Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Ham, Kent
Chimney surveys in Ham and the rest of Kent. We survey seven days a week.
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- A chimney out of line
What happens if roof problems are left?
Most people never get a close look at their chimney stacks. Defects tend to go unseen until there’s a stain. Surveying the stack now can catch problems first. Matching old materials, such as handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where applicable, from £400 inc. VAT. We’ll tell you which package suits the questions you have.
What you get with us
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- A report with photos
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and what we found on two real jobs.
How a chimney survey works in Ham
Many terraced and semi-detached homes share their chimney stacks with a neighbour. We inspect the parts we can see safely and the parts the owner gives us access to. If a defect appears to be on the neighbour’s side, we note it, so you can talk to them. You get a written report with photos and our recommendations. If you’ve noticed a chimney out of line and flashings pulling away from the stack, we can find out what’s behind it, on lead flashings, shared and party-wall stacks and chimney pots and cowls alike.
In a small place like Ham, many roofs stand in the open, 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 frequently the first to give way.
The report doesn’t just list problems. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, so you can plan your next steps.
- Where
- Ham (CT14)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens on the day
You do not need to do much on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, like stains, drips or loose pieces, and we will get on with the inspection. The survey itself takes roughly 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Rural addresses near Ham can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions are welcome. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Preparing for the visit
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Booking a survey
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, and you can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form to find out.
Advice
What we look for on each type of roof
Lead flashings
Lead flashings seal the joint between the stack and the roof. We check for lifting, splits and gaps in the joints.
Chimney pots and cowls
Pots sit in the flaunching on top of the stack, and cowls or caps sit on the pots. The survey looks for cracked, loose or missing pots and cowls.
Your questions about chimney surveys in Ham
Is my home in Ham listed or in a conservation area?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Ham?
Often, yes. Ham is within about 4 miles of the sea, and coastal roofs tend to see faster wear on metal parts and more wind lifting loose pieces.
Will you go up on the roof?
Only if it’s safe. We look at everything that can safely be seen: from ground level, from windows, from inside the roof space, from the roof where it is safe and by drone where it applies. Anything we cannot see is noted in the report.
Will I get photos?
Yes. Photos are part of every report.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling are not something we do. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it’s disturbed.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, if whoever owns or manages the building agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we are allowed to reach.
Is it a problem to have an unused chimney?
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 is capped, so you can plan what to do with it.
Do you need a chimney survey in Ham?
Flaunching is the mortar bed that holds the pots and throws water off the top. Cracked flaunching lets water in, and each winter makes it worse. Loose pots can follow.
Look out for signs like these:
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
Take a building like Worth Primary School: long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
What to check before booking
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- What happens after the report arrives
How we price chimney surveys
Survey packages start from £150, with VAT included. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
Prices start from £150, with VAT included, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both with VAT included. We confirm the price for your survey before booking.
Helping us price your survey
Here’s what helps us most when you get in touch:
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- Anything about access we should know
- The property’s address and postcode
- What’s prompted the survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine. To get started, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
What we cannot see
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so there are some things a survey can’t cover:
- Parts of the stack that cannot be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we can’t access
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will tell you before booking. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
What else we do in Ham
Local roofs in Ham
Ham lies within about 4 miles of the sea, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Near the sea, metal fixings wear faster and loose pieces on a roof are more likely to lift, while driving rain finds any gap. Historic houses like Walmer Castle, about 4.4 miles south-east, show how far back building in the area around Ham goes. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as 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.
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of St George, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs. If you live near a park such as Ham Fen, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Ham is about 3 miles north-west of Deal, in Kent. In Ham, as across Kent, every roof gets the same careful survey. Across Kent, we cover Ham. We also survey roofs in Canterbury.
All of CT14 is covered for chimney surveys. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Statenborough (1 mile north-west), Felderland (1 mile north), Worth (1 mile north-east), Marley (1 mile south-east) and Finglesham (1 mile south-east). We also work in nearby towns like Canterbury (11 miles west), Margate (10 miles north), Dover (8 miles south), Folkestone (13 miles south-west), Ramsgate (7 miles north-east) and Broadstairs (9 miles north-east).
Near you in Ham
Around Ham, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Ham Fen, Sandwich Technology School and The Blue Pigeons pub and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Sandwich station, roughly 1.7 miles north. Well-known places in the area include Sandown Castle (3.1 miles east) and The Precinct Toy Collection (2.1 miles north). Open spaces near Ham include Monk's Wall nature reserve.