Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Harbourland, Kent
Chimney surveys in Harbourland, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. You get a clear report with photographs.
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
What a chimney survey looks like in Harbourland
Across Kent, older roofs are frequently handmade clay or peg tiles, and tile-hanging on upper walls is a familiar sight. You’ll 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. The wider area around Harbourland has a long history of building, with Stoneacre about 3.3 miles south-east. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
Take a building like Sandling Primary School: its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. For an older house near a landmark such as St Paul's Church, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Harbourland is about 2 miles north of Maidstone, in Kent. We visit Harbourland as part of our work across Kent, for homes and businesses alike. Across Kent, we cover Harbourland and the places around it.
All of ME14 is covered for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We also cover the places around Harbourland: Penenden Heath (1 mile south), Foley Park (1 mile south), Grove Green (1 mile south-east), Ringlestone (1 mile west) and Sandling (1 mile west). We also work in nearby towns such as Sittingbourne (9 miles north-east), Sevenoaks (15 miles west), Gravesend (12 miles north-west), Tonbridge (13 miles south-west), Faversham (15 miles east) and Northfleet (13 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in Harbourland
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The King's Arms, Valley Park School and Vinters Valley Park, among other places. Harbourland’s nearest station is Maidstone East station, about 1.3 miles south-west of the centre. Nearby you will also find KIMS hospital (0.9 miles south-east) and Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment Museum (1.4 miles south-west). For a walk, there’s Burham Down and Boxley Hills.
About our chimney survey in Harbourland
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. Condensation inside an unventilated stack is another common cause. We look at each possibility and record what we find. That points the work in the right direction. We survey brick chimney stacks, shared and party-wall stacks and flaunching, and the problems we are asked to look at most are pots or cowls that look unsafe and flaunching that has broken away.
Older buildings in small places like Harbourland may be listed or in a conservation area. If yours is, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so the council is the place to check. A roof report helps you plan work with that in mind. Older materials like clay tiles, slate and stone are frequently matched when work is done.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photographs, sent by email. It sets out the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our written recommendations.
- Where
- Harbourland (ME14)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Different roofs, different checks
Flaunching
Flaunching is the mortar on top of a stack that holds the pots and sheds water. Once it cracks, water can get straight into the brickwork.
Rendered stacks
Some stacks are rendered, which can hide the condition of the brickwork beneath. We look for cracks, hollow areas and staining.
Before and after the survey
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
The report is emailed to you, ready to share with a roofer or builder. Each defect is described in plain words and shown in a photo, so it is easy to follow.
Check fixings on the stack are sound and taken off if they’re no longer needed. Less load on the stack means less strain in wind.
Honest limits
We only report what can be seen safely on the day, so there are some things a survey can’t cover:
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will tell you before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
What a survey costs
Prices always include VAT. What changes the price is:
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Which survey package you book
- The roof’s overall size
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how it can be reached and seen safely. Prices start from £150, including VAT.
What we need to know
The more you tell us, the easier it is to price the survey. When you get in touch, it is useful to mention:
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- When you need the report by
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
- The kind of building and roof involved
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, and you can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email to find out.
Questions from Harbourland
Is my home in Harbourland listed or in a conservation area?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
I let a flat near Maidstone East station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and some details.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We look from the ground, from windows and from the loft where it is safe. A drone inspection is part of the Premium Survey where applicable. Any area we couldn’t view is noted.
Do you look in the loft space?
If the survey needs it and the roof space can be reached safely, yes. Please clear anything stored under the hatch, and if the loft can’t be reached safely, the report says so.
Why is my chimney breast damp?
It can come from several places: 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.
When does the report arrive?
It depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day. Reports are sent by email.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Not unless it’s safe. Safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where it applies cover most of what’s needed, and the report notes anything we couldn’t see.
Also near Harbourland
Other services in Harbourland
What we do, step by step
We do not take risks to get a closer look. We inspect everything that’s safely in view, and if part of the roof can’t be seen, the report says so. The survey normally takes an hour or two for a house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. For a village or hamlet like Harbourland, the journey is planned ahead of time: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect whatever is safely visible, inside and out.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Preparing for the visit
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
Book a survey
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know where you stand. Prices start from £150, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Related advice
Signs you need a chimney survey in Harbourland
TV aerials, satellite dishes and their brackets are frequently fixed to chimneys. Their weight and the wind on them can loosen bricks and pointing. Any fixings on the stack are checked and recorded.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Staining on walls around the chimney
If you let a flat or house near Maidstone East station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
Questions to ask before you book
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
- Are they insured for the work?
- When you will get the report