Medway · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Fenn Street
Get a clear view of the chimney stack at a property in Fenn Street. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- A chimney out of line
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
Tips that help
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. With the same list in front of each contractor, comparing quotes is simpler.
Make sure redundant flues are capped with ventilation. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Fenn Street
Redundant chimneys are common, especially where fires have been replaced by central heating. Even when it is not used, a stack has to stay weathertight. If it has been capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside it. Our survey looks at how each unused stack has been capped and checks the breasts for damp. You get photos of each stack and our recommendations. We survey brick chimney stacks, chimney breasts and chimney pots and cowls, and the problems we are asked to look at most are damaged chimney pots and cowls and worn or missing pointing.
In a village or hamlet like Fenn Street, 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 frequently old. We report on what can be seen safely, and thatch is a specialist material. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs frequently need the most attention.
The report does not just list problems. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend, so you can decide what to do next.
- Where
- Fenn Street (ME3)
- Wider area
- Medway
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we look for on each type of roof
Rendered stacks
Some stacks are rendered, which can hide the condition of the brickwork beneath. We look for cracks, hollow areas and staining.
Chimney breasts and the loft
If a chimney breast has been removed below, we note what we can see of the support above. A structural engineer should confirm whether it’s adequate.
Nearby places to Fenn Street
Also in Fenn Street
Local roofs in Fenn Street
Fenn Street lies within about 2 miles of the sea, so there’s 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. 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. Oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of the county’s older buildings too. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as High Halstow Primary Academy, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. For an older house near a landmark like Church of St Mary, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Fenn Street is about 5 miles north of Gillingham, in Medway. Anywhere in Fenn Street, we can come and survey your property. Across Medway, we cover Fenn Street. You can also see our page for Maidstone.
All of ME3 is within our area for chimney surveys. Local streets include Winterberry Avenue, Sharnal Street and Parbrook Road, and we cover them all. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Sharnal Street (1 mile south-west), High Halstow (1 mile west), Tunbridge Hill (1 mile south-east), St Mary Hoo (1 mile north-east) and Kingsnorth (1 mile south-east). Further out, we also cover Gillingham (5 miles south), Chatham (7 miles south), Rochester (5 miles south-west), Rainham (6 miles south), Strood (6 miles south-west) and Luton (6 miles south).
Around Fenn Street
We work in homes and buildings around The Hundred of Hoo Academy, among other places. The nearest railway station is Gillingham (Kent) station, roughly 4.4 miles south. A little further out are Medway Maritime Hospital (4.9 miles south) and Upnor Castle (3.7 miles south-west). The countryside around Fenn Street includes Bishop Saltings.
DIY checks: what’s safe
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, which helps when we check the roof.
It helps to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry.
Signs you need a chimney survey in Fenn Street
Where a chimney meets the roof, lead flashings keep water out. They can lift in wind, crack with age or pull out of the mortar joints. When flashings fail, water often shows up in the loft or on the chimney breast. Lead flashings can also be stolen.
Here are some of the things we see frequently:
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
Landlords with a home close to Gillingham (Kent) 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
- What they will not be able to tell you
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Whether VAT is added on top
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
Common questions in Fenn Street
Can a landlord with a rental near Gillingham (Kent) station book a roof survey?
Of course. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
Will you come out to Fenn Street?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
Which parts of the chimney do you look at?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. We also check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach. You get a written report with photos.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Light rain doesn’t normally stop a survey, and it can even help show where water is getting in. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so we’ll agree a new date if the weather isn’t suitable.
What’s the best way to book?
Just ring 07833 053749 or email us. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day, weekday or weekend.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
A leaning stack should be looked at. Our survey notes how it looks and the condition of the bricks and joints, and if it may be a structural issue, we recommend a structural engineer.
Does someone need to be in?
It depends on what we need to see. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in, while outside access can be discussed when you book.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Fenn Street
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you get in touch and we’ll plan the visit with that in mind.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, including offices, shops and units. Larger roofs take longer, and they’re priced for the size.
What happens on the day
The aim of the visit is simple: to see as much of the chimney stack as can be seen safely and record it clearly. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. The visit typically takes about 1–2 hours at a typical home, and more on a big or complicated roof. In a hamlet or village like Fenn Street, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- We look at the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Preparing for the visit
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- Let us know where we can park nearby
Booking a survey
To book a survey, call 07833 053749 or email us and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. You will know the price before anything is booked.