Kent · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Birchden
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Birchden. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Bricks with flaking faces
The survey, step by step
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. Most visits take roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Somewhere like Birchden needs a little journey planning: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- Every part we can see is checked: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Leave side gates unlocked
Booking a survey
If you are buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email when you’re ready.
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How a chimney survey works in Birchden
If you’re buying a home with chimneys, it is worth knowing their condition before you exchange. On older stacks, we often find cracked flaunching, loose flashings and worn pointing. You get photos and findings you can take back to the seller or agent. It works alongside a RICS home survey, not instead of one. We survey chimney pots and cowls, flaunching and chimney breasts, and common reasons people get in touch are a chimney out of line and gaps in the mortar around the pots.
Some older homes in villages like Birchden are listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. A roof report helps you plan work with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the coverings down to the gutters, each with a short note and a photo. It records what’s sound as well as what is not.
- Where
- Birchden (TN3)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips from our surveys
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
Where another specialist is needed, such as a structural engineer or sweep, we explain why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. Early signs are easier to trace.
How we price chimney surveys
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before booking. These are the things that affect it:
- Roof area
- House, block, shop or office
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- Basic, Standard or Premium
We offer three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Helping us price your survey
A little information up front helps. Please include:
- What made you get in touch
- The property’s address and postcode
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
Not sure which survey you need? It is easiest to phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll explain the options and the price.
Roof by roof
Lead flashings
Where the chimney meets the roof slopes, lead flashings keep water out. The survey looks at whether the lead is tight, sound and well fixed.
Brick stacks
Frost can damage bricks that have soaked up water, making the faces flake away. Any spalling is noted with photos.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Landlords, agents and building managers in Birchden and across Kent can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Shared roofs need a little more planning: we need access agreed with the freeholder or managing agent. Tell us about it as you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.
Honest limits
Before you book, it’s worth knowing what a survey won’t do:
- Parts of the stack that can’t be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we can’t access
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Flue inspections or sweeping
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and does not.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
Birchden homes and their roofs
The wider area around Birchden has a long history of building, with Groombridge Place about 0.8 miles north. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof. Older houses across Kent often have handmade clay or peg tiles, and many have tile-hung 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 live in an older home near Church of St Thomas the Apostle, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first. For landlords with property near Eridge station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let. Take a building like Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School: its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Birchden is about 4 miles south-west of Royal Tunbridge Wells, in Kent. We survey roofs in Birchden as part of our work across London and South East England. Birchden is one of the towns and villages in Kent we cover. There is also a page for Crawley.
Surveys in TN3 are booked the same way as anywhere else. If you’re just outside Birchden, we cover Groombridge (1 mile north-west), Stone Cross (2 miles north-west), Ashurst (2 miles north-west), Balls Green (2 miles west) and Fordcombe (3 miles north). Further out, we also cover Sevenoaks (12 miles north), Royal Tunbridge Wells (4 miles north-east), Tonbridge (7 miles north-east), Kings Hill (15 miles north-east), Paddock Wood (10 miles north-east) and Southborough (4 miles north-east).
Around Birchden
The closest station to Birchden is Eridge station, roughly 1.2 miles south. A little further out are Bolebroke Castle (3.9 miles west) and The Corn Exchange (3.1 miles north-east). The countryside around Birchden includes Broadwater Warren RSPB Reserve.
Also near Birchden
Also in Birchden
Questions from Birchden
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Eridge station?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and some details, including who will give access on the day.
Do you cover smaller places like Birchden?
Yes. Birchden is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We work right across London and the South East. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it’s applicable. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
What’s in the report?
It sets out what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, backed by photographs. Anything we couldn’t see safely is noted too.
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.
What happens next?
You receive the written report by email, with photos and recommendations. You can use it to talk to a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent, whichever applies.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We are roof surveyors, not structural engineers. We’ll recommend an engineer if we see signs that call for one.