Kent · London and the South East
Ripple Chimney Survey
We take a careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Ripple, with photos and a written report.
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Cracked or missing flaunching
How it works
The visit has one job: to look at the chimney stack as closely as is safe and record what we find. Notes and photos go into the written report. It usually takes between one and two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Somewhere as small as Ripple, access is often the only tricky part. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- You tell us whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We look at the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Before we arrive
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Arrange a survey
Unsure which package suits your roof? The easiest way is to ring 07833 053749 or email us and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll explain the options and the price.
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Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Ripple
A chimney survey looks at the stack and everything around it: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and the flashings at the roof line. We also look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. The findings come in a written report with photos and recommendations. It suits a single stack on a house as well as several on a larger building. If you’re worried about cracked or missing flaunching and mortar washing out of the joints, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on lead flashings, shared and party-wall stacks and chimney breasts alike.
In a small place like Ripple, many roofs stand in the open, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A roof report shows what needs attention first. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are often the first to give way.
We keep jargon out of it: where something needs attention, it says so plainly.
- Where
- Ripple (CT14)
- Region
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Common questions in Ripple
Is my home in Ripple listed or in a conservation area?
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.
Will you come out to Ripple?
Yes, Ripple is covered. We survey roofs across London and the South East, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
Do you inspect the flue?
No. Our survey covers the outside of the stack and the roof around it. The flue should be checked by a sweep, or by a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day, which suits people who work during the week. Just say which days work for you.
How many surveys have you done?
We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys, across 20+ years of surveying roofs.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only when it is safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where it applies, a drone, and the report notes anything we couldn’t see.
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.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Ripple
Ripple lies within about 3 miles of the sea, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Near the sea, metal fixings wear faster and loose pieces on a roof are more likely to lift, 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’ll also find oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses among the county’s older buildings. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
For landlords with property near Walmer station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. If you live in an older home near Church of St Mary the Virgin, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Ripple is about 2 miles south-west of Deal, in Kent. Roofs in Ripple get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Kent. Our area takes in places right across Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. Our Canterbury page covers surveys nearby.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: CT14. You’ll find streets such as Mongeham Road, Sunnyside Close and Sutton Lane, and we cover them all. Other places close to Ripple include Great Mongeham (1 mile north), Mill Hill (1 mile north-east), Northbourne (2 miles north-west), Sholden Meadows (2 miles north) and Sholden (2 miles north-east). Larger places within reach include Canterbury (13 miles north-west), Margate (12 miles north), Dover (5 miles south-west), Folkestone (12 miles south-west), Ramsgate (10 miles north) and Broadstairs (12 miles north).
Near you in Ripple
In Ripple, that means homes and buildings near Goodwin Academy. Ripple’s nearest station is Walmer station, about 1.1 miles east. Other landmarks nearby include Royal Victoria Hospital (5.5 miles south-west) and Kent Museum of the Moving Image (2.4 miles north-east).
What you can safely check yourself
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Leave it or get it looked at?
A damp chimney breast seldom dries out until the cause is found. It can spoil decoration and plaster. Finding the cause means the right work can be planned. For an older or listed building in a place like Ripple, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so a defect found early gives time to plan the work properly.
Every price we give includes VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Ripple
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- An independent view of the roof
- 98% customer satisfaction
- Plain-English reports with photos
Take a look at our cost guide or our case studies.
Do you need a chimney survey in Ripple?
Years of fires can affect the mortar inside a stack. Mortar can deteriorate unevenly from flue gases and moisture, which is one reason stacks start to lean.
Problems we come across often include:
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Flaunching that has broken away
Take a building like St Mary's Catholic Primary School: its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Questions to ask before you book
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- What they will not be able to tell you
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
Other services in Ripple
Prices for chimney surveys in Ripple
We confirm the price for the job before booking. This is what makes a difference:
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- The roof’s overall size
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package matters as well. The price is always agreed first.
Getting in touch
A little information up front helps. Please include:
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
- Whether there is a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- What made you get in touch
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, with the most urgent items set out first.
Letting agents and landlords in Ripple book surveys as well as homeowners. A photo-illustrated written report gives you a clear record of the chimney stack, useful for planning maintenance.