Medway · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Hale, Medway
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Hale, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching that has broken away
What this survey cannot tell you
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll tell you. The full list of what we check.
What we check
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
Chimney survey in Hale
Many homes have chimneys that are no longer used. Even when it is not used, a stack has to stay weathertight. Capping a stack without ventilation can trap moisture and lead to damp inside. Our survey looks at how each unused stack has been capped and checks the breasts for damp. The report sets out what we found and what we recommend. We survey chimney pots and cowls, chimney breasts and flaunching, and common reasons people get in touch are damaged chimney pots and cowls and gaps in the mortar around the pots.
Somewhere as small as Hale, homes are frequently older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, often with chimneys that have stood a long time. 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 typically the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Location
- Hale (ME5)
- Region
- Medway
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Chimney surveys in Hale: local notes
Hale lies within about 3 miles of the sea, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, and strong wind lifts anything already loose on a roof. 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.
Take a building like Kingfisher Community Primary School: large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. If your house is among the older ones in the streets near Christ Church, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Hale is about 1 mile south-west of Gillingham, in Medway. We provide chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Hale and nearby. Our Medway coverage includes Hale. For surveys nearby, see our Maidstone page.
Every address in ME5 is covered for chimney surveys. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Darland (1 mile south-east), Capstone (1 mile south-east), Luton (1 mile north-west), Gillingham (1 mile north-east) and Chatham (1 mile south-west). Further out, we also cover Rochester (3 miles north-west), Strood (4 miles north-west), Hoo St Werburgh (4 miles north), Rochester Riverside (3 miles north-west), Peters Village (4 miles west) and Frindsbury (3 miles north-west).
Around Hale
Around Hale, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Star pub, Chatham Grammar School for Girls and Darland Banks. The closest station to Hale is Gillingham (Kent) station, roughly 1.6 miles north of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Rochester Castle (2.9 miles north-west) and Pentagon Shopping Centre (1.9 miles north-west). Open spaces near Hale include Blue Bell Hill and Burham Down.
Common roof problems in Hale
Flashings seal the gap where a stack passes through the roof. They can lift in wind, crack with age or pull out of the mortar joints. Failed flashings are one of the most common causes of damp around chimneys. Lead is also a target for theft.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
If you let a flat or house near Gillingham (Kent) station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
Questions to ask before booking
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
What we look for on each type of roof
Rendered stacks
A rendered stack can mask problems in the bricks below. We look for cracks, hollow areas and staining.
Chimney pots and cowls
Each pot is bedded into the flaunching, often with a cowl or cap on top. We check that they look secure and undamaged.
Before and after the survey
You do not need to be a roofer to help. Here’s what helps most:
- Check fixings on the stack are secure
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
Many people use the report to get quotes for the work. With the same list in front of each contractor, comparing quotes is simpler.
Look at your chimneys from the ground now and then, especially after strong winds. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.
Your questions about chimney surveys in Hale
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Hale, take more of a battering?
Generally, yes: wind and salt air take more of a toll near the sea. Ridges, verges, flashings and fixings are where it usually shows, and Hale is within about 3 miles of the coast.
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 we can send the report to you or your agent.
Is Hale in your area?
Yes. We cover Hale and the rest of Medway. For a price, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
What’s the best way to book?
Simply phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We point out what can be seen, such as sagging or deflection, but we are not structural engineers and don’t carry out calculations. If we think you need an engineer, the report says so.
How quickly is the report sent?
Each package has its own report time. Basic: within 48 hours. Standard: 24 to 48 hours. Premium: the same day. If you have a deadline, such as an exchange date, let us know as you book.
What will the report tell me?
You get our findings in writing, part by part, with photos. Points are put with the most urgent first where relevant.
Other services in Hale
How we price chimney surveys
We confirm the price for your roof before you book. These are the things that affect it:
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- The size of the roof
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package you pick makes a difference too. We will give you the figure before anything is booked.
What to let us know when you get in touch
These details help when you get in touch:
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
- Anything about access we should know
- The property’s address and postcode
- What kind of property and roof it is
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to ring 07833 053749 or email us and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll explain the options and the price.
How it works
When we arrive, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that is worrying you. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen, from ground level, from windows, in the roof space and by drone where applicable. Most surveys take an hour or two for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In a hamlet or village like Hale, 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. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- You tell us how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Before we arrive
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
Getting a price
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, and you can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form to find out.