Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Fordcombe, Kent
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Fordcombe, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- A chimney out of line
Chimney survey in Fordcombe: what you get
We inspect chimneys from wherever they can safely be seen: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the roof space where it is safe. A drone inspection is part of our Premium Survey where it applies. If we cannot 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 flaunching that has broken away and a chimney out of line, we can find out what’s behind it.
Some older homes in villages like Fordcombe 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. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Older materials such as clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent.
- Place
- Fordcombe (TN3)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Roof by roof
Rendered stacks
Some stacks are rendered, which can hide the condition of the brickwork beneath. The survey checks for cracking, bulging and staining in the render.
Lead flashings
Lead flashings seal the joint between the stack and the roof. The survey looks at whether the lead is tight, sound and well fixed.
Local roofs in Fordcombe
With Groombridge Place about 1.8 miles south, Fordcombe sits in an area with a long building history. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. Across Kent, older roofs are often 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. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
Take a building like Fordcombe Church of England Primary School: a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time. For landlords with property near Ashurst Kent station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak. The streets around a church such as Church of St Peter are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Fordcombe is about 4 miles west of Royal Tunbridge Wells, in Kent. Surveys in Fordcombe work the same way as everywhere we cover: a close look at what can safely be seen, photos and a clear written report. Our Kent coverage includes Fordcombe. Our Crawley page covers surveys nearby.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: TN3. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Spring Hill, St Peters Row and Chafford Lane or anywhere close by, we can help. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Walter's Green (1 mile north-west), Stone Cross (1 mile south), Ashurst (1 mile south-west), Teasley Mead (1 mile west) and Penshurst (2 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Sevenoaks (10 miles north), Royal Tunbridge Wells (4 miles east), Tonbridge (6 miles north-east), Kings Hill (13 miles north-east), Paddock Wood (10 miles east) and Southborough (4 miles east).
What’s near Fordcombe
In Fordcombe, that means homes and buildings near Chafford Arms, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Ashurst Kent station, roughly 1.4 miles south-west. Nearby you’ll also find Bolebroke Castle (3.4 miles south-west) and Kent and Sussex Hospital (3.6 miles east). For a walk, there’s Broadwater Warren RSPB Reserve and Barden Lake.
Useful tips for Fordcombe property owners
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Check unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
If anything in the report is not clear, just ask us. Standard Surveys come with a follow-up consultation, and Premium Surveys with an in-person one.
Have aerial and dish brackets on the stack checked, and moved if they’re working it loose. Less load on the stack means less strain in wind.
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
To price your survey, we check:
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- How many separate roofs there are, like extensions, dormers and garages
- Height and safe access
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where applicable) come with the Premium Survey, from £400 inc. VAT. We’ll tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Getting in touch
These details help when you contact us:
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- The address and postcode of the property
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine. To get started, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Towns and villages near Fordcombe
What else we do in Fordcombe
DIY checks: what’s safe
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.
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.
What a chimney survey doesn’t cover
To be straight with you, a roof survey has limits:
- Hidden damage within the stack
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we look at
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
What happens on the day
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photographs, emailed to you. On timing, it typically takes about 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Older rural homes like those around Fordcombe can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
How to prepare
- Tell us where we can park nearby
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
How to book
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. To book or ask a question, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Related advice
Common questions in Fordcombe
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Ashurst Kent station?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. You can ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and what you need.
Is my home in Fordcombe listed or in a conservation area?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
What should I do with a chimney I do not use?
An unused stack still needs to stay weathertight and ventilated. Capping without airflow can lead to damp. Our survey records its condition and how it’s capped, so you can plan what to do with it.
What does a chimney survey cover?
The survey covers the pots and cowls, the flaunching, the pointing, the bricks and the flashings. We also check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach. You get a written report with photos.
Will you check the chimney is safe to use with a fire?
No. A flue inspection, sweep or gas safety check is a separate job. We check the structure and weathering of the stack and any damp and flag anything that suggests the flue needs a look.
What does the report include?
You get our findings in writing, part by part, with photos, and ends with what we recommend. Points are put with the most urgent first where relevant.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Not always. Safety comes first, and fragile or steep roofs can’t always be walked on. We use safe viewpoints, the loft space and a drone where it applies, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.