Kent · London and the South East
Fordwich Chimney Survey
Find out the condition of the chimney stack at your property in Fordwich from an independent roof surveyor. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
When to book a survey in Fordwich
Where a chimney meets the roof, lead flashings keep water out. They can lift in wind, crack with age or pull out of the mortar joints. Failed flashings are one of the most common causes of damp around chimneys. Lead is also a target for theft.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
For an older house near a landmark like Church of St Mary the Virgin, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Before you book anyone
- How soon the report will arrive
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
How a chimney survey works in Fordwich
Our survey covers the structure of the stack and its weathering details. It’s not a flue inspection, a chimney sweep or a gas safety inspection. For the flue itself, you will need a sweep or, for gas appliances, a Gas Safe registered engineer. We will tell you if we see anything that suggests they should take a look. If you’ve noticed lifted or split lead flashings and cracked or missing flaunching, we can find out what’s behind it, on shared and party-wall stacks, chimney breasts and chimney pots and cowls alike.
Village roofs often face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. 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 often the first to give way.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Location
- Fordwich (CT2)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Why it’s worth a survey now in Fordwich
A damp chimney breast seldom dries out until the cause is found. It can stain walls and damage plaster. Finding the cause means the right work can be planned. Matching old materials, such as handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. That is one more reason to find defects before they become urgent.
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where it applies, which starts from £400, with VAT included. We will tell you which package suits the questions you have.
What you get with us
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Packages from £150, with VAT included
- PI and public liability insurance
- Surveys seven days a week
See what a roof survey costs and two real surveys.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Fordwich. To discuss a property or a block, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, including offices, shops and units. Bigger roofs take more time.
The survey, step by step
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof, but as a rough guide the survey takes about 1–2 hours at most homes, and more on a big or complicated roof. You are welcome to ask questions while we are there. In a small place like Fordwich, access is typically the main thing to plan. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- 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.
- Every part we can see is checked: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
Before the survey
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- Tell us where we can park nearby
- Find any records of previous roof work
Book a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just ring 07833 053749 or email us when you’re ready.
Read more
Questions from Fordwich
How do I find out if my home in Fordwich is listed?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Can a landlord with a rental near Sturry station book a roof survey?
Yes, landlords and agents book with us as well as owners. Just call 07833 053749 or email us and let us know about the building.
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 roof 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 stack, pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings, and damp inside and flag anything that suggests the flue needs a look.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We’re roof surveyors, not structural engineers, and it doesn’t include calculations. If we see signs that need an engineer’s opinion, we will recommend one.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. We look at the parts we can see safely and the parts you can give us access to. If a defect seems to be on your neighbour’s side, the report records it, so you can discuss it with them.
What should I do with a chimney I don’t use?
An unused stack still needs to stay weathertight and ventilated. If it’s capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside. We check how it is capped and its condition, so you can plan what to do with it.
Towns and villages near Fordwich
Other services in Fordwich
Chimney surveys in Fordwich: local notes
Listing and conservation areas can both shape what roof work is allowed on an older home. The council is the place to check, along with Historic England’s list, ideally before any re-roofing is planned. Older houses across Kent frequently have handmade clay or peg tiles, and many have tile-hung walls. 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.
Landlords with a home close to Sturry station may find that a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let. Trees in and around Chequer's Wood and Old Park shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters.
Fordwich is about 2 miles north-east of Canterbury, in Kent. We cover Fordwich and the rest of Kent, as part of our work across London and South East England. Across Kent, we cover Fordwich.
We work across CT2 for chimney surveys. Local streets include Brooklands Close, Water Meadows and King Street, all of which we cover. Other places close to Fordwich include Littlebourne (2 miles south-east), Bekesbourne Hill (2 miles south), Wickhambreaux (3 miles east), Ickham (3 miles south-east) and Patrixbourne (3 miles south). Larger places within reach include Margate (13 miles north-east), Dover (13 miles south-east), Folkestone (15 miles south), Ramsgate (13 miles east), Broadstairs (14 miles east) and Whitstable (6 miles north-west).
Around Fordwich
Typical jobs here are in homes near Frank Montgomery School, Chequer's Wood and Old Park and Fordwich Arms and the streets around them. Fordwich has its own railway station: Sturry station. Other landmarks nearby include Whitefriars Shopping Centre (2.4 miles south-west) and St Martins Hospital (1.5 miles south-west). Open spaces near Fordwich include West Blean and Thornden Woods.
Prices for chimney surveys in Fordwich
Prices vary from roof to roof, and it comes down to:
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Building height and the viewpoints available
For a price for your roof in Fordwich, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and tell us about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
What we need to know
A little information up front helps. Please include:
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- When you need the report by
- What made you get in touch
- The kind of building and roof involved
Getting a price is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email, let us know about the property and we’ll recommend the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
What you can safely check yourself
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level, and those are details a survey looks at closely.