
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
Book a survey
Photos help, if you have them. Take them safely from ground level or a window, and please don’t climb up for a closer look. To send them or to book, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
How we price chimney surveys
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before you book. These are the things that affect it:
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
- Roof area
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
Every price we give includes VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
What we need to know
Some details help us recommend the right survey and price. When you contact us, let us know:
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- The property’s address and postcode
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
To book a survey, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We’ll confirm the price before you book.
What we look for on each type of roof
Lead flashings
Lead flashings seal the joint between the stack and the roof. The survey looks at whether the lead is tight, sound and well fixed.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Inside, chimney breasts can show damp when water gets into the stack. We check the breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach.
Can I check my roof myself?
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are frequently out of sight.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Sompting
The coast is about 2 miles or less from Sompting, so there’s more wind and more salt in the air than further inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, and strong wind lifts anything already loose on a roof. If your home is older, it is worth knowing whether it’s listed or in a conservation area before planning roof work. Changes that affect a listed building’s special interest need listed building consent, and councils can also use Article 4 directions to control changes in conservation areas.
For landlords with property near Lancing station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints. If you live near a park like Brooklands Park, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall. If you live in an older home near St Peter the Apostle, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Sompting is about 3 miles east of Worthing, in West Sussex. We survey roofs in Sompting and the rest of West Sussex. Sompting is one of the places in West Sussex where we work. Our Brighton page covers surveys nearby.
Every address in BN15 is covered for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We cover properties on Osborne Drive, Western Road North and Osborne Close and the roads around them. If you are just outside Sompting, we cover Lancing (1 mile east), East Worthing (1 mile south), Broadwater (2 miles west), Offington (2 miles west) and Salvington (3 miles west). Larger places within reach include Bognor Regis (15 miles west), Burgess Hill (13 miles north-east), Littlehampton (9 miles west), Shoreham-by-Sea (3 miles east), Rustington (8 miles west) and Storrington (8 miles north-west).
Near you in Sompting
Typical jobs here are in homes near Sompting Abbotts Preparatory School, Brooklands Park and The Sir Robert Woodard Academy, among other places. Sompting’s nearest station is Lancing station, roughly 0.8 miles south-east. A little further out are Old Castle (2.4 miles west) and Museum of Sussex Folklore (2.5 miles west). Not far away are Lancing Ring and Widewater Lagoon.
When you need someone else
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- Hidden damage within the stack
- Whether the flue is safe to use
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
Why it is worth a survey now in Sompting
A small amount of repointing or new flaunching is normally a modest job. Leave it, and frost can work the stack loose, and the work grows. Arranging work in a smaller place like Sompting is easier with notice than in an emergency. Knowing early gives you time to get the right people in.
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how safely it can be seen. Prices start from £150, including VAT.
What you get with us
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- Package prices that include VAT
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance