Kent · London and the South East
Greatstone-on-Sea Chimney Survey
Wondering about the chimney stack at a property in Greatstone-on-Sea? You can book a chimney survey in Greatstone-on-Sea and across Kent, with plain-English findings.
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
Can I check my roof myself?
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Do not go up yourself.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
About our chimney survey in Greatstone-on-Sea
Our chimney survey covers the stack and the details that keep water out around it: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and the flashings at the roof line. Inside, we check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft where it is safe to reach. You get a written report with photographs and our recommendations. We survey single stacks on houses and groups of stacks on bigger buildings. If you’ve noticed damaged chimney pots and cowls and frost-damaged brickwork on the stack, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Older buildings in small places like Greatstone-on-Sea may be listed or in a conservation area. If yours is, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so the council is the place to check. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is frequently expected.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets, each with a short note and a photo. You will see the good as well as the bad.
- Place
- Greatstone-on-Sea (TN28)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens if roof problems are left?
A leaning stack should be looked at sooner rather than later. Our survey records it and says when a structural engineer should look at it, so you know where you stand. Outbuildings and barns around Greatstone-on-Sea are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. A quick look before winter can save a lot.
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so the price reflects that. The price is confirmed before booking.
What you get with us
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
- Photographs and a written report every time
- 98% customer satisfaction
- PI and public liability insurance
Read what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
How we price chimney surveys
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and the package you choose.
Booking your survey
What helps most when you contact us:
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Dates you are working to, like exchange
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Local roofs in Greatstone-on-Sea
Greatstone-on-Sea is within about 1 mile of the coast, so there is more wind and more salt in the air than further 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. If your home is older, it’s worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before planning roof work. Listed building consent covers changes to a listed building’s special interest, and an Article 4 direction can bring extra controls in a conservation area.
Take a building like Greatstone Primary School: a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time. Trees in and around Romney Warren Country Park shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters. If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near St Peter's, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Greatstone-on-Sea is about 9 miles south-west of Hythe, in Kent. Whether the building in Greatstone-on-Sea is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, the roof can be surveyed on a weekday or at the weekend. Greatstone-on-Sea is one of the towns and villages in Kent where we work. For surveys nearby, see our Canterbury page.
Chimney surveys in TN28 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Whether your property is on Alfred Road, Meehan Road South and Hardy Road or anywhere close by, we can survey it. We also cover the places around Greatstone-on-Sea: Littlestone-on-Sea (1 mile north), New Romney (1 mile north-west), Lydd-on-Sea (2 miles south), Lydd (3 miles south-west) and St Mary's Bay (3 miles north). Further out, we also cover Ashford (12 miles north), Folkestone (12 miles north-east), Hythe (9 miles north-east), Hawkinge (13 miles north-east), Tenterden (14 miles north-west) and Cheriton (11 miles north-east).
Landmarks near Greatstone-on-Sea
Typical jobs here are in homes near Romney Warren Country Park, The Marsh Academy and The Jolly Fisherman pub, among other places. Well-known places in the area include Romney 'castle' (3.2 miles north-west) and Lydd Town Museum (2.8 miles south-west). For a walk, there’s Dungeness National and Burnthouse Pen.
Roof by roof
Chimney breasts and the loft
If a chimney breast has been removed below, we note what we can see of the support above. Confirming the support is a job for a structural engineer.
Flaunching
The sloping mortar around the pots is called flaunching. Once it cracks, water can get straight into the brickwork.
Tips that help
You do not need to be a roofer to help. What helps most:
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
Many people use the report to get quotes for the work. With the same list in front of each contractor, comparing quotes is simpler.
Look at your chimneys from the ground now and then, especially after strong winds. With binoculars, you can often see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
What happens on the day
The aim of the visit is simple: to see as much of the chimney stack as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Notes and photographs go into the written report. The visit normally takes about 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. In a hamlet or village like Greatstone-on-Sea, a postcode does not always lead to the right gate, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- 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.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Where there’s safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- You get a written report with photos and our recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
How to book
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from ground level or a window, and please do not climb up for a closer look. To send them or to book, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Related advice
Questions from Greatstone-on-Sea
Is the coastal weather around Greatstone-on-Sea hard on roofs?
Yes, coastal weather is harder on roofs: there’s more wind, and more salt in the air. Ridges, verges, flashings and fixings are where it normally shows, and Greatstone-on-Sea is within about 1 mile of the coast.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Greatstone-on-Sea?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it’s in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
Don’t ignore it. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down. We record its condition with photographs, and a structural engineer can confirm whether it’s stable.
Does the report include photos?
Yes, every report has them. Pictures sit next to the findings they show, so you can see what we mean.
Are you structural engineers?
No. Our survey is not a structural engineer’s report. We’ll recommend an engineer if we see signs that call for one.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it’s applicable and safe, yes. We fly a sub-250g drone and we are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where it applies.