Kent · London and the South East
Hoo Chimney Survey
A careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Hoo, and put it all in a written report with photos.
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Hoo
A chimney survey looks at the stack and everything around it: the pots and cowls, the flaunching on top, the pointing, the brickwork and the flashings where it meets the roof. Inside, we check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft where it’s safe to reach. The findings come in a written report with photos and recommendations. We survey single stacks on houses and groups of stacks on bigger buildings. Common reasons to book are loose, cracked or missing pots and eroded joints in the brickwork, on chimney breasts, brick chimney stacks and flaunching.
Older buildings in small places like Hoo 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 such as clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
You receive the findings by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24–48 hours and Premium on the day.
- Location
- Hoo (CT12)
- Region
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Chimney surveys in Hoo: local notes
The coast is about 4 miles or less from Hoo, 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, while driving rain finds any gap. Across Kent, older roofs are often handmade clay or peg tiles, and tile-hanging on upper walls is a familiar sight. 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.
For landlords with property near Minster station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints. Quex Park, about 2.4 miles north-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Hoo. If you own one of the older houses, the roof may have been repaired many times, and the survey records how each part is holding up.
Hoo is about 5 miles south-west of Margate, in Kent. Hoo is one of many places we visit across Kent, for homes and businesses alike. We cover towns and villages across Kent. For surveys nearby, see our Canterbury page.
Every address in CT12 is covered for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We offer chimney surveys to properties on Monkton Road, Hoo Farm Way and Sheriffs Court Lane and the roads around them. If you are just outside Hoo, we cover Monkton (1 mile west), St Nicholas at Wade (2 miles north-west), Westmarsh (2 miles south-west), East Stourmouth (2 miles south-west) and Sarre (2 miles west). We also work in nearby towns like Canterbury (10 miles south-west), Margate (5 miles north-east), Dover (14 miles south), Ramsgate (5 miles east), Broadstairs (6 miles east) and Whitstable (11 miles west).
Local landmarks in Hoo
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Bell Inn and the streets around them. Hoo’s nearest station is Minster station, roughly 1.1 miles south-east. Nearby you will also find Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital (5 miles north-east) and Powell-Cotton Museum (2.2 miles north). The countryside around Hoo includes Sandwich and Pegwell Bay.
Tips that help
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Some tips:
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Photograph damp patches with the date
Many people use the report to get quotes for the work. With the same list in front of each contractor, comparing quotes is simpler.
Make sure fixings on the stack are sound, and moved if they’re working it loose. Less load on the stack means less strain in wind.
Hoo: your questions answered
Is the coastal weather around Hoo hard on roofs?
Generally, yes: wind and salt air take more of a toll near the sea. Exposed details such as ridges, verges, flashings and metal fixings are the ones to watch, and Hoo is within about 4 miles of the coast.
Will you come out to Hoo?
Yes, Hoo is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We check the roof, not the whole building, and it isn’t a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It can sit alongside a RICS survey if you want both.
Will you check the chimney is safe to use with a fire?
No. We survey the stack and its weathering, not the flue. For the flue, you’ll need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
How many surveys have you done?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have completed over 5,000 surveys.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling aren’t something we do. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it is disturbed.
Does the report include photos?
Yes. Photos are taken throughout the survey, and the report uses them to show each finding alongside our recommendations.
What happens if roof problems are left?
Before deciding what to do with a redundant stack, a survey shows how it is doing. Changes to stacks in conservation areas or on listed buildings may need consent and the council can advise. Older cottages and farmhouses around Hoo can have roof timbers that have been there a very long time, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it is left.
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) come with the Premium Survey, which starts from £400, inc. VAT. We can help you choose the package that fits what you want to find out.
Why book with us
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
See our cost guide or our case studies.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Hoo
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To discuss a number of properties, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
More services for Hoo
Should I look at the roof myself first?
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
A lot can be seen from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
Do you need a chimney survey in Hoo?
Where a chimney meets the roof, lead flashings keep water out. They can lift in wind, crack with age or pull out of the mortar joints. Failed flashings are one of the most common causes of damp around chimneys. Lead flashings can also be stolen.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
What to check before booking
- Whether the price includes VAT
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
How it works
Every visit follows the same pattern: we listen to what’s been worrying you, inspect the roof from every safe vantage point, photograph what we find and make notes for the report. Most visits take between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Around Hoo, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so tell us about the loft hatch and any ladder. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- 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 roof space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Before the survey
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
- Let us know about parking before the day
How to book
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price before you book.