Kent · London and the South East
Bethersden Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys across Bethersden, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. You get a clear report with photos.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
How a chimney survey works in Bethersden
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. It might come in at the top, through worn pointing or porous bricks, or where the flashings meet the roof. Condensation inside an unventilated stack is another common cause. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. You then know where to start. If you’re worried about lifted or split lead flashings and worn or missing pointing, we can find out what’s behind it.
Village roofs often face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, 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.
Report times depend on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Where
- Bethersden (TN26)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
FAQs for Bethersden
Can a landlord with a rental near Pluckley station book a roof survey?
Yes, letting agents and landlords book with us as well as owners. You can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and some details.
Is Bethersden within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Our area covers London and the South East. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when booking.
Will you check the chimney is safe to use with a fire?
No. A flue inspection, sweep or gas safety check is a separate job. We look at the stack, pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings, and damp inside, and we’ll say if anything suggests the flue needs checking.
What does a roof survey cost?
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. You will know the price for the job before booking, based on the roof’s size, access and package. For a price, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
Does the report include photos?
Yes, plenty. Pictures sit next to the findings they show.
Will you go up on the roof?
Not always. Safety comes first, and fragile or steep roofs cannot always be walked on. Safe viewpoints, the loft and a drone where it applies let us see the rest.
Tips from our surveys
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Our tips:
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. With the same list in front of each contractor, comparing quotes is simpler.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
How the survey works
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the roof space is checked as well as the outside. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement. All in, the survey typically takes about 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Cottages and farmhouses around Bethersden 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.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the roof space.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.
How to prepare
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
Arrange a survey
We survey roofs on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Advice
What a chimney survey doesn’t cover
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, and that sets some limits:
- Parts of the stack that cannot be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we can’t access
- Conditions inside walls
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will point you to the right survey before you book. What a survey covers and does not.
What we check
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
Surveys for landlords and agents in Bethersden
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. Recommendations are set out by urgency where it matters, which helps with budgets and planning.
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Bethersden. For a price for a let property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Chimney surveys around Bethersden
The wider area around Bethersden has a long history of building, with Godinton House about 4 miles north-east. If your house is among the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Across Kent, older roofs are often handmade clay or peg tiles, and tile-hanging on upper walls is a familiar sight. Kent’s older buildings take in oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses as well. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
Take an older house close to Church of St Margaret: the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. For site and facilities teams at buildings like Bethersden Primary School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. If you own a rental within reach of Pluckley station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Bethersden is about 5 miles west of Ashford, in Kent. Surveys in Bethersden work the same way as everywhere we cover: a careful inspection, photographs and a written report. Across Kent, we cover Bethersden. We also survey roofs in Maidstone.
Chimney surveys in TN26 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We offer chimney surveys to properties on The Dene, Forge Hill and Forgefield and the roads around them. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Wissenden (1 mile north-west), Further Quarter (2 miles west), Chambers' Green (2 miles north), Maltman's Hill (2 miles north-west) and High Halden (3 miles south-west). Further out, we also cover Maidstone (14 miles north-west), Ashford (5 miles east), Sittingbourne (15 miles north), Faversham (14 miles north-east), Hythe (15 miles east) and Davington (14 miles north-east).
Near you in Bethersden
Around Bethersden, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The George Public House, among other places. Bethersden’s nearest station is Pluckley station, roughly 2 miles north of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Woodchurch Village Life Museum (3.1 miles south) and Romden Castle (2.4 miles north-west). Open spaces near Bethersden include Orlestone Forest.
How we price chimney surveys
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- The size of the roof
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where applicable) come with the Premium Survey, from £400 inc. VAT. We will tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Getting in touch
Before you get in touch, it helps to have:
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
We confirm the price for the job before booking, so you know the cost up front. Prices start from £150, including VAT. To book, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Places near Bethersden
What else we do in Bethersden
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney pots and cowls
Each pot is bedded into the flaunching, frequently with a cowl or cap on top. The survey looks for cracked, loose or missing pots and cowls.
Flaunching
The sloping mortar around the pots is called flaunching. Cracks in it let water into the stack.