Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Coldred, Kent
An experienced roof surveyor for chimney surveys in Coldred. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Signs that a stack is leaning
Common questions in Coldred
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Coldred?
Near the coast, roofs face more wind and more salt than further inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Shepherds Well station?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. Just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We do not carry out asbestos surveys or testing. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, like cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
Can you find out why my chimney breast is damp?
It can come from several places: cracked flaunching, worn pointing, failed flashings, uncapped pots, or damp trapped in an unventilated stack. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime, which suits people who work during the week. Just say which days work for you.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only where it is safe to do so. We inspect what can safely be seen: from the ground, from windows and vantage points, from the roof space, from the roof itself where safe and by drone where applicable. Anything we cannot see is noted in the report.
Is it a problem to have an unused chimney?
It depends on its condition and your plans. We record how the stack is doing and whether it is capped with ventilation. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need consent.
How a chimney survey works in Coldred
A chimney survey is about the outside of the stack and the roof around it. It is not a flue inspection, a sweep or a gas safety check. For the flue itself, you will need a sweep or, for gas appliances, a Gas Safe registered engineer. If something we see points to the flue, we will say so. Typical surveys look at eroded joints in the brickwork and redundant stacks capped without ventilation, on flaunching, lead flashings and brick chimney stacks.
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 frequently the first to give way.
If any part of the chimney stack couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. That way, it’s clear what was covered and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Place
- Coldred (CT15)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
DIY checks: what’s safe
It helps to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Share it with us when booking.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Common roof problems in Coldred
Some owners book because a chimney breast has been removed below and they want to know about the stack above. We note what’s visible in the roof space and outside, and recommend a structural engineer where support is in question.
Typical things we are asked to look at include:
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Church of St Pancras, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Which limits apply to the survey
- Their track record with similar roofs
- Whether you get a written report with photos
What a survey costs
All our prices include VAT. What changes the price is:
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Height and safe access
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, how it can safely be seen and which survey you book.
Booking your survey
There’s no need for technical words. Just let us know:
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- When you need the report by
We survey roofs on any day of the week. To arrange a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Honest limits
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so there are some things a survey cannot cover:
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer before booking. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Coldred
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Shared roofs need a little more planning: we need access agreed with the freeholder or managing agent. Tell us about it when you book and we’ll plan the visit with that in mind.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client, photos included.
Also near Coldred
What else we do in Coldred
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Coldred
Coldred is within about 5 miles of the coast, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, and strong wind lifts anything already loose on a roof, while driving rain finds any gap. Across Kent, older roofs are frequently handmade clay or peg tiles, and tile-hanging on upper walls is a familiar sight. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
If you let a flat or house near Shepherds Well station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant. Goodnestone Park lies about 4.6 miles north, so building around Coldred goes back a long way. Older roofs nearby often mix original materials with later repairs, and the survey shows where each one is.
Coldred is about 4 miles north-west of Dover, in Kent. Coldred gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a close look at everything that’s safely in view, photos and a clear written report. Across Kent, we cover Coldred and the places around it. You can also see our page for Canterbury.
All of CT15 is within our area for chimney surveys. We also cover the places around Coldred: Sibertswold (1 mile north-west), Lydden (1 mile south), Waldershare (1 mile north-east), Halfway Street (1 mile west) and Eythorne (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Canterbury (10 miles north-west), Margate (15 miles north-east), Dover (4 miles south-east), Folkestone (7 miles south-west), Ramsgate (13 miles north-east) and Broadstairs (15 miles north-east).
What’s near Coldred
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Bell Inn and the streets around them. Coldred’s nearest station is Shepherds Well station, about 1.1 miles north-west. Nearby you’ll also find Dover Castle (4.8 miles south-east) and Dover Transport Museum (2.6 miles south-east). Not far away are Dover Western Heights.
What we do, step by step
A survey visit follows a simple order: we hear what you’ve seen, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photos as we go and record our findings for the written report. It typically takes between one and two hours for a house, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. In a hamlet or village like Coldred, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, so a few directions are welcome. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We look at the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Before we arrive
- Keep pets in another room
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
Booking a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from the ground or a window. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.