West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in South Ambersham, West Sussex
Not sure what state the chimney stack is in? You can book a chimney survey in South Ambersham and across West Sussex.
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
Checking the roof from ground level
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and a fall can be serious. That’s where a survey comes in.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Chimney survey in South Ambersham
Each stack is looked at from the safest viewpoints available: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the loft space where it’s safe. A drone inspection is part of our Premium Survey where applicable. Where part of a stack can’t be seen, the report says so. Each defect is recorded with a photo and a plain description. If you’ve noticed gaps where the stack meets the roof and worn or missing pointing, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
In a small place like South Ambersham, many roofs stand in the open, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. 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.
The report records the chimney stack as we found it on the day. It’s useful straight away, and a good reference for later.
- Where
- South Ambersham (GU29)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips from our surveys
You don’t need to be a roofer to help. What helps most:
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Photograph damp patches with the date
If the report recommends a structural engineer, a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer, it will say why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Look at your chimneys from the ground now and then, particularly after strong winds. With binoculars, you can often see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
When you need someone else
This is not a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we check
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
How we price chimney surveys
Prices vary from roof to roof, for these reasons:
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Basic, Standard or Premium
There are three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all inc. VAT. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
What to let us know when you contact us
A little information up front helps. It is useful to include:
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- The address and postcode of the property
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- What made you get in touch
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
What a chimney survey looks like in South Ambersham
Cowdray House, about 1.7 miles north-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around South Ambersham. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Older houses across Sussex often have handmade clay tiles, and many have tile-hanging on their upper walls. 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.
Take an older house close to Church of St James: the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
South Ambersham is about 10 miles north of Chichester, in West Sussex. South Ambersham is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area as part of our work across London and South East England. Our area takes in places right across West Sussex. Our Guildford page covers surveys nearby.
We work across GU29 for chimney surveys and the streets around it. We also cover the places around South Ambersham: Selham (1 mile east), Graffham (2 miles south), River (2 miles north-east), Upperton (3 miles north-east) and Tillington (3 miles east). Further out, we also cover Bognor Regis (13 miles south), Chichester (10 miles south), Littlehampton (14 miles south-east), Emsworth (14 miles south-west), Rustington (14 miles south-east) and Storrington (11 miles east).
Landmarks near South Ambersham
A little further out are Midhurst Community Hospital (2 miles north-west) and Lodsworth Castle (1.1 miles east). Open spaces near South Ambersham include Graffham Common and Levin Down.
What we’re asked to look at in South Ambersham
Stacks that were used for open fires for many years can weaken from the inside. Mortar can deteriorate unevenly from flue gases and moisture, which is one reason stacks start to lean.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- A stack that appears to lean
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
If you look after a building such as Midhurst Rother College, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Before booking anyone
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
Questions from South Ambersham
Do you cover smaller places like South Ambersham?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route as you book.
Do you carry out roof surveys in South Ambersham?
Yes, South Ambersham is within the area we cover. We survey roofs across London and the South East. You can ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and a few details.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing aren’t part of what we do. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
What’s in the survey report?
Written findings with photos, covering the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend. Standard adds moisture detection and a structural check; Premium adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies and structural analysis.
What do you check on a chimney?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. Everything is written up with photographs.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Not unless it is safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where it applies, a drone, and anything out of sight is recorded in the report.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it helps and it is safe, yes. Whether we can fly on the day depends on the weather and the airspace rules, and we check for restrictions near airports before flying. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID.
What happens on the day
Every visit follows the same pattern: we hear what you’ve seen, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, photograph what we find and record our findings for the written report. Most visits take between one and two hours at most homes, and more on a big or complicated roof. Cottages and farmhouses around South Ambersham often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there is access.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
Book a survey
When you’re ready to go ahead, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.