Kent · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Hollow Street
A careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Hollow Street, with photographs and a written report.
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Flaunching that has broken away
How we price chimney surveys
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- How big the roof is
- Basic, Standard or Premium
There are three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, all with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
What we need to know
Here’s what helps us most when you contact us:
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- The kind of building and roof involved
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
How a chimney survey works in Hollow Street
A chimney survey is about the outside of the stack and the roof around it. It isn’t a flue inspection, a sweep or a gas safety check. For the flue itself, you’ll need a sweep or, for gas appliances, a Gas Safe registered engineer. If something we see points to the flue, we will say so. Typical surveys look at unused flues sealed without airflow and staining on walls around the chimney, on shared and party-wall stacks, chimney pots and cowls and chimney breasts.
In a village or hamlet like Hollow Street, older cottages and farmhouses frequently sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, frequently 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.
It isn’t only a list of defects. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend, so you can plan your next steps.
- Place
- Hollow Street (CT3)
- Region
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
How it works
Where it is relevant and can be reached safely, the loft space is checked as well as the outside. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement, as far as the space allows. The whole visit usually takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Older roofs in small places like Hollow Street can have low, tight loft spaces, so it’s useful 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.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Before the survey
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
Arrange a survey
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You will know the price before anything is booked.
Read more
Local roofs in Hollow Street
The coast is about 4 miles or less from Hollow Street, 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, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. Older houses across Kent frequently have handmade clay or peg tiles, and many have tile-hung walls. Oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of the county’s older buildings too. Whatever the covering, it is often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
If your house is among the older ones in the streets near Church of St Mary the Virgin, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs. If you look after a building such as Chislet Church of England Primary School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Hollow Street is about 3 miles south-east of Herne Bay, in Kent. We survey roofs in Hollow Street and the rest of Kent. We cover towns and villages across Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. There is also a page for Canterbury.
Surveys in CT3 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Close by, we survey roofs in Chislet (1 mile north-east), Chitty (1 mile north-east), Old Tree (1 mile north-west), Boyden Gate (1 mile north) and Hoath (1 mile west). Further out, we also cover Canterbury (6 miles south-west), Margate (9 miles east), Dover (14 miles south), Ramsgate (10 miles east), Broadstairs (11 miles east) and Whitstable (7 miles west).
What’s near Hollow Street
Typical jobs here are in homes near Grove Ferry Picnic Area and Spires Academy. The closest station to Hollow Street is Sturry station, about 3.6 miles south-west of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find St Martins Hospital (5.1 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include West Blean and Thornden Woods.
Hollow Street questions
Will you come out to Hollow Street?
Yes, Hollow Street is covered. We survey roofs across London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Hollow Street?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
Have it checked rather than leaving it. Leaning often comes from mortar breaking down unevenly. The survey records what we can see, and a structural engineer can assess whether it needs work.
Will you go up on the roof?
Not unless it is safe. Safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where applicable cover most of what’s needed.
What will the report tell me?
It works through the roof part by part, in writing and with photos, finishing with recommendations. Points are put by urgency where it matters.
How do I book a survey in Hollow Street?
Simply ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. We’ll ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date.
How experienced are you?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, across 20+ years of surveying roofs, with 98% customer satisfaction.
Signs you need a chimney survey in Hollow Street
Flaunching is the mortar bed that holds the pots and throws water off the top. Once it cracks, water gets in and frost makes the cracks bigger. Loose pots can follow.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
If you own a rental within reach of Sturry station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- What they will not be able to tell you
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
Landlord and commercial surveys in Hollow Street
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work around your tenants.
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf, and the report can go to both. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
Also in Hollow Street
Why it is worth a survey now in Hollow Street
Most people never get a proper look at their chimney stacks. Problems frequently go unnoticed until damp appears inside. A survey gives you a clear picture before that happens. Older cottages and farmhouses around Hollow Street can have roof timbers that have been there a very long time, where water from a failed roof can cause rot if it is left.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
What you get with us
- Surveys seven days a week
- Photographs and a written report every time
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Packages from £150, with VAT included
See our cost guide or two real surveys.
Roof by roof
Brick stacks
Many older stacks were built with lime mortar. We note where repairs should match the original mortar.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Where a breast has been taken out, we check what supports the stack. A structural engineer should confirm whether it is adequate.