West Sussex · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in West Dean
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in West Dean. We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- A chimney out of line
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in West Dean
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. 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. You then know where to start. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, lead flashings and chimney pots and cowls, and people most often book us about spalled or crumbling bricks and flaunching that has broken away.
In a village or hamlet like West Dean, 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. We report on what can be seen safely, and thatch is a specialist material. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Location
- West Dean (PO18)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Questions from West Dean
Does a conservation area affect roof work in West Dean?
We can’t confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Will you come out to West Dean?
Yes. West Dean is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. Our area covers London and the South East. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route as you book.
What does a roof survey cost?
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. The final figure depends on the roof and the package you choose, confirmed before anything is booked.
How do I arrange a chimney survey in West Dean?
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and tell us the address and what you want to find out. We will confirm the price and find a day that suits.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Only if it’s safe. We inspect everything that’s safely in view: 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.
Will you check the loft?
Usually, if there is one and it can be reached safely. The roof space can show things the outside can’t, such as damp timbers, staining or daylight.
What do I do with the report?
The report arrives by email, with photographs and clear recommendations. With Standard there’s a follow-up consultation; with Premium, an in-person consultation.
Tips that help
You do not need to be a roofer to help. Here’s what helps most:
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
If the stack is shared, you can pass the report to your neighbour. The photos show the problem and which side it’s on from the viewpoints we used.
Look at your chimneys from ground level now and then, especially after strong winds. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.
Also in West Dean
How it works
On the day, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that’s worrying you. After that, we look at everything we can see safely. Most surveys take about 1–2 hours at a typical home, or half a day or so for a commercial building. Rural addresses near West Dean can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions are welcome. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- 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.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the roof space.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Getting a price
Booking is simple: just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form, tell us about the property and we’ll recommend the right survey. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Advice
Roof by roof
Lead flashings
Mortar fillets are sometimes used where lead would usually be. They tend to crack, so we check them closely.
Flaunching
The sloping mortar around the pots is called flaunching. Once it cracks, water can get straight into the brickwork.
Common roof problems in West Dean
Stacks that were used for open fires for many years can weaken from the inside. Flue gases and damp can break down the mortar, sometimes more on one side than the other, which is one reason stacks start to lean.
People typically book a survey after spotting one of these:
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
If you live in an older home near The Parish Church of St Andrew, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Before you book anyone
- What exactly goes into their report
- Their insurance cover
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Their report turnaround times
West Dean homes and their roofs
With West Dean House about 0.1 miles north-east, West Dean sits in an area with a long building history. If yours is one of the older homes, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof. Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. A few old Sussex buildings still carry heavy Horsham stone slabs. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
Anyone responsible for a site like West Dean CofE Primary School will know that long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. Landlords with a home close to Fishbourne station may find that knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
West Dean is about 4 miles north of Chichester, in West Sussex. Bookings from West Dean are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. West Dean is one of the places in West Sussex where we work. There is also a page for Portsmouth.
Chimney surveys in PO18 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Singleton (1 mile east), Charlton (2 miles east), East Dean (3 miles east), Cocking (3 miles north) and Bepton (4 miles north). Larger places within reach include Bognor Regis (9 miles south-east), Chichester (4 miles south), Selsey (12 miles south), Littlehampton (13 miles south-east), Emsworth (8 miles south-west) and Rustington (13 miles south-east).
What’s near West Dean
The closest station to West Dean is Fishbourne station, about 4.8 miles south. Other landmarks nearby include Chichester Castle (4.5 miles south) and Museum of Gardening (within half a mile north-east). For a walk, there is Levin Down and Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve.
Prices for chimney surveys in West Dean
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- The size of the roof
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
We offer three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all including VAT. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you need to know.
What we need to know
We will usually ask about:
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
- Anything about access we should know
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
When you’re ready to go ahead, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Can I check my roof myself?
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
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. Don’t go up yourself.