Kent · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Ramsgate
Independent chimney surveys in Ramsgate. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- A stack that appears to lean
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Ramsgate
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. We also look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access. You get a written report with photographs and our recommendations. We survey single stacks on houses and groups of stacks on bigger buildings. We’re frequently asked to look into cracked or missing flaunching and pots or cowls that look unsafe, on flaunching, shared and party-wall stacks and brick chimney stacks.
In a town like Ramsgate, most homes are houses whose owners look after their own roofs. Small faults, such as a cracked ridge, a slipped tile or a blocked gutter, are cheaper to deal with early. A roof report gives you a list of what needs doing and how soon. The photographs let you see the parts of the roof you cannot get to.
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 decide what to do next.
- Place
- Ramsgate (CT11, CT12, CT10)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What a survey costs
When we price a survey, we consider:
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- Roof area
We offer three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Helping us price your survey
We’ll usually ask about:
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- The property’s address and postcode
You can call us seven days a week. For a price or to book, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Before and after the survey
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
You get the report by email and can pass it to whoever does the work. We use plain English and a photo for each defect so anyone reading it can see what we saw.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.
The survey, step by step
We look at the roof from outside and, where it’s relevant and there is safe access, from inside the roof space too. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging. The whole visit usually takes between one and two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. A typical visit in Ramsgate begins with the street side of the roof and then moves round the building. Rear gardens and side paths frequently give the best view of extensions and back slopes. Then, if it can be reached safely, we look in the loft.
- You tell us whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- We look at the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Before the survey
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
Arrange a survey
We confirm the price for the job before you book, so you know where you stand. Our price is from £150, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Advice
Landlord and commercial surveys in Ramsgate
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed in advance. We survey on any day of the week, which can make access easier.
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait.
Ramsgate questions
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Ramsgate, take more of a battering?
Near the coast, roofs face more wind and more salt than further inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
How do I find out if my home in Ramsgate is listed?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Is it a problem to have an unused chimney?
An unused stack still needs to stay weathertight and ventilated. Capping without airflow can lead to damp. Our survey records its condition and how it is capped, so you can decide with a builder what to do.
Does the report include photographs?
Yes. Photographs are taken throughout the survey, and they go into the written report alongside our recommendations.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first, with the building owner or managing agent. Let us know about it when you book and we’ll explain what’s needed.
What happens after the survey?
The report comes by email, and you decide the next step: use it with a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent.
Do you use drones?
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.
DIY checks: what’s safe
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.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
Common roof problems in Ramsgate
Aerials and dishes are often fixed to stacks. The extra load in wind can work bricks and joints loose. Any fixings on the stack are checked and recorded.
A survey can pick up problems such as:
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- A chimney out of line
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for example near Westwood Cross, knowing the roof’s condition lets you budget for work rather than pay for emergencies.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Is VAT included in the price?
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
- Are they insured for the work?
- What experience they bring
What a chimney survey looks like in Ramsgate
Ramsgate is within about 1 mile of the coast, 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, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. With Quex Park about 4.4 miles north-west, Ramsgate sits in an area with a long building history. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Priory Infant School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time. If you live in an older home near St. Luke's Church, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Ramsgate is in Kent. We cover Ramsgate and the rest of Kent. Our area takes in places right across Kent. There is also a page for Canterbury.
All of CT11, CT12 and CT10 is within our area for chimney surveys. Local streets include High Street, Church Road and High Street St Lawrence, all of which we cover. You will find Ramsgate on the A254 and A255, which makes it simple to reach. We also cover St Lawrence (1 mile west), Northwood (1 mile north-west), Upton (1 mile north-east), Broadstairs (2 miles north-east) and St Peter's (2 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Canterbury (15 miles west), Margate (3 miles north), Dover (15 miles south), Deal (8 miles south), Herne Bay (12 miles west) and Tower Hamlets (15 miles south).
Near you in Ramsgate
In Ramsgate, that means homes and buildings near The Derby Arms, Chatham House Grammar School and St George's Boys School and the streets around them. There’s a railway station in Ramsgate itself: Ramsgate station. A little further out are Westwood Cross (1.6 miles north-west) and Ramsgate Museum (within half a mile south-east). The countryside around Ramsgate includes Sandwich and Pegwell Bay.