Medway · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Lower Higham
Wondering about the chimney stack at a property in Lower Higham? We carry out chimney surveys in Lower Higham and across Medway.
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
Chimney survey in Lower Higham: what you get
Each stack is looked at from the safest viewpoints available: from the ground, from windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there is access. With our Premium Survey, a drone inspection is included where it applies. Where part of a stack cannot be seen, the report says so. Each defect is recorded with a photo and a plain description. If you’re worried about unused flues sealed without airflow and eroded joints in the brickwork, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Some older homes in villages like Lower Higham are listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Older materials such as clay tiles, slate and stone are frequently matched when work is done.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. If something couldn’t be seen safely, the report is clear about it.
- Where
- Lower Higham (ME3)
- Region
- Medway
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Landlords, agents and block managers in Lower Higham
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, from shops and offices to industrial units. Bigger roofs take more time, and they’re priced for the size.
Letting agents and landlords in Lower Higham book surveys as well as householders. A written report with photos gives you a clear record of the chimney stack, useful for planning maintenance.
Towns and villages near Lower Higham
What else we do in Lower Higham
FAQs for Lower Higham
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Lower Higham?
It can do. Lower Higham is within about 3 miles of the sea, and coastal roofs tend to see faster wear on metal parts and more wind lifting loose pieces.
I let a flat near Higham station. Can you check the roof?
Of course. We just need to know who will give access, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once access has been agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is often shared, so we need permission from whoever owns or manages the building. We can only inspect what we are given access to.
How do I arrange a chimney survey in Lower Higham?
Just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. We will ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date, weekday or weekend.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and every flight depends on the airspace and the weather.
Do you look in the roof space?
If there’s a loft and safe access to it, yes. The loft space can show things the outside cannot, such as damp timbers, staining or daylight.
What insurance do you have?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and we can provide details if a managing agent needs them.
Signs you need a chimney survey in Lower Higham
Many chimneys are no longer used. If a stack is capped or blocked without ventilation, moisture can build up inside. Damp patches can appear on chimney breasts even when nothing is leaking.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
If you live near a park such as Broomhill Park, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Their report turnaround times
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
What we do, step by step
Safety comes first on every visit. We inspect everything that’s safely in view, and anything we can’t see is noted in the report. The survey typically takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. In a hamlet or village like Lower Higham, a postcode does not always lead to the right gate, so a few directions are welcome. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can safely be seen.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Where there’s safe access, we look at the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- You get a written report with photos and our recommendations.
Preparing for the visit
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
Getting a price
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know where you stand. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. To book, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Advice
Why it is worth a survey now in Lower Higham
Before deciding what to do with a redundant stack, a survey shows how it is doing. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need permission from the council and the council can advise. For an older or listed building in a place like Lower Higham, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so leaving a defect until it is urgent leaves less time to plan.
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, access and the package you choose.
Why us?
- Every finding written up with photos
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- An independent view of the roof
Read what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
Honest limits
Before booking, it’s worth knowing what a survey will not do:
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll point you to the right survey. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
Roof by roof
Rendered stacks
Some stacks are rendered, which can hide the condition of the brickwork beneath. The survey checks for cracking, bulging and staining in the render.
Lead flashings
Flashings can lift in wind or pull out of their mortar joints. Any loose or split flashings are recorded.
What a chimney survey looks like in Lower Higham
The coast is about 3 miles or less from Lower Higham, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces, while driving rain finds any gap. Handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles hung on pegs through two holes, are typical of older Kent buildings. You will also find oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses among the county’s older buildings. Whatever the covering, it’s frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
With Temple Manor about 3 miles south, the area around Lower Higham has a long history. On a period home nearby, the survey separates sound original work from tired later repairs. If you look after a building such as Higham Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Lower Higham is about 3 miles north-west of Rochester, in Medway. In Lower Higham, as across Medway, every roof gets the same careful survey. Our Medway coverage includes Lower Higham and the places around it. There’s also a page for Maidstone.
Surveys in ME3 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Whether your property is on Canal Road, Chalk Road and Chequers Street or anywhere close by, we can help. We also cover the places around Lower Higham: Church Street (1 mile north), Higham (1 mile south), Mockbeggar (1 mile east), Gadshill (1 mile south) and Cliffe Woods (2 miles east). Larger places within reach include Gillingham (6 miles south-east), Chatham (6 miles south-east), Rochester (3 miles south-east), Rainham (8 miles south-east), Strood (3 miles south) and Luton (5 miles south-east).
Around Lower Higham
We work in homes and buildings around Strood Academy, Broomhill Park and The Chequers pub. Lower Higham has its own railway station: Higham station. Well-known places in the area include French Hospital (3.3 miles south-east) and Upnor Castle (3.1 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Gad's Hill and Rede Common.