Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Bowmans, Kent
Find out the condition of the chimney stack at your property in Bowmans. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
Chimney survey in Bowmans: what you get
Many homes have chimneys that are no longer used. A disused stack still needs looking after. If it has been capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside it. Our survey looks at how each unused stack has been capped and checks the breasts for damp. The report sets out what we found and what we recommend. If you’ve noticed mortar washing out of the joints and a stack that appears to lean, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Houses in smaller places like Bowmans can face open ground, where wind and driving rain hit the roof harder. That weather tells first on ridges, verges, chimneys and flashings. Checking those edges shows whether anything has begun to work loose before it lets water in. Once one ridge tile or slate moves, wind gets under the next one too.
Nothing in the report is left vague: if work is needed, the report says so clearly.
- Place
- Bowmans (DA1, DA2, DA5)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Honest limits
In fairness, there are limits to any roof survey:
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Whether the flue is safe to use
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Bowmans
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
Useful tips for Bowmans property owners
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out:
- Do not use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
If anything in the report is not clear, just ask us. Standard Surveys come with a follow-up consultation, and Premium Surveys with an in-person one.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.
DIY checks: what’s safe
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
You can learn a lot from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Do you need a chimney survey in Bowmans?
Flashings seal the gap where a stack passes through the roof. With age they can lift, split or come away from the joints. Failed flashings are one of the most common causes of damp around chimneys. Lead flashings can also be stolen.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Worn or missing pointing
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Lifted or split lead flashings
For an older house near a landmark such as St Barnabas, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
What to check before booking
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
Your questions about chimney surveys in Bowmans
Is my home in Bowmans listed or in a conservation area?
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.
Do you cover smaller places like Bowmans?
Yes, Bowmans is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
Do you take photos of the roof?
Yes, plenty. Each finding is shown in a picture where possible, which makes the report easy to follow.
How much is a survey?
Our price is from £150, including VAT. You will know the exact price before booking. To get a price, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Light rain is normally fine; heavy rain and wind are different. In strong wind or a downpour, a drone cannot fly and access may not be safe, so we’d move the date with you.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime. Let us know your preferred days when you book.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We inspect from wherever is safe: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the roof space. A drone inspection is included in our Premium Survey where applicable. If part of a stack cannot be seen, the report says so.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Bowmans
Landlords and letting agents in Bowmans book surveys as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photos.
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To discuss a number of properties, call 07833 053749 or email us.
What a chimney survey looks like in Bowmans
About 1.1 miles north-west lies Hall Place and Gardens, a reminder of how long the area around Bowmans has been built on. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Many older homes in Kent have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles held by pegs through two holes, and tile-hanging on their upper walls. You’ll also find oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses among the county’s older buildings. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Wentworth Primary School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. For landlords with property near Crayford station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Bowmans is about 2 miles west of Dartford, in Kent. Wherever you are in Bowmans, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Across Kent, we cover Bowmans. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: DA1, DA2 and DA5. Whether your property is on Swan Lane, Dale Road and Ross Road or anywhere close by, we can help. Bowmans sits on or near the A2018, so getting to you is simple. Other places close to Bowmans include Wilmington (1 mile south), Crayford (1 mile north), Coldblow (1 mile west), Joyden's Wood (1 mile south-west) and Barnes Cray (1 mile north-east). Further out, we also cover Sevenoaks (11 miles south), Gravesend (9 miles east), Northfleet (7 miles east), Swanley (3 miles south), Kings Hill (15 miles south-east) and Swanscombe (5 miles east).
What’s near Bowmans
We work in homes and buildings around Wilmington Grammar School for Girls, Bird in Hand pub and St Columba's Catholic Boys' School, among other places. The closest station to Bowmans is Crayford station, roughly 0.6 miles north. Other landmarks nearby include Stone Castle (4.1 miles east) and West Hill Hospital (1.3 miles east). Not far away are Wansunt Pit.
The survey, step by step
You don’t need to do much on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we will get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. In a smaller place like Bowmans, as anywhere, the forecast plays a part: the parts that need calm, dry weather are planned around it.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We check the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Getting ready for the survey
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Keep pets in another room
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
Book a survey
Every survey is priced before it’s booked, so you know where you stand. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or email us.