Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Five Wents, Kent
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Five Wents. We have completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Lifted or split lead flashings
About our chimney survey in Five Wents
If you are buying a home with chimneys, it is worth knowing their condition before you exchange. Cracked flaunching, failed flashings and worn pointing are common findings on older stacks. You get photographs and findings you can take back to the seller or agent. It works alongside a RICS home survey, not instead of one. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, brick chimney stacks and chimney breasts, and people most often book us about loose, cracked or missing pots and cracked or missing flaunching.
Older buildings in small places like Five Wents may be listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
We keep jargon out of it: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, and where it can wait, that is said too.
- Place
- Five Wents (ME17)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Landlords, agents and block managers in Five Wents
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To discuss a number of properties, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the addresses.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, from shops and offices to industrial units. Bigger roofs take more time, and they’re priced for the size.
What you can safely check yourself
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry and it will help the survey.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
Towns and villages near Five Wents
Other services in Five Wents
Five Wents homes and their roofs
Stoneacre, about 1.7 miles north, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Five Wents. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters. 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. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
If you own a rental within reach of Hollingbourne station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints. If you look after a building such as Sutton Valence Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. If you live in an older home near Church of St Mary, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Five Wents is about 4 miles south-east of Maidstone, in Kent. We survey roofs in Five Wents and the surrounding area across London and South East England. Our area takes in places right across Kent.
Chimney surveys in ME17 are booked the same way as anywhere else. We offer chimney surveys to properties on Leeds Road and Sutton Road and the roads around them. Other places close to Five Wents include Warmlake (1 mile south), Langley Heath (1 mile north-east), Langley (1 mile north-west), Chart Sutton (1 mile west) and Sutton Valence (1 mile south). Further out, we also cover Maidstone (4 miles north-west), Ashford (13 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (10 miles north-east), Royal Tunbridge Wells (15 miles south-west), Tonbridge (14 miles west) and Faversham (14 miles north-east).
Landmarks near Five Wents
In Five Wents, that means homes and buildings near The Plough Inn, among other places. The nearest railway station is Hollingbourne station, about 3 miles north-east. Nearby you will also find KIMS hospital (4.2 miles north) and Sutton Valence Castle (1.2 miles south). The countryside around Five Wents includes Detling Hill.
Before and after the survey
Nothing here needs a ladder. Our suggestions:
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Check your stacks from ground level after strong winds
- Don’t use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
After the visit, we write up the report with photographs of each stack. It explains the condition of each part of the stack and any damp inside. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Check redundant flues are capped with ventilation. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
What happens on the day
There isn’t much for you to do on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, such as stains, drips or loose pieces, and we will get on with the inspection. The survey itself takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Rural addresses near Five Wents can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions are welcome. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- You let us know how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- The stacks are looked at from the ground, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- 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.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Getting ready for the survey
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Tell us about parking before the day
How to book
Once you know what you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us. From there it is a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.
Advice
How we price chimney surveys
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- House, block, shop or office
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
All our prices include VAT. Our price is from £150, including VAT. You will know the price for your survey before booking.
Helping us price your survey
What helps most when you contact us:
- What made you get in touch
- The property’s address and postcode
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
Getting a price is simple: just call 07833 053749 or email us and give us some details about the property and we’ll explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.
FAQs for Five Wents
How do I find out if my home in Five Wents is listed?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
I let a flat near Hollingbourne station. Can you check the roof?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. You can ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and what you need.
Do you inspect the flue?
No. A flue inspection, sweep or gas safety check is a separate job. We look at the stack, pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings, and damp inside and flag anything that suggests the flue needs a look.
How long will you be at the property?
Most surveys take about 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. We’ll confirm the timing when booking.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, once access has been agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so the building owner or managing agent needs to agree access. We inspect only the parts we’re allowed to reach.
Which parts of the chimney do you look at?
The survey covers the pots and cowls, the flaunching, the pointing, the bricks and the flashings. Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access. Everything is written up with photographs.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We do not sample or test for asbestos. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Roof by roof
Flaunching
Sitting at the very top, flaunching is fully exposed. We look for cracks, gaps around the pots and missing pieces.
Brick stacks
Frost can damage bricks that have soaked up water, making the faces flake away. We record any we can see.