Medway · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Higham, Medway
Find out what’s going on with the chimney stack before you spend money on it. We carry out chimney surveys in Higham, with photographs and a clear written report.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Staining on walls around the chimney
Higham homes and their roofs
Higham lies within about 4 miles of the sea, so there is more wind and more salt in the air than further inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, and strong wind lifts anything already loose on a roof, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. Handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles hung on pegs through two holes, are typical of older Kent buildings. Oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of the county’s older buildings too. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
Trees in and around Rede Common shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching. If you look after a building such as Higham Primary School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Higham is about 2 miles north-west of Rochester, in Medway. Surveys in Higham work the same way as everywhere we cover: a careful inspection, photographs and a written report. Our area takes in places right across Medway, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Maidstone.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: ME3 and DA12. Whether your property is on Villa Road, Darby Gardens and Ash Crescent or a nearby road, we can help. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Gadshill (1 mile south), Lower Higham (1 mile north), Shorne (1 mile west), Shorne Ridgeway (1 mile south-west) and Mockbeggar (2 miles east). Within a short drive, we also cover Gillingham (6 miles south-east), Chatham (5 miles south-east), Rainham (8 miles south-east), Luton (5 miles south-east), Park Wood (8 miles south-east) and Lordswood (7 miles south-east).
Near you in Higham
In Higham, that means homes and buildings near Rede Common, Sir John Falstaff Public House and Strood Academy and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Higham station, about 0.9 miles north-east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Rochester Castle (2.6 miles south-east) and French Hospital (2.8 miles south-east). Not far away are Gad's Hill and Rede Common.
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Higham
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. It might come in at the top, through worn pointing or porous bricks, or where the flashings meet the roof. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. We check each possibility and record what we find. You then know where to start. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, chimney pots and cowls and lead flashings, and common reasons people get in touch are gaps in the mortar around the pots and disused chimneys trapping moisture.
Somewhere as small as Higham, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, often with chimneys that have stood a long time. 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 frequently need the most attention.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Location
- Higham (ME3, DA12)
- Wider area
- Medway
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What else we do in Higham
Different roofs, different checks
Brick stacks
Older brick stacks often have soft lime mortar. Repairs should suit the original materials, which we mention where relevant.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Damp patches on chimney breasts often point to a problem above. We check the breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach.
Useful tips for Higham property owners
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. Because everyone is pricing the same findings, the quotes are easier to compare.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
The survey, step by step
We look at the roof from outside and, where it is relevant and there is safe access, from inside the roof space too. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement, as far as the space allows. The whole visit normally takes roughly 1–2 hours for a house, or half a day or so for a commercial building. Around Higham, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so it helps to know whether there is a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- 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.
Preparing for the visit
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
Arrange a survey
To get a price for chimney surveys in Higham, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. The address, the type of property and what you want to find out help us price the survey accurately.
Read more
What you can safely check yourself
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Common roof problems in Higham
TV aerials, satellite dishes and their brackets are often fixed to chimneys. Their weight and the wind on them can loosen bricks and pointing. We check fixings on the stack as part of the survey.
People usually book a survey after spotting something like this:
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- A chimney out of line
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Staining on walls around the chimney
For an older house near a landmark like Church of St John, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Questions to ask before you book
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- What happens after the report arrives
Surveys for landlords and agents in Higham
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords, from shops and offices to industrial units. Larger roofs take longer, and they’re priced for the size.
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait.
Questions from Higham
Do you cover smaller places like Higham?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Our area covers London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there as you book.
I let a flat near Higham station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, landlords and letting agents book with us as well as owners. You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and a few details.
Is it a problem to have an unused chimney?
An unused stack still needs to stay weathertight and ventilated. If it is capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside. We check how it is capped and its condition, so you can plan what to do with it.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, once access has been agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so whoever owns or manages the building needs to agree access. We can only inspect what we’re given access to.
Do you need to get into the loft?
If there’s a loft and safe access to it, yes. From inside, the underside of the roof often shows damp, staining or daylight that cannot be seen from outside.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Only when it’s safe. Safety comes first, and fragile or steep roofs can’t always be walked on. We use safe viewpoints, the loft space and a drone where applicable, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
Does the report include photos?
Yes. Photos are part of every report, so you can see exactly what each finding refers to.