Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Highstead, Kent
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching across Highstead, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
Chimney survey in Highstead
Many homes have chimneys that are no longer used. Even when it isn’t used, a stack has to stay weathertight. Capping a stack without ventilation can trap moisture and lead to damp inside. Our survey looks at how each unused stack has been capped and checks the breasts for damp. The report sets out what we found and what we recommend. We’re often asked to look into damp on a chimney breast inside and disused chimneys trapping moisture, on brick chimney stacks, flaunching and chimney breasts.
In a small place like Highstead, many roofs stand in the open, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are often the first to give way.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Place
- Highstead (CT3, CT6)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey works
It is useful to start with what’s prompted the survey: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. It helps us focus on what matters most to you. The visit typically takes roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Somewhere like Highstead needs a little journey planning: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Preparing for the visit
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
Arrange a survey
Once you know what you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.
Related advice
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. The main factors are:
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- The roof’s overall size
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
Prices start from £150, including VAT, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both with VAT included. You’ll know the exact price before booking.
What we need to know
If you can, have these to hand when you contact us:
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
If you are buying, it is useful to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form when you’re ready.
FAQs for Highstead
Is the coastal weather around Highstead hard on roofs?
Near the coast, roofs face more wind and more salt than further inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, while strong wind lifts anything already loose.
Is Highstead within the area you cover?
Yes, we do. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
How long will you be at the property?
It usually takes between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. The written report follows by email, on the timescale of your package.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it is applicable. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so we need permission from whoever owns or manages the building. We can only inspect what we are given access to.
Do you inspect shared chimneys?
Yes. We check the parts we can see safely and the parts you can give us access to. Where a problem appears to be on next door’s side, we note it, so you can discuss it with them.
Which parts of the chimney do you look at?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. You get a written report with photos.
Tips that help
Getting the most from a chimney survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Tips:
- Check unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Make sure fixings on the stack are secure
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
If the report recommends a structural engineer, a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer, it will say why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
What we look for on each type of roof
Lead flashings
Some older stacks have mortar fillets instead of lead. They tend to crack, so we check them closely.
Chimney pots and cowls
A loose or cracked pot can fall from height. We photograph each pot and note any damage.
For landlords and managing agents
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work.
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf. Access is agreed with the tenant in advance.
What you can safely check yourself
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and a fall can be serious. That’s where a survey comes in.
Highstead homes and their roofs
The coast is about 2 miles or less from Highstead, 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. Listing and conservation areas can both shape what roof work is allowed on an older home. The council is the place to check, along with Historic England’s list, ideally before any re-roofing is planned.
If you own a rental within reach of Herne Bay station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let. Trees in and around Bishopstone Cliffs shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall. If you look after a building such as Reculver Church of England Primary School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Highstead is about 2 miles south-east of Herne Bay, in Kent. We survey roofs in Highstead and the surrounding area as part of our work across London and the South East. Our Kent coverage includes Highstead. There is also a page for Canterbury.
Surveys in CT3 and CT6 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Hawthorn (1 mile north), Boyden Gate (1 mile south-east), Millbank (1 mile south-west), Old Tree (1 mile south) and Hillborough (1 mile north). Further out, we also cover Canterbury (7 miles south-west), Margate (9 miles east), Ramsgate (10 miles east), Broadstairs (11 miles east), Whitstable (6 miles west) and Deal (13 miles south-east).
What’s near Highstead
Around Highstead, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Bishopstone Cliffs and Hog & Donkey pub, among other places. Highstead’s nearest station is Herne Bay station, about 2.7 miles west. A little further out are Whitstable and Tankerton Hospital (5.6 miles west). For a walk, there is West Blean and Thornden Woods.