Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Densole, Kent
We carry out chimney surveys in Densole and the rest of Kent. Surveys run seven days a week.
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Mortar washing out of the joints
Densole: your questions answered
I let a flat near Folkestone West station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, that’s a common request. We just need to know who will give access, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Densole?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case.
Should a redundant chimney be removed?
It depends on its condition and your plans. We record how the stack is doing and whether it’s capped with ventilation. If you are thinking of removing it, check with the council first in a conservation area or on a listed building.
What happens next?
You will receive the report by email, and what you do next is up to you: raise it with a seller, send it to an insurer, brief a roofer or share it with a managing agent.
Do you use drones?
Where it is applicable and safe, yes. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. It is included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where it applies, the Premium Survey.
My chimney looks like it is leaning. What should I do?
A leaning stack should be looked at. We record the lean, the brickwork and the pointing, and if it may be a structural issue, we recommend a structural engineer.
Do you need to get into the loft?
If the survey needs it and the loft space can be reached safely, yes. Please clear anything stored under the hatch.
Chimney survey in Densole: what you get
We inspect chimneys from wherever they can safely be seen: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the loft space where it is safe. With our Premium Survey, a drone inspection is included where applicable. Where part of a stack cannot be seen, the report says so. Each defect is recorded with a photo and a plain description. We survey chimney pots and cowls, lead flashings and chimney breasts, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are damaged chimney pots and cowls and disused chimneys trapping moisture.
In a village or hamlet like Densole, older cottages and farmhouses often 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. On older roofs, it is usually the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
Most points in the report come with a picture, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. If something couldn’t be seen safely, the report is clear about it.
- Location
- Densole (CT18)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Chimney surveys in Densole: local notes
The coast is about 4 miles or less from Densole, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces, while driving rain finds any gap. Historic houses like Acrise Place, about 1.2 miles north-west, show how far back building in the area around Densole goes. On older houses around here, roofs often 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.
Take an older house close to St Luke's: its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. For landlords with property near Folkestone West station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
Densole is about 3 miles north of Folkestone, in Kent. We carry out chimney surveys for householders, landlords and businesses in Densole and nearby. Densole is one of the places in Kent we cover. Canterbury is in our area too.
Chimney surveys in CT18 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Streets in the area include St John's Close, St John's Way and Canterbury Road, and we cover them all. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Hawkinge (1 mile south), Swingfield Minnis (1 mile north), Old Hawkinge (2 miles south-east), Arpinge (2 miles south-west) and Selsted (2 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Ashford (13 miles west), Canterbury (11 miles north), Dover (6 miles east), Folkestone (3 miles south), Deal (12 miles north-east) and Hythe (5 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Densole
Densole’s nearest station is Folkestone West station, roughly 3.1 miles south. A little further out are Elham Valley Countryside Centre And Railway Museum (2.7 miles south-west) and Folkestone Castle (2.1 miles south). Not far away are Cheriton Hill.
Checking the roof from ground level
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That’s where a survey comes in.
Places near Densole
What else we do in Densole
Signs you need a chimney survey in Densole
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.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- A stack that appears to lean
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
Anyone responsible for a site like Hawkinge Primary School will know that large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Questions to ask before booking
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
- Their track record with similar roofs
- What follow-up you get after the report
Why act early in Densole
If a stack seems to lean, don’t leave it. Our survey records it and says when a structural engineer should look at it, so you can decide what to do next. For older village homes like those around Densole, the right replacement materials are not always easy to find quickly. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so the price reflects that. The price is confirmed before booking.
Why book us in Densole
- Every finding written up with photos
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
- Over 20 years’ experience
Take a look at our cost guide and what we found on two real jobs.
What a chimney survey doesn’t cover
A survey is a close look at the chimney stack, but it can’t do everything. Its limits include:
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Conditions inside walls
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will suggest the right survey before booking. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Densole
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
How the survey works
Safety comes first on every visit. Everything that can safely be seen is inspected, and anything we cannot see is noted in the report. The survey typically takes about 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. For a village or hamlet like Densole, the journey is planned ahead of time: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect everything that’s safely in view, inside and out.
- 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.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Preparing for the visit
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
Getting a price
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Advice
Surveys for landlords and agents in Densole
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. Recommendations are set out in order of urgency where relevant, which helps with budgets and planning.
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on, photos included.