Kent · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Donkey Street
We carry out chimney surveys in Donkey Street and the rest of Kent. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends.
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Worn or missing pointing
What we are asked to look at in Donkey Street
TV aerials, satellite dishes and their brackets are often fixed to chimneys. The extra load in wind can work bricks and joints loose. We check fixings on the stack as part of the survey.
Problems we come across frequently include:
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
Take an older house close to Church of All Saints: corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
What to check before booking
- What happens after the report arrives
- Are they insured for the work?
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- What they won’t be able to tell you
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Donkey Street
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 lead flashings, shared and party-wall stacks and chimney breasts, and common reasons people get in touch are eroded joints in the brickwork and a stack that appears to lean.
In a small place like Donkey Street, many roofs stand in the open, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A roof report shows what needs attention first. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Location
- Donkey Street (TN29)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Useful tips for Donkey Street property owners
Nothing here needs a ladder. A few suggestions:
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- Check unused flues are capped with ventilation
If the report recommends a structural engineer, a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer, it will say why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Make sure fixings on the stack are sound and taken off if they’re no longer needed. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
How the survey works
Photographs are taken throughout the visit, so the report shows exactly what we saw. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available, including by drone where it’s applicable and the weather allows. Most surveys take between one and two hours on an ordinary house; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. In a hamlet or village like Donkey Street, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, so a few directions are welcome. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- Every part we can see is checked: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach them.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
Before the survey
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
Book a survey
Once you know what you need, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date.
Related advice
Nearby places to Donkey Street
Other services in Donkey Street
Chimney surveys around Donkey Street
Donkey Street lies within about 2 miles of the sea, so there is more wind and more salt in the air than further inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces. Handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles hung on pegs through two holes, are typical of older Kent buildings. You will also find oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses among the county’s older buildings. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
If you let a flat or house near Westenhanger station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak. With Westenhanger Castle about 3.2 miles north, the area around Donkey Street has a long history. On a period home nearby, the survey separates sound original work from tired later repairs.
Donkey Street is about 4 miles south-west of Hythe, in Kent. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Donkey Street can all book chimney surveys, with a written report and photographs every time. Donkey Street is one of the places in Kent where we work. There is also a page for Canterbury.
Every address in TN29 is covered for chimney surveys. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Dymchurch (1 mile south), West Hythe (2 miles north-east), Lympne (2 miles north-east), Palmarsh (2 miles north-east) and Berwick (2 miles north-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Ashford (9 miles north-west), Dover (14 miles north-east), Folkestone (7 miles east), Hythe (4 miles north-east), Tower Hamlets (14 miles north-east) and Hawkinge (8 miles north-east).
What’s near Donkey Street
We work in homes and buildings around The Shepherd And Crook Public House and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Westenhanger station, roughly 3.4 miles north-east. Nearby you will also find Lympne Castle (1.7 miles north-east) and Hythe Museum (3.6 miles east). The countryside around Donkey Street includes Tolsford Hill.
How we price chimney surveys
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- The size of the roof
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Building height and the viewpoints available
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 to let us know when you get in touch
Before you get in touch, it helps to have:
- What made you get in touch
- Dates you are working to, like exchange
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on.
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work with less disruption.
When you need someone else
In fairness, a roof survey has limits:
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
Your questions about chimney surveys in Donkey Street
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Westenhanger station?
Yes, that is a common request. We just need to know who will give access, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
Is the coastal weather around Donkey Street hard on roofs?
Yes, coastal weather is harder on roofs: there’s more wind, and more salt in the air. Exposed details such as ridges, verges, flashings and metal fixings are the ones to watch, and Donkey Street is within about 2 miles of the coast.
Will you check the chimney is safe to use with a fire?
No. A flue inspection, sweep or gas safety check is a separate job. We check the structure and weathering of the stack and any damp, and we’ll say if anything suggests the flue needs checking.
What will the report tell me?
It explains what we saw, what it means and what we’d suggest, backed by photos. It also says if any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely.
Are you insured?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and details are available on request.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We’re roof surveyors, not structural engineers, and it does not include calculations. If we see signs that need an engineer’s opinion, we will recommend one.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once access has been agreed. Roofs over flats are frequently shared, so the building owner or managing agent needs to agree access. We inspect only the parts we’re allowed to reach.