Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Bapchild, Kent
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Bapchild. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Flaunching that has broken away
- A stack that appears to lean
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Bapchild
A damp patch on a chimney breast does not always come from the same place. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. We check each possibility and record what we find. That points the work in the right direction. We survey chimney breasts, shared and party-wall stacks and lead flashings, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are damp on a chimney breast inside and worn or missing pointing.
Somewhere as small as Bapchild, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. On older roofs, it’s typically the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent.
- Where
- Bapchild (ME9)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Can I check my roof myself?
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That is where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
It is useful to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us when booking, as it helps us focus the survey.
Before and after the survey
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner:
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
If anything in the report is not clear, just ask us. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Keep an eye on chimney breasts for new damp patches. The sooner damp is spotted, the easier the cause is to find.
What affects the cost of chimney surveys
Prices vary from roof to roof, for these reasons:
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- The roof’s overall size
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included.
What to tell us when you get in touch
You don’t need to know any roofing terms. It is enough to let us know:
- What kind of property and roof it is
- What made you get in touch
- Any deadline, like an exchange date
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
A quick phone call is typically the easiest start: ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email, and we’ll ask about the building and what you need. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Roof by roof
Flaunching
Flaunching takes the worst of the weather. We look for cracks, gaps around the pots and missing pieces.
Rendered stacks
Cracked render can let water in and trap it behind. We record any cracking and where it is.
Nearby places to Bapchild
Other services in Bapchild
How the survey works
The aim of the visit is simple: to see as much of the chimney stack as can be seen safely and record it clearly. Notes and photographs go into the written report. The visit usually takes between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Older roofs in small places like Bapchild can have low, tight loft spaces, so it helps to know whether there is a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there is access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Getting ready for the survey
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
Booking a survey
Unsure which package suits your roof? The easiest way is to phone 07833 053749 or email us and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will explain the options and the price.
Advice
Bapchild homes and their roofs
The coast is about 4 miles or less from Bapchild, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Near the sea, metal fixings wear faster and loose pieces on a roof are more likely to lift. Older houses across Kent often have handmade clay or peg tiles, and many have tile-hung walls. You will also find oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses among the county’s older buildings. Whatever the covering, it is often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
Landlords with a home close to Teynham station may find that a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak. For site and facilities teams at buildings like Rodmersham School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. Belmont House and Gardens lies about 4.6 miles south-east, so building around Bapchild goes back a long way. Older roofs nearby often mix original materials with later repairs, and the survey shows where each one is.
Bapchild is about 2 miles south-east of Sittingbourne, in Kent. Bapchild gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a close look at whatever is safely visible, photos and a clear written report. Our area takes in places right across Kent, large and small. We also survey roofs in Maidstone.
We cover every part of the ME9 postcode area for chimney surveys. Other places close to Bapchild include Rodmersham (1 mile north), Newbury (1 mile south), Rodmersham Green (1 mile west), Lynsted (1 mile east) and Highsted (1 mile west). We also work in nearby towns such as Maidstone (11 miles west), Ashford (13 miles south), Canterbury (14 miles east), Whitstable (12 miles east), Faversham (5 miles east) and Minster (7 miles north).
Landmarks near Bapchild
We work in homes and buildings around Cromers Wood, The Sittingbourne School and Black Lion Public House, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Teynham station, about 2.1 miles north-east of the centre. A little further out are Bayford Court (2.1 miles north-west) and Sittingbourne Heritage Museum (1.9 miles north-west).
When you need someone else
This isn’t a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Hidden damage within the stack
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- A structural engineer’s assessment
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll recommend the right survey. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
Your questions about chimney surveys in Bapchild
Can a landlord with a rental near Teynham station book a roof survey?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you need.
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Bapchild?
Generally, yes: wind and salt air take more of a toll near the sea. Exposed details like ridges, verges, flashings and metal fixings are the ones to watch.
Do you inspect the flue?
No. It is not a flue, sweep or gas safety inspection. We look at the stack, pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings, and damp inside, and we’ll say if anything suggests the flue needs checking.
Are you insured?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability, and we can provide details if a managing agent needs them.
What’s in the survey report?
Written findings with photos, explaining the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our recommendations, with the most urgent first where relevant. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check, and the Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
How many surveys have you done?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years.
My chimney looks like it’s leaning. What should I do?
Have it checked rather than leaving it. Leaning often comes from mortar breaking down unevenly. The survey records what we can see, and a structural engineer can confirm whether it’s stable.