Kent · London and the South East
Bilting Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Bilting, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Worn or missing pointing
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
How a chimney survey works in Bilting
A damp patch on a chimney breast does not always come from the same place. It might come in at the top, through worn pointing or porous bricks, or where the flashings meet the roof. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. You then know where to start. We survey brick chimney stacks, flaunching and chimney pots and cowls, and common reasons people get in touch are unused flues sealed without airflow and damaged chimney pots and cowls.
In a small place like Bilting, many roofs stand in the open, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. 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 frequently the first to give way.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent, whichever applies.
- Location
- Bilting (TN25)
- Region
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
When you need someone else
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney pots and cowls
For unused flues, we check whether caps or cowls allow ventilation. Poor capping can lead to damp inside the stack.
Rendered stacks
Cracked render can let water in and trap it behind. We record any cracking and where it is.
For landlords and managing agents
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps when budgeting.
Letting agents and landlords in Bilting book surveys as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photographs.
How the survey works
You don’t need to do much on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, such as stains, drips or loose pieces, and we’ll take it from there. A typical survey takes about 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In a small place like Bilting, access is normally the main thing to plan. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We check every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Getting ready for the survey
- Keep pets in another room
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
How to book
If you’re buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. Otherwise, simply phone 07833 053749 or email us whenever suits you.
Related advice
Places near Bilting
More services for Bilting
Why act early in Bilting
If you’re buying, find out about the stacks before you exchange. Once you’ve exchanged, the work is down to you. Our report gives you facts to raise with the seller or agent. Older cottages and farmhouses around Bilting can have roof timbers that have been there a very long time, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it’s left.
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how it can be reached and seen safely. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT.
Why us?
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- An independent look at the roof
- Plain-English reports with photos
Read what a roof survey costs and our case studies.
What a chimney survey looks like in Bilting
Across Kent, older roofs are frequently handmade clay or peg tiles, and tile-hanging on upper walls is a familiar sight. Oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of the county’s older buildings too. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. If your home is older, it is worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before planning roof work. Changes that affect a listed building’s special interest need listed building consent, and councils can also use Article 4 directions to control changes in conservation areas.
Living close to Godmersham Park is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn. If you own a rental within reach of Wye station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak. Take an older house close to Church of St Lawrence: its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Bilting is about 6 miles north-east of Ashford, in Kent. We visit Bilting as part of our work across Kent, for homes and businesses alike. Across Kent, we cover Bilting. We also survey roofs in Canterbury.
We survey roofs across the TN25 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. Streets in the area include Canterbury Road and Bilting Lane, and we cover them all. Close by, we survey roofs in Godmersham (1 mile north-east), Mountain Street (2 miles north), Molash (2 miles north-west), Chilham (3 miles north-east) and Shottenden (3 miles north). Larger places within reach include Ashford (6 miles south-west), Canterbury (8 miles north-east), Sittingbourne (13 miles north-west), Folkestone (13 miles south-east), Whitstable (11 miles north) and Faversham (8 miles north).
Around Bilting
Around Bilting, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Godmersham Park, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Wye station, roughly 1.7 miles south of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Tower keep castle at Chilham (2.5 miles north) and William Harvey Hospital (4.8 miles south).
Questions from Bilting
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Wye station?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. You can ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and some details, including who will give access on the day.
Is my home in Bilting listed or in a conservation area?
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.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Someone needs to let us in if we’re looking inside or in the loft. We will talk about access when you book.
Do you need to go on the roof to check the chimney?
We look from ground level, from windows and from the loft where it is safe. Where applicable, our Premium Survey adds a drone inspection for a closer view. Any area we couldn’t view is noted.
What’s the best way to book?
Just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address. We will ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date.
Will you go up on the roof?
Not always. Some roofs are too steep or fragile to walk on safely. Safe viewpoints, the loft and a drone where applicable let us see the rest, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
How long is the visit?
That depends on the size and shape of the roof, but most surveys take about one to two hours at a typical home; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. The written report follows by email.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. 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. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.