Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Hemsted, Kent
Need a chimney survey in Hemsted? We can help, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
Chimney survey in Hemsted
Chimney stacks take more weather than almost any other part of a house. In time, flaunching cracks, mortar washes out and flashings come loose. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the roof space. A survey finds these problems and records them with photographs. Typical surveys look at signs that a stack is leaning and gaps in the mortar around the pots, across flaunching, chimney pots and cowls and lead flashings.
Older buildings in small places like Hemsted may be 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. Older materials such as clay tiles, slate and stone are frequently matched when work is done.
What you get is a clear record of the chimney stack on the day we saw it. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, for example when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Where
- Hemsted (CT18)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Different roofs, different checks
Rendered stacks
A rendered stack can mask problems in the bricks below. We look for cracks, hollow areas and staining.
Flaunching
Cracked flaunching is one of the most common chimney defects we record. Caught early, it is frequently a small job.
Towns and villages near Hemsted
Also in Hemsted
Why act early in Hemsted
Loose pots and bricks on a stack are a safety concern. Finding them early means they can be dealt with before they come down by a roofer. Around Hemsted, older homes often have old roof timbers, where water from a failed roof can cause rot if it’s left.
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before you book.
What you get with us
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
Take a look at what a roof survey costs or our case studies.
For landlords and managing agents
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, putting the urgent items at the top.
We survey roofs for landlords and agents as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photographs, useful for planning maintenance.
The survey, step by step
You don’t need to do much on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we will get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes between one and two hours for most houses, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. Older rural homes like those around Hemsted can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can be seen safely.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
How to prepare
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Find any records of previous roof work
How to book
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to call 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
Advice
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
When we price a survey, we consider:
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Basic, Standard or Premium
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, how it can safely be seen and the package you choose.
What we need to know
The more you let us know, the easier it is to price the survey. When you get in touch, it helps to mention:
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply call 07833 053749 or drop us an email whenever suits you.
FAQs for Hemsted
Can a landlord with a rental near Westenhanger station book a roof survey?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you need, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Is the coastal weather around Hemsted hard on roofs?
It can do. Within about 5 miles of the sea, as Hemsted is, metal fixings wear faster and gales find any loose ridge or slate.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We are experienced roof surveyors, and our survey covers the roof rather than the whole building. For the rest of the building, a RICS home survey is a separate job.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it is applicable and safe, yes. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. It’s included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where it applies, the Premium Survey.
Is Hemsted in your area?
Yes, we do. Hemsted is part of the area we cover.
Do you inspect the flue?
No. We survey the stack and its weathering, not the flue. The flue should be checked by a sweep, or by a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances.
Do you need a chimney survey in Hemsted?
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 is also a target for theft.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Worn or missing pointing
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of St Mary, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Questions to ask before you book
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- How soon the report will arrive
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
Local roofs in Hemsted
Hemsted is within about 5 miles of the coast, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, while gales work at loose ridges, slates and tiles. 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. You will also find oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses among the county’s older buildings. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
If you look after a building like Stowting Church of England Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. With Westenhanger Castle about 3.1 miles south, the area around Hemsted has a long history. Older homes in the area may have roofs that need matching materials when work is done.
Hemsted is about 5 miles north of Hythe, in Kent. Whether the building in Hemsted is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, the roof can be surveyed. Hemsted is one of the towns and villages in Kent we cover. Our Canterbury page covers surveys nearby.
We survey roofs across the CT18 postcode area for chimney surveys. If you’re just outside Hemsted, we cover Woodland (1 mile south-east), Skeete (1 mile south), Stowting (1 mile west), Rhodes Minnis (1 mile north-east) and Stowting Common (1 mile north-west). Larger places within reach include Ashford (8 miles west), Canterbury (10 miles north), Dover (11 miles east), Folkestone (6 miles south-east), Whitstable (15 miles north) and Faversham (14 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Hemsted
Hemsted’s nearest station is Westenhanger station, roughly 2.9 miles south of the centre. A little further out are Saltwood Castle (4 miles south) and Elham Valley Countryside Centre And Railway Museum (3.7 miles south-east). For a walk, there’s Hatch Park and Tolsford Hill.