Kent · London and the South East
Dartford Chimney Survey
Wondering about the chimney stack at a property in Dartford? You can book a chimney survey in Dartford and across Kent, with plain-English findings.
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- A chimney out of line
How a chimney survey works in Dartford
Each stack is looked at from the safest viewpoints available: from ground level, from windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there’s access. A drone inspection is part of our Premium Survey where it applies. Where part of a stack cannot be seen, the report says so. Every defect we find is photographed and described in plain words. We are often asked to look into bricks with flaking faces and damaged chimney pots and cowls, across chimney breasts, brick chimney stacks and lead flashings.
Most homes in a town like Dartford are houses, so the roof is typically the owner’s to look after. A slipped tile or blocked gutter costs far less to sort than the damp it causes later. A roof report gives you a list of what needs doing and how soon, whether you live in the house or let it. Photographs show you exactly what was seen, even on parts you cannot reach yourself.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Location
- Dartford (DA1, DA2, DA5, DA13)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
FAQs for Dartford
I let a flat near Dartford station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. Just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and tell us about the building, including who will give access on the day.
How do I find out if my home in Dartford is listed?
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 Dartford?
Yes. Our area covers London and South East England, and that includes Dartford.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, over more than 20 years.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Not unless it is safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where it applies, a drone, and the report notes anything we couldn’t see.
How do I arrange a chimney survey in Dartford?
To book, phone 07833 053749 or email us and tell us the address and what you need to know. We’ll confirm the price and agree a day with you.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. If you need a full building survey, you’ll need a RICS survey as well.
Places near Dartford
Other services in Dartford
Signs you need a chimney survey in Dartford
Chimney stacks stand above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Frost opens up cracks in the mortar, and rain gets into worn bricks and joints. People typically call us when they notice damp or a problem with the stack, or before a purchase.
Typical things we are asked to look at include:
- A chimney out of line
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
Landlords with a home close to Dartford station may find that knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- What they won’t be able to tell you
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
What you can safely check yourself
You can learn a lot from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
Chimney surveys around Dartford
About 2.8 miles west lies Hall Place and Gardens, a reminder of how long the area around Dartford has been built on. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. 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. Whatever the covering, it is often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
If you live in an older home near Church of the Holy Trinity, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. If you run a business near Bluewater, knowing the roof’s condition lets you budget for work rather than pay for emergencies.
Dartford is about 14 miles east of London, in Kent. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Dartford can all book chimney surveys, with a written report and photographs every time. Dartford is one of the places in Kent we cover. Our London page covers surveys nearby.
Chimney surveys in DA1, DA2, DA5 and DA13 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We cover properties on High Street, Market Street and Temple Hill Square and the roads around them. Being close to the A2 and A206, Dartford is easy for us to reach. If you are just outside Dartford, we cover Temple Hill (1 mile north), Hawley (1 mile south), Stone (2 miles east), Clement Street (2 miles south) and Darenth (2 miles south-east). We also work in nearby towns like Sevenoaks (11 miles south), Gravesend (7 miles east), Northfleet (5 miles east), Swanley (4 miles south-west), Kings Hill (14 miles south-east) and Swanscombe (3 miles east). Being one of Kent’s larger places, Dartford has homes, rented property and businesses of every kind.
What’s near Dartford
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Rose pub, Stone Lodge School and Leigh Academy. Dartford has its own railway station: Dartford station. Well-known places in the area include Dartford Library (under half a mile west) and Bluewater (2.1 miles east). For a walk, there’s Wansunt Pit and Sawyers Lake.
Practical tips
Getting the most from a chimney survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Check unused flues are capped with ventilation
Many people use the report to get quotes for the work. With the same list in front of each contractor, comparing quotes is simpler.
Have aerial and dish brackets on the stack checked, and moved if they’re working it loose. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
What happens on the day
The visit has one job: to look at the chimney stack as closely as is safe and record what we find. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It usually takes roughly 1–2 hours at most homes, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. Semi-detached and terraced homes in a town like Dartford often share a roof line with the neighbours, so we look at what can be seen of the shared parts from your side. Let us know about any known leaks, past repairs or building work when booking, so time on site goes where it’s needed.
- 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.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach them.
- You get a written report with photos and our recommendations.
How to prepare
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Booking a survey
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine. To send them or to book, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Advice
What a chimney survey does not cover
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
Roofs we survey in Dartford
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
Why get it checked now?
Before deciding what to do with a redundant stack, a survey shows how it’s doing. Changes to stacks in conservation areas or on listed buildings may need consent and the council can advise. Roof faults found early can be planned for, whereas a leak tends to force the timing on you.
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where applicable, from £400 inc. VAT. We can help you choose the package that fits what you need to know.
What you get with us
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
Read how roof surveys are priced and what we found on two real jobs.