Kent · London and the South East
Hicks Forstal Chimney Survey
Not sure what state the chimney stack is in? We carry out chimney surveys in Hicks Forstal and across Kent.
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Bricks with flaking faces
How a chimney survey works in Hicks Forstal
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. If you are worried about lifted or split lead flashings and worn or missing pointing, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on flaunching, chimney pots and cowls and shared and party-wall stacks alike.
Older buildings in small places like Hicks Forstal may be listed or in a conservation area. If yours is, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so the council is the place to check. A roof report helps you plan work with that in mind. Older materials like clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets. You’ll see the good as well as the bad.
- Location
- Hicks Forstal (CT3)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Landlords, agents and block managers in Hicks Forstal
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To discuss a number of properties, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.
Hicks Forstal: your questions answered
Will you come out to Hicks Forstal?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Sturry station?
Yes, letting agents and landlords book with us as well as owners. Just phone 07833 053749 or email us and let us know about the building.
What should I do with a chimney I don’t use?
It depends on its condition and your plans. The survey shows its condition and how it’s been capped. If you are thinking of removing it, check with the council first in a conservation area or on a listed building.
What do I do with the report?
The report arrives by email. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation, and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
What insurance do you have?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
My chimney looks like it is leaning. What should I do?
Don’t ignore it. Leaning often comes from mortar breaking down unevenly. We record its condition with photos, and a structural engineer can confirm whether it is stable.
How long will you be at the property?
It typically takes roughly 1–2 hours on an ordinary house; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. We will confirm the timing when booking.
What we do, step by step
There isn’t much for you to do on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we’ll take it from there. The survey itself takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Rural addresses near Hicks Forstal can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions are welcome. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Before the survey
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Keep pets in another room
How to book
When you are ready to go ahead, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Related advice
Checking the roof from the ground
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground.
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Share it with us as you book.
Chimney surveys around Hicks Forstal
The coast is about 3 miles or less from Hicks Forstal, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, and strong wind lifts anything already loose on a roof. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings. 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 the council is the place to ask.
Homes near green spaces such as Curtis Wood can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls. For site and facilities teams at buildings like Spires Academy, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. If you own a rental within reach of Sturry station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Hicks Forstal is about 2 miles south of Herne Bay, in Kent. In Hicks Forstal, as across Kent, every roof gets the same careful survey. We cover towns and villages across Kent.
We work across the CT3 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. We also cover the places around Hicks Forstal: Calcott (1 mile south-west), Herne Common (1 mile north), Knave's Ash (1 mile east), Herne (1 mile north) and Bullockstone (1 mile north-west). Larger places within reach include Canterbury (4 miles south-west), Margate (12 miles east), Dover (15 miles south-east), Ramsgate (12 miles east), Broadstairs (13 miles east) and Whitstable (4 miles west).
Around Hicks Forstal
Around Hicks Forstal, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Curtis Wood, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Sturry station, roughly 2.2 miles south of the centre. Well-known places in the area include St Martins Hospital (3.9 miles south) and Canterbury Castle (4.6 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include West Blean and Thornden Woods.
What a survey costs
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. That comes down to:
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
One thing that affects the price is the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, including VAT. The roof’s size, height and access matter as well.
Getting in touch
You don’t need to know any roofing terms. Just tell us:
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Anything about access we should know
We survey roofs on weekdays and at weekends. To find a date that works for you, ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Towns and villages near Hicks Forstal
More services for Hicks Forstal
What we look for on each type of roof
Lead flashings
Where the chimney meets the roof slopes, lead flashings keep water out. We check for lifting, splits and gaps in the joints.
Brick stacks
Many older stacks were built with lime mortar. Repairs should suit the original materials, which we mention where relevant.
Why it is worth a survey now in Hicks Forstal
For a buyer, the best time to learn about a chimney is before exchange. After that, any work is yours to arrange and pay for. Our report gives you facts to raise with the seller or agent. For an older or listed building in a place like Hicks Forstal, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so a defect found early gives time to plan the work properly.
Every price we give includes VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Our price is from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Why book us in Hicks Forstal
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- Clear package prices, inc. VAT
- Photos and a written report every time
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
Read what a roof survey costs or two real surveys.