Kent · London and the South East
Drone Roof Survey in Chitty
Close-up drone photographs of roofs that are hard to reach in Chitty, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Call or email for a price.
- Flat roofs on upper floors that hold water
- Outlets choked with leaves and silt
- Lead work pulling away at abutments
Drone roof survey in Chitty
They suit tall buildings, steep or large roofs and roofs that are hard to see from ground level. They also suit fragile roofs that nobody should walk on. The roof is photographed without being disturbed. We check the airspace for your address before the visit. We’ll tell you if another approach would work better. If you’ve noticed cracked mortar along the ridge and tired mortar and pots at the top of a stack, we can find out what’s behind it.
Some older homes in villages like Chitty are listed or in a conservation area. Neither a drone survey nor a thermal survey involves any work on the roof, so it is a gentle way to see the condition of an old roof, before anyone decides what work it needs. Check with the council before planning any work on a listed building or one in a conservation area.
You receive the findings by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Place
- Chitty (CT3)
- Region
- Kent
- Prices
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Roof by roof
Valleys and parapet gutters
When a parapet outlet blocks, water can come inside. We check outlets and photograph any build-up.
Chimney stacks
Leaning stacks and loose pots are easier to judge from above. Each defect is photographed for the report.
Useful tips for Chitty property owners
Small things make a difference. Some pointers:
- A word with neighbours beforehand helps
- Make sure there’s room outside for the drone to take off
- Shut pets inside while we fly
- Share the postcode so we can check for restrictions
With the Premium Survey, the report arrives the same day. Drone photos are included where we could fly, alongside the other checks in the package.
Check the loft now and then, with care and a good torch. A drone sees the outside, but the loft shows leaks and condensation from below. Take photos of any changes.
Also near Chitty
Other services in Chitty
Chitty questions
Is my home in Chitty listed or in a conservation area?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Is drone flying allowed in Chitty?
It depends on the exact address and the weather on the day. Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather.
What happens next?
You’ll receive the report by email, and you decide the next step: use it with a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent.
Will you check the loft?
If there is a loft and safe access to it, yes. The loft space can show things the outside can’t, such as damp timbers, staining or daylight.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We do not sample or test for asbestos. Where a material might contain it, such as old cement sheets on a building from before 2000, the report flags it, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it’s disturbed.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We point out what can be seen, like sagging or deflection, but we do not carry out calculations or give an engineer’s opinion. Where an engineer is needed, we say so in the report.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Not always. Some roofs are too steep or fragile to walk on safely. We use safe viewpoints, the loft space and a drone where applicable, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
What a drone roof survey does not cover
This is not a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Neighbouring roofs the owner hasn’t asked us to survey
- A structural engineer’s report
- A flight on a day when the weather is not safe
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Flat roofs on upper floors
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Large and complex roofs
- Fragile roofs
- Chimney stacks
- Tall and steep roofs
Signs you need a drone roof survey in Chitty
The top of a stack is the most exposed part of many roofs. Cracked flaunching, loose pots and eroded pointing are frequently invisible from below. A drone gets close enough to see them in detail.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Outlets choked with leaves and silt
- Loose ridge and hip tiles
- Flat roofs on upper floors that hold water
- Chimney tops in poor condition
The streets around a church such as Church of St Mary the Virgin are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, steep roofs, tall chimneys and hidden valleys can be hard to see from ground level, and that is where a view from the air or with a thermal camera helps.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- What follow-up you get after the report
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
What a survey costs
Prices vary from roof to roof, and it comes down to:
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Height and safe access
- House, block, shop or office
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how it can be reached and seen safely. Prices start from £400, including VAT.
What we need to know
There is no need for technical words. It is enough to let us know:
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
How it works
We will ask a few questions first, such as when any problem began and what work has been done before. Then the inspection itself takes between one and two hours at a typical home, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. In a hamlet or village like Chitty, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, 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 give us the address so we can check the airspace.
- If permission is needed, we ask for it before the visit.
- We assess the wind, the weather and the surroundings before take-off.
- The sub-250g drone takes close-up photographs of the roof, kept in sight throughout.
- Your report arrives by email, with close-up photos and recommendations.
Preparing for the visit
- Let us know about parking before the day
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
Book a survey
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know where you stand. Our price is from £400, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Related advice
Flying and imaging in Chitty
Chitty is within about 3 miles of the coast, and wind near the sea can be strong. A small drone cannot fly safely in high wind or heavy rain, so the weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead. If your home is older, it is worth knowing whether it’s listed or in a conservation area before planning roof work. Listed building consent covers changes to a listed building’s special interest, and an Article 4 direction can bring extra controls in a conservation area.
If you look after a building such as Chislet Church of England Primary School, big roofs are where photos from the air and thermal images show the most at once.
Chitty is about 4 miles south-east of Herne Bay, in Kent. We visit Chitty as part of our work across Kent, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. Chitty is one of the places in Kent we cover. For surveys nearby, see our Canterbury page.
Here we cover the CT3 postcode area for drone roof surveys. If you’re just outside Chitty, we cover Chislet (1 mile west), Hollow Street (1 mile south-west), Boyden Gate (1 mile north-west), Old Tree (1 mile west) and Highstead (1 mile north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Canterbury (7 miles south-west), Margate (9 miles east), Dover (14 miles south), Ramsgate (9 miles east), Broadstairs (10 miles east) and Whitstable (7 miles west).
Local landmarks in Chitty
Around Chitty, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Grove Ferry Picnic Area and the streets around them. The closest station to Chitty is Herne Bay station, about 4 miles north-west. A little further out are St Martins Hospital (5.8 miles south-west). For a walk, there is West Blean and Thornden Woods.