Kent · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Devil's Den
Find out what’s going on with the chimney stack before you spend money on it. We carry out chimney surveys in Devil's Den.
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
Before and after the survey
Small things make a difference, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Our tips:
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
With a shared stack, the report can help when talking to next door. The photos show the problem and which side it’s on from the viewpoints we used.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. With binoculars, you can often see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
About our chimney survey in Devil's Den
Chimney stacks take more weather than almost any other part of a house. 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 brick chimney stacks, flaunching and chimney breasts, and the problems we are asked to look at most are gaps in the mortar around the pots and frost-damaged brickwork on the stack.
In a small place like Devil's Den, many roofs stand in the open, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
Where we cannot see part of the chimney stack, the report says so. That way, it is clear what was covered and what wasn’t.
- Where
- Devil's Den (ME17)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey works
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof; as a rough guide, the survey takes about 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. You’re welcome to ask questions while we are there. Older roofs in small places like Devil's Den can have low, tight loft spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- The stacks are looked at from ground level, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Where there is safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
Preparing for the visit
- Tell us where we can park nearby
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with whoever owns or manages the building
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
Arrange a survey
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll explain the options and the price.
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Places near Devil's Den
Other services in Devil's Den
Devil's Den questions
Is my home in Devil's Den listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Is Devil's Den within the area you cover?
Yes, we do. We cover the whole of London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
How long will you be at the property?
That depends on the size and shape of the roof; most visits take about 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, and more on a big or complicated roof. The report is sent afterwards by email.
Will you photograph what you find?
Yes, plenty. Each finding is shown in a picture where possible.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
Have it checked rather than leaving it. Leaning often comes from mortar breaking down unevenly. We record its condition with photos, and a structural engineer can assess whether it needs work.
What insurance do you have?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability, and we can provide details if a managing agent needs them.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
There are a few common causes: water getting in at the top, through the brickwork or at the flashings, or moisture trapped in a stack with no ventilation. We look at each one and note the most likely cause.
What a chimney survey does not cover
It’s useful to know what a survey will not do before booking:
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will give you a straight answer before booking. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
What a chimney survey looks like in Devil's Den
The wider area around Devil's Den has a long history of building, with Stoneacre about 4 miles north. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles hung on pegs through two holes, are typical of older Kent buildings. Oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of the county’s older buildings too. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
Devil's Den is about 5 miles south of Maidstone, in Kent. We carry out chimney surveys for householders, landlords and businesses in Devil's Den and nearby. Our Kent coverage includes Devil's Den and the places around it.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: ME17. Other places close to Devil's Den include Farthing Green (1 mile south-east), Rabbit's Cross (1 mile west), Cross-at-Hand (1 mile west), Hawkenbury (1 mile south) and Staplehurst (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Maidstone (5 miles north), Ashford (13 miles east), Sittingbourne (12 miles north-east), Royal Tunbridge Wells (14 miles west), Tonbridge (13 miles west) and Kings Hill (9 miles north-west).
What’s near Devil's Den
The closest station to Devil's Den is Staplehurst station, about 1.8 miles south-west. Nearby you’ll also find Sutton Valence Castle (1.6 miles north-east) and South East Romany Museum (3 miles south-west).
When to book a survey in Devil's Den
Flaunching is the mortar bed that holds the pots and throws water off the top. Cracked flaunching lets water in, and each winter makes it worse. Loose pots can follow.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Mortar washing out of the joints
If you let a flat or house near Staplehurst station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Their insurance cover
- Whether VAT is added on top
- Will the report include photos?
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
Leave it or get it looked at?
For a buyer, the best time to learn about a chimney is before exchange. Once you’ve exchanged, the work is down to you. A report gives you something specific to put to the seller. For an older or listed building in a place like Devil's Den, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so leaving a defect until it’s urgent leaves less time to plan.
Price depends partly on the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all with VAT included. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
Why book with us
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Clear package prices, including VAT
- Plain-English reports with photos
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Read our cost guide or our case studies.
How the survey changes by roof type
Flaunching
Sitting at the very top, flaunching is fully exposed. We look for cracks, gaps around the pots and missing pieces.
Chimney pots and cowls
For unused flues, we check whether caps or cowls allow ventilation. Poor capping can lead to damp inside the stack.