Kent · London and the South East
Benenden Chimney Survey
We carry out chimney surveys in Benenden and the rest of Kent. Surveys run seven days a week.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
For landlords and managing agents
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, putting the urgent items at the top.
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work around your tenants.
How a chimney survey works in Benenden
Many homes have chimneys that are no longer used. Even when it is not used, a stack has to stay weathertight. Capping a stack without ventilation can trap moisture and lead to damp inside. We check how redundant stacks have been capped and look for damp in the chimney breasts. The report sets out what we found and what we recommend. We survey lead flashings, brick chimney stacks and shared and party-wall stacks, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are cracked or missing flaunching and redundant stacks capped without ventilation.
In a village or hamlet like Benenden, 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. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs frequently need the most attention.
Report times depend on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Location
- Benenden (TN17)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens on the day
It’s useful to start with what’s prompted the survey: buying, a leak, storm damage, new work or just wanting to know where things stand. That way we can focus on what matters to you. Most visits take an hour or two for most houses; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. Somewhere as small as Benenden, access is often the only tricky part. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access.
- You get a written report with photos and our recommendations.
Before we arrive
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
Book a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Advice
How the survey changes by roof type
Lead flashings
Where the chimney meets the roof slopes, lead flashings keep water out. The survey looks at whether the lead is tight, sound and well fixed.
Brick stacks
Frost can damage bricks that have soaked up water, making the faces flake away. We record any we can see.
What we’re asked to look at in Benenden
Many chimneys are no longer used. A stack sealed without ventilation can trap damp. That can lead to damp patches on chimney breasts, even with the roof in good order.
People normally book a survey when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
If you live in an older home near Church of St George, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Questions to ask before you book
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- What experience they bring
Your questions about chimney surveys in Benenden
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Benenden?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about 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.
Will you come out to Benenden?
Yes, Benenden is covered. Our area covers London and the South East, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Do you need to go on the roof to check the chimney?
We inspect from wherever is safe: from ground level, windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there is access. Our Premium Survey includes a drone inspection where it applies. We note anything we couldn’t see.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Just let us know the days that suit you.
What’s in the report?
Written findings with photographs, 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 it applies and structural analysis.
Is a chimney survey the same as a flue inspection?
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 flag anything that suggests the flue needs a look.
How much does a chimney survey cost in Benenden?
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Our three packages are Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Benenden
Across Kent, older roofs are frequently handmade clay or peg tiles, and tile-hanging on upper walls is a familiar sight. Kent’s older buildings take in oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses as well. Whatever the covering, it is often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. The wider area around Benenden has a long history of building, with Great Dixter about 5 miles south. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If you look after a building such as Benenden Church of England Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Benenden is about 13 miles west of Ashford, in Kent. We cover Benenden and the rest of Kent, as part of our work across London and South East England. Our area takes in places right across Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. Maidstone is in our area too.
Every address in TN17 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We offer chimney surveys to properties on The Street, Hortons Close and Iden Green Road and the roads around them. Being close to the B2086, Benenden is easy for us to reach for chimney surveys. If you’re just outside Benenden, we cover Iden Green (1 mile south), Coursehorn (2 miles north-west), Baker's Cross (2 miles north-west), Swattenden (2 miles north-west) and Cranbrook (3 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Maidstone (14 miles north), Ashford (13 miles east), Royal Tunbridge Wells (14 miles west), Foley Park (15 miles north), Paddock Wood (11 miles north-west) and Tenterden (5 miles east).
Near you in Benenden
Typical jobs here are in homes near King William IV Public House. Well-known places in the area include Mervyn Quinlan Museum (2 miles north-east) and Sissinghurst Castle (3.2 miles north).
Also near Benenden
More services for Benenden
Practical tips
You don’t need to be a roofer to help. Here’s what helps most:
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
If the report recommends a structural engineer, a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer, it will say why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. The sooner damp is spotted, the easier the cause is to find.
What we can’t see
It’s useful to know what a survey won’t do before you book:
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Parts of the stack that cannot be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we cannot access
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we will suggest the right survey before booking. What our survey covers.
What we check
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls