West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Southbourne, West Sussex
Chimney surveys around Southbourne, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Worn or missing pointing
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
Chimney survey in Southbourne
Chimney stacks take more weather than almost any other part of a house. Over the years, the flaunching cracks, the pointing wears and flashings lift. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the loft space. We record what we find with photographs and recommendations. If you are worried about pots or cowls that look unsafe and lifted or split lead flashings, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on chimney breasts, chimney pots and cowls and brick chimney stacks alike.
Around Southbourne, gardens, hedges and nearby trees can mean leaves and moss end up on roofs and in gutters. Once gutters and outlets block, water spills over and soaks the walls. It is the kind of slow problem a roof report picks up early. Plants growing from a gutter or moss on the tiles are signs worth noting from the ground.
What you get is a clear record of the chimney stack on the day we saw it. It is useful right away, and a good reference for later, for example when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Place
- Southbourne (PO10)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Landlords, agents and block managers in Southbourne
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too. Bigger roofs take more time, so they’re priced to suit.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.
Prices for chimney surveys in Southbourne
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. That comes down to:
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on the size and height of the roof, access and the package you choose.
What to tell us when you contact us
What helps most when you contact us:
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
- Dates you’re working to, such as exchange
Booking is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and give us some details about the property and we will explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
FAQs for Southbourne
How do I find out if my home in Southbourne is listed?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
I let a flat near Southbourne station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, landlords and letting agents book with us as well as owners. Just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and let us know about the building, including who will give access on the day.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We look at the roof, not the whole building, so it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It can sit alongside a RICS survey if you want both.
How long is the visit?
It usually takes about one to two hours at a typical home, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. The report follows by email.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends. To arrange a date, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Is a chimney survey the same as a flue inspection?
No. Our survey covers the outside of the stack and the roof around it. For the flue, you will need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
What do you check on a chimney?
Every part of the stack we can see from safe positions: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. Leaning, unused stacks and damp on chimney breasts are recorded too.
Southbourne homes and their roofs
The coast is about 1 mile or less from Southbourne, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, and strong wind lifts anything already loose on a roof, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls are typical of older Sussex houses. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
The streets around a church such as St. John's are often among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first. For site and facilities teams at buildings like Southbourne Junior School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. Warblington Castle lies about 2.5 miles west, so building around Southbourne goes back a long way. Older homes in the area may have roofs that need matching materials when work is done.
Southbourne is about 4 miles east of Havant, in West Sussex. We survey roofs in Southbourne and the rest of West Sussex, as part of our work across London and South East England. We cover towns and villages across West Sussex. Portsmouth is in our area too.
We work across PO10 for chimney surveys and the streets around it. That includes homes and businesses on Lodgebury Close, Manor Road and Northcote Gardens and the roads around them. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Woodmancote (1 mile north), Lumley (1 mile west), Westbourne (1 mile north-west), Emsworth (1 mile west) and Thorney Island (2 miles south-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Bognor Regis (11 miles south-east), Chichester (6 miles east), Selsey (10 miles south-east), Portfield (6 miles east), Yapton (13 miles east) and East Wittering (6 miles south).
Landmarks near Southbourne
In Southbourne, that means homes and buildings near The Traveller's Joy Public House, Eames Farm and Bourne Community College and the streets around them. Southbourne has its own railway station: Southbourne station. Well-known places in the area include Warblington Castle (2.5 miles west) and Emsworth Museum (1.3 miles west). Open spaces near Southbourne include Stoke Down and Brook Meadow (Emsworth).
What we can’t see
No survey can tell you everything, and it’s better to know them up front. Keep these in mind:
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- Conditions inside walls
- Whether the flue is safe to use
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
Also near Southbourne
More services for Southbourne
Practical tips
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Make sure fixings on the stack are secure
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
After the visit, we write up the report with photographs of each stack. It explains the condition of each part of the stack and any damp inside. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. That helps stop damp building up inside.
How the survey works
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photos, emailed to you. On timing, it normally takes an hour or two for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Being in a smaller place like Southbourne does not change how the visit works: outside, inside and from any safe vantage point, in that order. It is useful to show us anything you’ve already noticed.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Before we arrive
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Leave side gates unlocked
Getting a price
For a price for chimney surveys in Southbourne, phone 07833 053749 or email us. A few details about the property and the roof help us price the survey accurately.
Advice
Different roofs, different checks
Lead flashings
Mortar fillets are sometimes used where lead would typically be. They tend to crack, so we look at them closely.
Chimney pots and cowls
A loose or cracked pot can fall from height. We photograph each pot and note any damage.