Kent · London and the South East
Bidborough Chimney Survey
Find out what’s going on with the chimney stack before you decide what to do next. We carry out chimney surveys in Bidborough.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
DIY checks: what’s safe
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Chimney survey in Bidborough: what you get
Redundant chimneys are common, particularly where fires have been replaced by central heating. Even when it is not used, a stack has to stay weathertight. Capping a stack without ventilation can trap moisture and lead to damp inside. Our survey looks at how each unused stack has been capped and checks the breasts for damp. You get photos of each stack and our recommendations. If you’re worried about gaps where the stack meets the roof and gaps in the mortar around the pots, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
Somewhere as small as Bidborough, homes are frequently older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. We report on everything that’s safely in view, and thatch is a specialist material. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
Where we can’t see part of the chimney stack, the report says so. You’ll know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t.
- Place
- Bidborough (TN3, TN4)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey changes by roof type
Rendered stacks
Some stacks are rendered, which can hide the condition of the brickwork beneath. We look for cracks, hollow areas and staining.
Chimney pots and cowls
Damaged pots are a safety concern as well as a leak risk. We photograph each pot and note any damage.
Do you need a chimney survey in Bidborough?
Chimney stacks stand above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Frost opens up cracks in the mortar, and rain gets into worn bricks and joints. Most people book after spotting damp or a loose pot, or before buying.
Common reasons to book include:
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
If your house is among the older ones in the streets near Parish Church of St Lawrence, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
What to check before booking
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Which limits apply to the survey
When you need someone else
Our survey isn’t a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Parts of the stack that can’t be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we can’t access
- Conditions inside walls
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll tell you before you book. The full list of what we check.
What we check
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
FAQs for Bidborough
Will you come out to Bidborough?
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.
Is my home in Bidborough listed or in a conservation area?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it’s in a conservation area. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Will you go up on the roof?
Not unless it’s safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where applicable, a drone, and anything out of sight is recorded in the report.
Will I get photos?
Yes. Photographs are part of every report.
How much is a survey?
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Our three packages are Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, inc. VAT.
What insurance do you have?
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance cover our surveys. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
For landlords and managing agents
With a portfolio of properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
We survey roofs for landlords and agents as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photographs, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
How it works
Every visit follows the same pattern: we hear what you’ve seen, inspect the roof from each safe vantage point, photograph what we find and record our findings for the written report. It typically takes about 1–2 hours at most homes, and longer for a large or complex roof. Around Bidborough, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so it is useful to know whether there is a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Check we can get to the back of the property
Book a survey
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine; never climb up to get a better view. To send them or to book, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Read more
Towns and villages near Bidborough
Also in Bidborough
Chimney surveys around Bidborough
With Penshurst Place about 2.3 miles west, Bidborough sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. Many older homes in Kent have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles held by pegs through two holes, and tile-hanging on their upper walls. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. Whatever the covering, it’s often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
If you let a flat or house near Leigh (Kent) station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak. If you run a business near Royal Victoria Place, a roof report helps plan work around trading rather than after a leak.
Bidborough is about 3 miles north-west of Royal Tunbridge Wells, in Kent. From houses to flats and shops in Bidborough, the roof can be surveyed on a weekday or at the weekend. We cover towns and villages across Kent, large and small. Maidstone is in our area too.
Chimney surveys in TN3 and TN4 are booked the same way as anywhere else. We offer chimney surveys to properties on High Street, Rectory Drive and Glebelands. If you’re just outside Bidborough, we cover Stockland Green (1 mile south), Printstile (1 mile west), Southborough (1 mile south-east), Speldhurst (1 mile south-west) and Lower Haysden (1 mile north). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (14 miles north-east), Sevenoaks (8 miles north), Royal Tunbridge Wells (3 miles south-east), Tonbridge (3 miles north-east), Kings Hill (10 miles north-east) and Foley Park (15 miles north-east).
Local landmarks in Bidborough
Typical jobs here are in homes near Haysden Country Park, The Beehive Public House and St Gregory's Catholic School, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Leigh (Kent) station, roughly 2.1 miles north-west of the centre. A little further out are Tonbridge Cottage Hospital (1.7 miles north-east) and Tonbridge Castle (2.5 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Tudeley Woods RSPB reserve and Barden Lake.