Kent · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Lower Hardres
Need a chimney survey in Lower Hardres? We can help, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Staining on walls around the chimney
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Lower Hardres
A chimney survey is about the outside of the stack and the roof around it. It’s not a flue inspection, a chimney sweep or a gas safety inspection. 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. If you’ve noticed frost-damaged brickwork on the stack and pots or cowls that look unsafe, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Somewhere as small as Lower Hardres, 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. On older roofs, it’s typically the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
If any part of the chimney stack couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. You’ll know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Place
- Lower Hardres (CT4)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
DIY checks: what’s safe
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.
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.
Prices for chimney surveys in Lower Hardres
Our packages start from £150, inc. VAT. The price for your roof depends on:
- The size of the roof
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
Every price we give includes VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Our price is from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
What to let us know when you get in touch
You don’t need to know any roofing terms. Just tell us:
- Anything about access we should know
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- What kind of property and roof it is
- What made you get in touch
If you are buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply phone 07833 053749 or email us whenever suits you.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Lower Hardres
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords. Larger roofs take longer.
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed ahead of time. Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Nearby places to Lower Hardres
What else we do in Lower Hardres
How it works
We work from the outside in: outside views come first, then the loft space if there is safe access. In total, it takes about one to two hours for most houses, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. Rural addresses near Lower Hardres can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- You tell us whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- 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
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Leave side gates unlocked
Book a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.
Read more
What we look for on each type of roof
Flaunching
The sloping mortar around the pots is called flaunching. Once it cracks, water can get straight into the brickwork.
Chimney pots and cowls
For unused flues, we check whether caps or cowls allow ventilation. Capping without ventilation can trap moisture.
Chimney surveys around Lower Hardres
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. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. What can be done to an older roof may depend on listing or a conservation area. Your council and Historic England’s list will tell you where you stand, ideally before any re-roofing is planned.
Take a building like Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys: large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. If you own a rental within reach of Canterbury East station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant. If you run a business near Whitefriars Shopping Centre, a roof report helps plan work around trading rather than after a leak.
Lower Hardres is about 3 miles south of Canterbury, in Kent. Lower Hardres is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area across London and South East England. Across Kent, we cover Lower Hardres and the places around it.
We work across CT4 for chimney surveys. We also cover Street End (1 mile north), Pett Bottom (1 mile south-east), Nackington (1 mile north), Upper Hardres (1 mile south) and Petham (2 miles south-west). Further out, we also cover Ashford (11 miles south-west), Canterbury (3 miles north), Dover (12 miles south-east), Folkestone (11 miles south), Whitstable (8 miles north) and Deal (14 miles east).
Near you in Lower Hardres
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Duck pub and the streets around them. The closest station to Lower Hardres is Canterbury East station, roughly 2.7 miles north of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Kent and Canterbury Hospital (2.2 miles north) and Whitefriars Shopping Centre (2.9 miles north). The countryside around Lower Hardres includes Blean Woods RSPB Reserve.
Useful tips for Lower Hardres property owners
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They apply to most roofs:
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Check fixings on the stack are secure
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
Where another specialist is needed, such as a structural engineer or sweep, we explain why. That helps you brief them.
Look at your chimneys from the ground now and then, particularly after strong winds. With binoculars, you can frequently see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
FAQs for Lower Hardres
Will you come out to Lower Hardres?
Yes. Lower Hardres is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when booking.
How do I find out if my home in Lower Hardres is listed?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
What if it rains on the day?
It can, depending on the survey. Drone flights need calm, dry weather, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. If the conditions are not right, we’ll talk to you about another date.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. This is a survey of the roof only, and it isn’t a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. Many buyers have both.
Do you use drones?
Yes, where it applies and safe. We fly a sub-250g drone and we’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where it applies.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
Typically it’s water getting in from outside, or condensation in a sealed stack. The survey looks at the stack, the flashings and the capping, and record what we find.
Should a redundant chimney be removed?
A redundant chimney needs looking after like any other. If it’s capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside. Our survey records its condition and how it is capped, so you can decide with a builder what to do.