Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Bean, Kent
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Bean, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Signs that a stack is leaning
How a chimney survey works in Bean
A leaning chimney stack is worth having looked at. A stack may lean because the mortar on one side has weakened, which can happen over many years of use. The survey notes how the stack looks, how far it seems to lean and the state of the bricks and joints. If the stack looks like a structural issue, the report recommends a structural engineer. Common reasons to book are worn or missing pointing and damp on a chimney breast inside, across flaunching, chimney breasts and brick chimney stacks.
In a village or hamlet like Bean, older cottages and farmhouses frequently sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. We report on whatever is safely visible, and thatch is a specialist material. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
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.
- Place
- Bean (DA2)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Why it is worth a survey now in Bean
If you’re thinking of removing or reducing a stack, it helps to know its condition first. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need permission from the council, so check with them first. For older village homes like those around Bean, the right replacement materials aren’t always easy to find quickly. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on the size and height of the roof, how it can be seen safely and the package you choose.
Why book with us
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Every finding written up with photos
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Package prices that include VAT
Take a look at our cost guide and what we found on two real jobs.
What a chimney survey looks like in Bean
Bean is within about 5 miles of the coast, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, while gales work at loose ridges, slates and tiles, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. There are about 500,000 buildings on England’s list of listed buildings, and around 10,000 conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, so check with the council.
Homes near green spaces like Beacon Wood Country Park can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn. For businesses in and around places such as Bluewater, a roof report helps plan work around trading rather than after a leak.
Bean is about 3 miles west of Northfleet, in Kent. Whether the building in Bean is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, the roof can be surveyed on a weekday or at the weekend. Across Kent, we cover Bean. Maidstone is in our area too.
All of DA2 is covered for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. That includes homes and businesses on High Street, Drudgeon Way and Foxwood Road. Being close to the B255, Bean is simple for us to get to. We also cover the places around Bean: Green Street Green (1 mile south), Westwood (1 mile south-east), Darenth (1 mile west), Swanscombe (1 mile north) and Grubb Street (1 mile south). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (15 miles south-east), Dartford (3 miles north-west), Sevenoaks (11 miles south-west), Gravesend (4 miles east), Northfleet (3 miles east) and Swanley (5 miles south-west).
Near you in Bean
Around Bean, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Beacon Wood Country Park, The Ebbsfleet Academy and The Black Horse pub, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Greenhithe for Bluewater station, roughly 1.7 miles north. Other landmarks nearby include Stone Museum of Geology (2.2 miles north-west) and Stone Castle (1.2 miles north). Open spaces near Bean include Chafford Gorges Nature Park and Sawyers Lake.
How the survey works
You do not need to do much on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, such as stains, drips or loose pieces, and we’ll get on with the inspection. The survey itself takes between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Somewhere as small as Bean, access is often the only tricky part. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- 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’s access.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the building owner or managing agent
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Getting a price
If you’re buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just call 07833 053749 or send us an email when you’re ready.
Advice
Questions from Bean
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Bean?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Can a landlord with a rental near Greenhithe for Bluewater station book a roof survey?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and what you need, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
What’s the best way to book?
It is easiest to phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form. Give us the address and a few details about the roof, and we will take it from there. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
What should I do with a chimney I don’t use?
It depends on its condition and your plans. We record how the stack is doing and whether it’s capped with ventilation. If you’re thinking of removing it, check with the council first in a conservation area or on a listed building.
What do you check on a chimney?
Every part of the stack we can see from safe positions: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. We also note leaning, redundant stacks and damp inside.
Do you inspect shared chimneys?
Yes. We check the parts we can see safely and the parts you can give us access to. If a defect seems to be on your neighbour’s side, the report records it, so you can discuss it with them.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Useful tips for Bean property owners
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
Where another specialist is needed, such as a structural engineer or sweep, we explain why. That helps you brief them.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. Early signs are easier to trace.
What a chimney survey doesn’t cover
No survey can tell you everything, and we’d rather be clear about that before you book. Keep these in mind:
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roofs we survey in Bean
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
Signs you need a chimney survey in Bean
Many chimneys are no longer used. A stack sealed without ventilation can trap damp. Damp patches can appear on chimney breasts even when nothing is leaking.
Problems we come across often include:
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
If you look after a building such as Bean Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Before you book anyone
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Whether you get a written report with photos
Towns and villages near Bean
What else we do in Bean
Landlord and commercial surveys in Bean
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client, photos included.
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, putting the urgent items at the top.