Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Hawkenbury, Kent
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Hawkenbury. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
What we cannot see
Some things cannot be seen without opening up the roof, and that sets some limits:
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you before booking. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
About our chimney survey in Hawkenbury
Chimney stacks take more weather than almost any other part of a house. Over the years, the flaunching cracks, the pointing wears and flashings lift. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the loft space. A survey finds these problems and records them with photos. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, brick chimney stacks and lead flashings, and common reasons people get in touch are damp patches on chimney breasts and redundant stacks capped without ventilation.
In a smaller place like Hawkenbury, homes range from older cottages to bungalows and newer houses. Older roofs can have slate, clay tiles or other traditional coverings, while many later ones have concrete tiles. Chimneys, valleys and gutters on older homes often need the most attention, and the fixings under the coverings matter too. The fixings under an older roof frequently fail before good slates or tiles do.
The written findings come by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24–48 hours and Premium on the day.
- Place
- Hawkenbury (TN2, TN1)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Can I check my roof myself?
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and a fall can be serious. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
Nearby places to Hawkenbury
What else we do in Hawkenbury
How the survey changes by roof type
Chimney breasts and the loft
Inside, chimney breasts can show damp when water gets into the stack. We check them and at the stack in the loft where there’s safe access.
Brick stacks
Frost can damage bricks that have soaked up water, making the faces flake away. Any spalling is noted with photos.
Chimney surveys around Hawkenbury
About 3.9 miles west lies Groombridge Place, a reminder of how long the area around Hawkenbury has been built on. If your home is one of the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Older houses across Kent often have handmade clay or peg tiles, and many have tile-hung walls. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
Anyone responsible for a site like Claremont Primary School will know that long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. Living close to Dunorlan Park is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching.
Hawkenbury is about 1 mile south-east of Royal Tunbridge Wells, in Kent. Hawkenbury is one of many places we visit across Kent, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. Hawkenbury is one of the places in Kent where we work. Maidstone is in our area too.
All of TN2 and TN1 is within our area for chimney surveys. You’ll find streets like Forest Road, Nelson Road and Dorset Road, and we cover them all. If you’re just outside Hawkenbury, we cover Royal Tunbridge Wells (1 mile north-west), Broadwater Down (1 mile west), Bells Yew Green (2 miles south-east), High Brooms (2 miles north) and Rusthall (2 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Maidstone (15 miles north-east), Sevenoaks (12 miles north), Tonbridge (5 miles north), Kings Hill (12 miles north-east), Paddock Wood (6 miles north-east) and Park Wood (14 miles north-east).
Near you in Hawkenbury
Typical jobs here are in homes near Dunorlan Park, The Hawkenbury pub and The Skinners’ Kent Academy, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Tunbridge Wells station, roughly 0.8 miles north-west. Well-known places in the area include Tunbridge Wells Homeopathic Hospital (1 mile north-west) and The Amelia (1 mile north-west). Green spaces nearby include Broadwater Warren RSPB Reserve.
What we are asked to look at in Hawkenbury
Aerials and dishes are often fixed to stacks. Their weight and the wind on them can loosen bricks and pointing. We check fixings on the stack as part of the survey.
Common reasons to book include:
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
If you let a flat or house near Tunbridge Wells station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Before you book anyone
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Will the report include photos?
What happens on the day
The visit usually starts outside and finishes in the loft: outside views come first, then the roof space if there’s safe access. In total, it takes between one and two hours at most homes, and longer for a large or complex roof. Homes around Hawkenbury often have gardens on more than one side, which gives us room to step back and see the roof. Let us know if any side is fenced off or hard to reach. The loft, where there is safe access, completes the picture.
- You let us know how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can safely be seen.
- 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 is safe access.
- You get a report with photographs and our recommendations.
Before we arrive
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Book a survey
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can call 07833 053749 or send us an email to find out.
Related advice
Hawkenbury: your questions answered
Will you come out to Hawkenbury?
Yes, we do. We work right across London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Tunbridge Wells station?
Of course. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
My chimney looks like it is leaning. What should I do?
Do not ignore it. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down. We record its condition with photos, and a structural engineer can confirm whether it is stable.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drones cannot fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. We’ll rearrange with you if the weather isn’t right.
How long will you be at the property?
That depends on the size and shape of the roof, but most surveys take about 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. The report is sent afterwards by email.
How many surveys have you done?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys.
What should I do with a chimney I don’t use?
It depends on its condition and your plans. We record how the stack is doing and whether it’s capped with ventilation. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need consent.
What a survey costs
Not every roof costs the same to survey, for these reasons:
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
Prices start from £150, with VAT included, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both including VAT. We confirm the exact price before you book.
What to let us know when you get in touch
Getting the details right at the start saves time. It’s useful to include:
- What’s prompted the survey
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Dates you are working to, such as exchange
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You will know the price before anything is booked.