Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Brabourne, Kent
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching across Brabourne, using drones and thermal imaging where it applies. Call or email for a price.
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- A chimney out of line
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
About our chimney survey in Brabourne
A chimney stands up above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. In time, flaunching cracks, mortar washes out and flashings come loose. Water then gets into the stack and can show as damp on a chimney breast or a stain in the loft. A survey finds these problems and records them with photos. We survey chimney pots and cowls, brick chimney stacks and flaunching, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are damaged chimney pots and cowls and redundant stacks capped without ventilation.
In a village or hamlet like Brabourne, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, often with chimneys that have stood a long time. We report on what can be seen safely, and thatch is a specialist material. On older roofs, it’s usually the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
Where we can’t see part of the chimney stack, the report says so. That way, it is clear what was covered and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Location
- Brabourne (TN25)
- Region
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the price in Brabourne
Prices always include VAT. What changes the price is:
- Height and safe access
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- House, block, shop or office
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, inc. VAT, and we will tell you which fits.
Helping us price your survey
A little information up front helps. It’s useful to include:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- Anything about access we should know
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can call 07833 053749 or email us to find out.
How it works
We photograph the roof as we go, so the report shows exactly what we saw. We take close-ups from wherever is safe. A typical visit takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Older rural homes like those around Brabourne can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- The stacks are looked at from the ground, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access.
- You get a written report with photographs and our recommendations.
Before the survey
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
How to book
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
Advice
Before and after the survey
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They apply to most roofs:
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
Where another specialist is needed, such as a structural engineer or sweep, we explain why. That helps you brief them.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
Places near Brabourne
More services for Brabourne
Can I check my roof myself?
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Water spilling over the edge can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
FAQs for Brabourne
I let a flat near Westenhanger station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, landlords and letting agents book with us as well as owners. You can call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and a few details, including who will give access on the day.
Will you come out to Brabourne?
Yes, Brabourne is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
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 every flight depends on the airspace and the weather.
Will you check the loft?
If there is a loft and safe access to it, yes. From inside, the underside of the roof frequently shows damp, staining or daylight that can’t be seen from outside.
What will the report tell me?
A report with photos, covering the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend, by urgency where it matters. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check, and the Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Only if it is safe. We look at everything that can safely be seen: from the ground, from windows, from inside the roof space, from the roof where it is safe and by drone where it applies. Anything we cannot see is noted in the report.
Will you photograph what you find?
Yes. We photograph the roof as we go, and the report uses them to show each finding.
Honest limits
Every survey has limits, and we’d rather be clear about that before booking. Bear these in mind:
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- Hidden damage within the stack
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll suggest the right survey before booking. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
How the survey changes by roof type
Chimney breasts and the loft
Damp patches on chimney breasts often point to a problem above. We look at them and at the stack in the loft where there is safe access.
Chimney pots and cowls
For unused flues, we check whether caps or cowls allow ventilation. Poor capping can lead to damp inside the stack.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Brabourne
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. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look. Historic houses such as Westenhanger Castle, about 3.3 miles south-east, show how far back building in the area around Brabourne goes. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
If you let a flat or house near Westenhanger station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints. If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of St Mary, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. Anyone responsible for a site like Brabourne Church of England Primary School will know that long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Brabourne is about 6 miles east of Ashford, in Kent. Bookings from Brabourne are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. We cover towns and villages across Kent, large and small. We also survey roofs in Canterbury.
All of TN25 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Streets in the area include The Street and Canterbury Road, all of which we cover. We also cover the places around Brabourne: Bircholt Forstal (1 mile west), Brabourne Lees (1 mile south-west), Lilyvale (1 mile south-west), Smeeth (2 miles south-west) and Ridgeway (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Ashford (6 miles west), Canterbury (11 miles north), Dover (13 miles east), Folkestone (8 miles south-east), Whitstable (15 miles north) and Faversham (13 miles north).
Around Brabourne
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Five Bells pub and the streets around them. The closest station to Brabourne is Westenhanger station, roughly 3.4 miles south-east. A little further out are William Harvey Hospital (3.6 miles west) and Lympne Castle (4.6 miles south). Open spaces near Brabourne include Tolsford Hill and Hatch Park.