Kent · London and the South East
Chitty Chimney Survey
Need a chimney survey in Chitty? We can help, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Chitty
We inspect chimneys from wherever they can safely be seen: from ground level, from windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there’s access. A drone inspection is part of our Premium Survey where it applies. If we can’t see part of the stack, the report makes that clear. Every defect we find is photographed and described in plain words. If you’ve noticed mortar washing out of the joints and staining on walls around the chimney, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Somewhere as small as Chitty, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, frequently with chimneys that have stood a long time. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Where
- Chitty (CT3)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Why act early in Chitty
If you are 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. For older village homes like those around Chitty, the right replacement materials aren’t always easy to find quickly. That’s one more reason to find defects before they become urgent.
All our prices include VAT. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. We confirm the price for your survey before booking.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Chitty
- Visits on any day of the week
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Clear package prices, including VAT
- Over 20 years’ experience
See what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
What this survey can’t tell you
Every survey has limits, and we’d rather be clear about that before you book. Bear these in mind:
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- Conditions inside walls
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll recommend the right survey. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
What a chimney survey looks like in Chitty
Chitty is within about 3 miles of the coast, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Near the sea, metal fixings wear faster and loose pieces on a roof are more likely to lift, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. 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 Mary the Virgin: the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. If you look after a building such as Chislet Church of England Primary School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Chitty is about 4 miles south-east of Herne Bay, in Kent. Whether the building in Chitty is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, we can survey the roof on a weekday or at the weekend. Chitty is one of the places in Kent we cover. You can also see our page for Canterbury.
All of CT3 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Close by, we survey roofs in Chislet (1 mile west), Hollow Street (1 mile south-west), Boyden Gate (1 mile north-west), Old Tree (1 mile west) and Highstead (1 mile north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Canterbury (7 miles south-west), Margate (9 miles east), Dover (14 miles south), Ramsgate (9 miles east), Broadstairs (10 miles east) and Whitstable (7 miles west).
Near you in Chitty
We work in homes and buildings around Grove Ferry Picnic Area. For rail, the closest station is Herne Bay station, about 4 miles north-west. Nearby you will also find St Martins Hospital (5.8 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include West Blean and Thornden Woods.
What we’re asked to look at in Chitty
Lots of homes have redundant stacks. A stack sealed without ventilation can trap damp. Damp patches can appear on chimney breasts even when nothing is leaking.
It is worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
Homes near green spaces such as Grove Ferry Picnic Area can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching.
Questions to ask before booking
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- Will the report include photos?
- Is VAT included in the price?
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
Chitty questions
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Herne Bay station?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and what you need, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
How do I find out if my home in Chitty is listed?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability, and details are available on request.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Can you find out why my chimney breast is damp?
Typically it’s water getting in from outside, or condensation in a sealed stack. The survey looks at the stack, the flashings and the capping, and record what we find.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day, which suits people who work during the week. Let us know your preferred days when booking.
What if it rains on the day?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drones cannot fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. If the conditions are not right, we will talk to you about another date.
Nearby places to Chitty
More services for Chitty
Landlord and commercial surveys in Chitty
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client, photographs included.
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work with less disruption.
Tips from our surveys
Getting the most from a chimney survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
With a shared stack, the report can help when talking to next door. The photos show the problem and which side it’s on, as far as we could see.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
What we do, step by step
Where it is relevant and can be reached safely, the loft space is checked as well as the outside. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement, as far as the space allows. All in, the survey typically takes an hour or two at a typical home, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. In a hamlet or village like Chitty, a postcode does not always lead to the right gate, so a few directions are welcome. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there is access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Before we arrive
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Booking a survey
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine, and please don’t climb up for a closer look. To get started, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.