Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Grove, Kent
Get a clear view of the chimney stack at a property in Grove from an independent roof surveyor. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- A stack that appears to lean
How it works
The visit has one job: to look at the chimney stack as closely as is safe and record what we find. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. The visit typically takes about 1–2 hours at a typical home, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Rural addresses near Grove can be hard to find from a postcode alone, 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.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- The stacks are looked at from ground level, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- Every part we can see is checked: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we are coming
Arrange a survey
You can call us seven days a week. For a price or to book, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Advice
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Grove
Each stack is looked at from the safest viewpoints available: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the loft space where it’s safe. With our Premium Survey, a drone inspection is included where it applies. If we can’t see part of the stack, the report makes that clear. Each defect is recorded with a photo and a plain description. If you’ve noticed frost-damaged brickwork on the stack and pots or cowls that look unsafe, we can find out what’s behind it, on chimney pots and cowls, chimney breasts and lead flashings alike.
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 often the first to give way.
Report times depend on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Location
- Grove (CT3)
- Region
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Local roofs in Grove
The coast is about 5 miles or less from Grove, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, while gales work at loose ridges, slates and tiles, while driving rain finds any gap. Handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles hung on pegs through two holes, are typical of older Kent buildings. Kent’s older buildings take in oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses as well. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
Living close to Grove Ferry Picnic Area is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls. Historic houses such as Goodnestone Park, about 4.7 miles south, show how far back building around Grove goes. If yours is one of the older homes, the roof may have been repaired many times, and the survey records how each part is holding up.
Grove is about 5 miles south-east of Herne Bay, in Kent. We carry out chimney surveys for homeowners, landlords and businesses in Grove and nearby. Our area takes in places right across Kent, large and small. Canterbury is in our area too.
Every address in CT3 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. If you are just outside Grove, we cover Preston (1 mile south-east), Upstreet (1 mile north), West Stourmouth (1 mile north-east), East Stourmouth (2 miles east) and Sarre (2 miles north-east). Further out, we also cover Canterbury (6 miles west), Margate (9 miles north-east), Dover (13 miles south), Ramsgate (9 miles east), Broadstairs (10 miles east) and Whitstable (8 miles west).
Near you in Grove
Around Grove, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Grove Ferry Inn and Grove Ferry Picnic Area. Grove’s nearest station is Sturry station, about 3.8 miles west. Nearby you will also find St Martins Hospital (4.9 miles south-west).
More services for Grove
Common roof problems in Grove
Many chimneys are no longer used. A stack sealed without ventilation can trap damp. That can lead to damp patches on chimney breasts, even with the roof in good order.
We are often asked to look at:
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Bricks with flaking faces
If you live in an older home near Church of St Mildred, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
Common questions in Grove
Is Grove within the area you cover?
Yes, Grove is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
Is my home in Grove listed or in a conservation area?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is in a conservation area. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
What happens next?
You receive the written report by email, with photos and recommendations. It’s yours to share with a seller, insurer, roofer or managing agent, whichever applies.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys, across 20+ years of surveying roofs.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing aren’t part of what we do. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
Which parts of the chimney do you look at?
The whole stack, as far as it can be seen safely: from the pots and flaunching down to the flashings. Leaning, unused stacks and damp on chimney breasts are recorded too.
Do you need to go on the roof to check the chimney?
We inspect from wherever is safe: from ground level, windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there’s access. Our Premium Survey includes a drone inspection where it applies. If part of a stack can’t be seen, the report says so.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Grove
Letting agents frequently book on a landlord’s behalf. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
Where a roof is shared: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Tell us about it when you book and we’ll plan the visit with that in mind.
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
Flashings can lift in wind or pull out of their mortar joints. We photograph any we find that look loose or damaged.
What affects the price in Grove
Survey packages start from £150, inc. VAT. The price for your roof depends on:
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- How big the roof is
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how safely it can be seen. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT.
What to let us know when you get in touch
The more you tell us, the easier it is to price the survey. When you contact us, let us know:
- The address and postcode of the property
- When you need the report by
- What made you get in touch
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
We confirm the price for your roof before you book, so you know the cost up front. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Before and after the survey
Nothing here needs a ladder. A few suggestions:
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Make sure unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
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.
Keep an eye on chimney breasts for new damp patches. The sooner damp is spotted, the easier the cause is to find.