Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Hawkenbury, Kent
Chimney surveys around Hawkenbury, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Bricks with flaking faces
Different roofs, different checks
Lead flashings
Where the chimney meets the roof slopes, lead flashings keep water out. We check for lifting, splits and gaps in the joints.
Chimney pots and cowls
For unused flues, we check whether caps or cowls allow ventilation. Capping without ventilation can trap moisture.
How a chimney survey works in Hawkenbury
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. We also look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access. You get a report with photographs and our recommendations. It suits a single stack on a house as well as several on a larger building. Typical surveys look at pots or cowls that look unsafe and flaunching that has broken away, across flaunching, shared and party-wall stacks and brick chimney stacks.
Some older homes in villages like Hawkenbury are listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. 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 written findings come by email, ready to forward to whoever needs them. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Place
- Hawkenbury (TN12)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Before and after the survey
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. A few suggestions:
- Don’t use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
Where another specialist is needed, like a structural engineer or sweep, we explain why. That helps you brief them.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. It is far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Hawkenbury
Many older homes in Kent have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles held by pegs through two holes, and tile-hanging on their upper walls. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. There are about 500,000 buildings on England’s list of listed buildings, and around 10,000 conservation areas. If your 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, so check with the council.
If you own a rental within reach of Staplehurst station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
Hawkenbury is about 7 miles south of Maidstone, in Kent. In Hawkenbury, as across Kent, every roof gets the same careful survey. Our area takes in places right across Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. We also survey roofs in Maidstone.
Here we cover the TN12 postcode area for chimney surveys. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Farthing Green (1 mile north-east), Devil's Den (1 mile north), Staplehurst (1 mile south-west), Cross-at-Hand (2 miles north-west) and Sinkhurst Green (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Maidstone (7 miles north), Ashford (13 miles east), Sittingbourne (13 miles north-east), Royal Tunbridge Wells (14 miles west), Tonbridge (13 miles west) and Kings Hill (10 miles north-west).
Around Hawkenbury
The closest station to Hawkenbury is Staplehurst station, about 1.3 miles west of the centre. A little further out are Brattle Farm Museum (2.4 miles south-west) and Sutton Valence Castle (2.6 miles north).
Places near Hawkenbury
Also in Hawkenbury
Prices for chimney surveys in Hawkenbury
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- The roof’s overall size
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where it applies, which starts from £400, with VAT included. We can help you choose the package that fits what you’d like to know.
Helping us price your survey
There is no need for technical words. Just tell us:
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- The property’s address and postcode
- Whether there is a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or send us an email, and we will ask about the building and what you need. You will have a price before anything is arranged.
Signs you need a chimney survey in Hawkenbury
Flashings seal the gap where a stack passes through the roof. With age they can lift, split or come away from the joints. When flashings fail, water often shows up in the loft or on the chimney breast. Lead flashings can also be stolen.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Lifted or split lead flashings
In and around Hawkenbury, as anywhere, a roof is easiest to deal with when its problems are found early.
Questions to ask before you book
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- What happens after the report arrives
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
Hawkenbury questions
Do you cover smaller places like Hawkenbury?
Yes, Hawkenbury is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Is my home in Hawkenbury listed or in a conservation area?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It is worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
What do you check on a chimney?
Every part of the stack we can see from safe positions: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and 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 the ground, 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.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Let us know which days suit you when booking.
How experienced are you?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
How long does the survey take?
Time on site depends on the roof; most visits take about one to two hours at most homes, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. The written report follows by email.
What we do, step by step
On the day, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you’d like to know. After that, we look at everything we can see safely. Most surveys take between one and two hours at most homes, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. Cottages and farmhouses around Hawkenbury often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- 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.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Where there’s safe access, we look at the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
Before the survey
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
How to book
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, so phone 07833 053749 or email us with the details.
Advice
Leave it or get it looked at?
Chimneys are easy to forget because you rarely see the top of them. Defects tend to go unseen until there is a stain. A survey gives you a clear picture before that happens. Older and listed buildings around Hawkenbury may need consent and matching materials for repairs, so leaving a defect until it is urgent leaves less time to plan.
One thing that affects the price is the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, inc. VAT. The roof’s size, height and access matter as well.
What you get with us
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- Surveys seven days a week
- Packages from £150, inc. VAT
Read how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.