Kent · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Dover
Independent chimney surveys in Dover. We have completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
What happens if roof problems are left?
For a buyer, the best time to learn about a chimney is before exchange. Once you’ve exchanged, the work is down to you. A report gives you something specific to put to the seller. Around Dover, gutters that overflow soak the wall below. A slipped tile or worn flashing does the same higher up. Neither gets better on its own.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Why book with us
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- Visits on any day of the week
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
See our cost guide or our case studies.
How a chimney survey works in Dover
Our survey covers the structure of the stack and its weathering details. It isn’t a flue inspection, a sweep or a gas safety check. If you use a fire or a gas appliance, the flue should be checked by a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer as appropriate. We will tell you if we see anything that suggests they should take a look. We survey chimney pots and cowls, shared and party-wall stacks and lead flashings, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are bricks with flaking faces and mortar washing out of the joints.
Semis and terraces in a town like Dover share roof details with the neighbours. A shared chimney stack or a gutter run across two houses means a defect may sit partly on someone else’s property. Shared parts are looked at as far as they can be seen safely from the property we’re surveying. It’s useful to mention any shared stacks or gutters as you book.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent.
- Place
- Dover (CT17, CT16, CT15, CT14)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens on the day
On the day, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that is worrying you. After that, we check everything we can see safely, from ground level, from windows, in the roof space and by drone where it applies. The survey usually takes about one to two hours for a house, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. Most visits in a town like Dover start at the front of the house and work round to the back. The back garden is often where extensions, dormers and rear slopes are best seen, so unlocked gates help. Then, if it can be reached safely, we look in the loft.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- The stacks are looked at from the ground, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Where there’s safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
Before we arrive
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Arrange a survey
A quick phone call is normally the easiest start: call 07833 053749 or email us. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.
Advice
Chimney surveys in Dover: local notes
The coast is about 2 miles or less from Dover, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces. Older houses across Kent frequently 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. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
Landlords with a home close to Dover Priory station may find that knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Shatterlocks Infant School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. Take an older house close to Parish Church of St Andrew Buckland: the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Dover is in Kent. We cover Dover and the rest of Kent. We cover towns and villages across Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. Canterbury is in our area too.
Surveys in CT17, CT16, CT15 and CT14 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. You will find streets such as London Road, High Street and Church Road, and we cover them all. Dover sits on or near the A2 and A20, so getting to you is simple. If you’re just outside Dover, we cover River (1 mile north-west), Maxton (1 mile south), Kearsney (1 mile north-west), Whitfield (1 mile north) and Temple Ewell (2 miles north-west). Further out, we also cover Canterbury (14 miles north-west), Folkestone (7 miles south-west), Ramsgate (15 miles north), Deal (7 miles north-east), Hythe (11 miles south-west) and Walmer (6 miles north-east). As one of the bigger places in Kent, Dover has homes, rented property and businesses of every kind.
Local landmarks in Dover
We work in homes and buildings around Connaught Park, The Bull pub and St Edmund's Catholic School. For rail, the closest station is Dover Priory station, about 0.9 miles south of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Dover Castle (1.3 miles south-east) and Crabble Corn Mill (0.7 miles west). Green spaces nearby include Dover Western Heights.
What affects the price in Dover
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- The shape of the roof and its details
- The roof’s overall size
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where applicable, from £400 including VAT. We will tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Booking your survey
A little information up front helps. It helps to include:
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- What’s prompted the survey
- The kind of building and roof involved
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, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
What you can safely check yourself
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
You can learn a lot from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
Your questions about chimney surveys in Dover
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Dover, take more of a battering?
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 Dover Priory station?
Yes, letting agents and landlords book with us as well as owners. You can call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and a few details.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day. Let us know your preferred days when you book.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and we can provide details if a managing agent needs them.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We’ve been surveying roofs for over 20 years and have completed over 5,000 surveys.
How long will you be at the property?
Time on site depends on the roof; most visits take between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. The report is sent afterwards by email.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We’re experienced roof surveyors, and visible signs such as sagging are noted, but calculations and an engineer’s opinion are outside what we do. If one is needed, the report says so.
What a chimney survey doesn’t cover
To be straight with you, a roof survey has limits:
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will point you to the right survey before booking. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
Practical tips
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Some pointers:
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- Make sure fixings on the stack are secure
Once we’ve been, the findings are written up with photos. It covers the pots, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings, and any damp we found inside. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Look at your chimneys from ground level now and then, particularly after strong winds. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.