Chartered Surveyors in Dover

Dover’s housing runs from Victorian and Edwardian terraces on the valley sides, through inter-war
and post-war estates at Buckland, Tower Hamlets and Aycliffe, to period property in the villages
of St Margaret’s, Kearsney and River.

What we check in Dover

The town is built into a chalk valley, and steeply terraced properties bring retaining walls,
stepped foundations and surface water drainage into scope on almost every inspection. Retaining
wall failure is expensive and frequently missed. We also look at chalk mining and dene hole history
in some areas, and at wartime damage repairs that were carried out quickly and cheaply. On the
seafront, salt exposure and window condition dominate. Rural stock around St Margaret’s brings
flint construction, which needs specialist repair advice.

Surveys in Dover

Anything on sloping ground, with a retaining wall, or built before 1920 should have a Level 3
Building Survey rather than a Level 2.

Services we provide in Dover

• RICS Home Survey Level 2 (Homebuyer Survey) and Level 3 (Building Survey)
• Structural surveys, specific defect reports and crack and movement assessment
• Damp, timber and condensation investigations
• Red Book valuations for probate, capital gains tax, matrimonial and shared ownership
• Party wall notices, awards and disputes under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996
• Schedules of condition, dilapidations and commercial building surveys
• New build snagging inspections and professional consultant’s certificates

Every report is produced by an RICS regulated chartered surveyor, written in plain English, and
delivered with photographs, a clear summary of the significant findings and an indication of likely
repair costs.

Dover survey questions we are asked most

Why do retaining walls matter so much in Dover?

Because the town is built into a chalk valley and a great many properties sit on terraced plots behind or above a retaining wall. These walls are structural, they are often a century old, and rebuilding one is a five-figure job. They are also easy to overlook in a superficial inspection.

Do you survey flint properties around St Margaret’s?

Yes. Flint walls need lime-based repair and repointing; cement causes the flints to shed and the wall to open up. We report on the condition of the flintwork and on whether past repairs were carried out in appropriate materials.

Book a surveyor in Dover. Call us or use the enquiry form below and we will come back to you the same working day with a fixed fee and the earliest available inspection date.