Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Hartley, Kent
An experienced roof surveyor for chimney surveys in Hartley. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- A stack that appears to lean
How a chimney survey works in Hartley
Our survey covers the structure of the stack and its weathering details. It is 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. If something we see points to the flue, we will say so. If you’ve noticed gaps where the stack meets the roof and worn or missing pointing, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on shared and party-wall stacks, chimney breasts and flaunching alike.
In a village or hamlet like Hartley, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
You receive the findings by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Place
- Hartley (TN17)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we look for on each type of roof
Lead flashings
Over time, lead can lift or come away from the brickwork. Any loose or split flashings are recorded.
Chimney pots and cowls
A loose or cracked pot can fall from height. We record their condition with photographs.
What a chimney survey looks like in Hartley
Historic houses such as Scotney Castle, about 4.4 miles west, show how far back building in the area around Hartley goes. If your house is among the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. Handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles hung on pegs through two holes, are typical of older Kent buildings. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as High Weald Academy, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time. Trees in and around Crane Valley shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters.
Hartley is about 8 miles south-east of Paddock Wood, in Kent. We provide chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Hartley and nearby. Across Kent, we cover Hartley and the places around it. Our Maidstone page covers surveys nearby.
We cover every part of TN17 for chimney surveys. Local streets include Hartley Road, Campion Crescent and Hartley Court Gardens, all of which we cover. We also cover Swattenden (1 mile east), Cranbrook (1 mile north-east), Baker's Cross (2 miles north-east), Gill's Green (2 miles south) and Beal's Green (2 miles south). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (13 miles north), Royal Tunbridge Wells (11 miles west), Tonbridge (13 miles north-west), Kings Hill (14 miles north), Foley Park (14 miles north) and Paddock Wood (8 miles north-west).
What’s near Hartley
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Crane Valley. Well-known places in the area include Benenden Hospital (4.7 miles east) and Sissinghurst Castle (3.8 miles north-east).
What a chimney survey doesn’t cover
Before you book, it is worth knowing what a survey won’t do:
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Hidden damage within the stack
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll suggest the right survey. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
Prices for chimney surveys in Hartley
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- How big the roof is
- Which survey package you book
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
All our prices include VAT. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. You will know the price for your survey before you book.
What we need to know
When you call or email, these details help:
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email when you are ready.
Questions from Hartley
How do I find out if my home in Hartley is listed?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do you carry out roof surveys in Hartley?
Yes. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and Hartley is part of that. You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and a few details.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. If you need a full building survey, you will need a RICS survey as well.
Does the report include photographs?
Yes, plenty. Each finding is shown in a picture where possible, which makes the report easy to follow.
What does the report include?
A written report with photographs, explaining the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our recommendations, with the most urgent first where relevant. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check, and the Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies and structural analysis.
Does someone need to be in?
Not necessarily. If we only need the outside, we can agree that ahead of time, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We note visible signs like sagging or deflection, but we do not carry out calculations or give an engineer’s opinion. If we think you need an engineer, the report says so.
Also in Hartley
Tips from our surveys
You don’t need to be a roofer to help. What helps most:
- Check fixings on the stack are secure
- Check your stacks from ground level after strong winds
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
You get the report by email and can pass it to whoever does the work. Each defect is described in plain words and shown in a photo, so it’s easy to follow.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. The sooner damp is spotted, the easier the cause is to find.
The survey, step by step
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you want to find out. After that, we check everything we can see safely, from ground level, from windows, in the roof space and by drone where applicable. Most surveys take between one and two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Cottages and farmhouses around Hartley often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the roof space.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Before the survey
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- Find any records of previous roof work
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
How to book
You can call us seven days a week. For a price or to book, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Read more
DIY checks: what’s safe
A lot can be seen from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That is where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.