Elections to the Adur District Council were held on 7 May 1987, with one third of the council up for election. There were additional vacancies in the Churchill and Widewater wards and no elections for the two-member Marine ward. Overall turnout climbed to 48.3%.
The election resulted in the Alliance retaining control of the council.
This resulted in the following composition of the council:
+/- figures represent changes from the last time these wards were contested.