Kent · London and the South East
Harvel Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching across Harvel, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Call or email for a price.
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
What a chimney survey looks like in Harvel
The wider area around Harvel has a long history of building, with Cobham College about 3.4 miles north-east. If your home is one of the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Across Kent, older roofs are often handmade clay or peg tiles, and tile-hanging on upper walls is a familiar sight. Oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of the county’s older buildings too. Whatever the covering, it is often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
Take an older house close to Church of Our Lady of the Meadow: its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first. If you live near a park like Trosley Country Park, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys. For landlords with property near Sole Street station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Harvel is about 6 miles south of Gravesend, in Kent. Whether the building in Harvel is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, we can survey the roof. We cover towns and villages across Kent. For surveys nearby, see our Maidstone page.
Surveys in DA13 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We cover properties on St Francis Road, Hart Lane and Harvel Street and the roads around them. We also cover Priestwood Green (1 mile north), Culverstone Green (1 mile south-west), Priestwood (1 mile north), South Street (1 mile north-west) and Vigo Village (1 mile south). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (9 miles south-east), Dartford (9 miles north-west), Sevenoaks (9 miles south-west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (15 miles south), Gravesend (6 miles north) and Tonbridge (11 miles south).
Around Harvel
We work in homes and buildings around Meopham School and Trosley Country Park and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Sole Street station, roughly 2.7 miles north of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Leybourne Castle (3.6 miles south-east) and Coldrum Long Barrow (1.6 miles south). Open spaces near Harvel include Ranscombe Farm.
How a chimney survey works in Harvel
A chimney survey is about the outside of the stack and the roof around it. It is not a flue inspection, a chimney sweep or a gas safety inspection. For the flue itself, you’ll need a sweep or, for gas appliances, a Gas Safe registered engineer. We will tell you if we see anything that suggests they should take a look. We survey flaunching, lead flashings and chimney pots and cowls, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are gaps where the stack meets the roof and loose, cracked or missing pots.
In a village or hamlet like Harvel, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, frequently 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. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
Where we can’t see part of the chimney stack, the report says so. You will know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Where
- Harvel (DA13)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
DIY checks: what’s safe
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Do not go up yourself.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
FAQs for Harvel
Can a landlord with a rental near Sole Street station book a roof survey?
Yes, that is a common request. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Harvel?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Are you insured?
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance cover our surveys. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
What do I do with the report?
You will receive the report by email, and what you do next is up to you: use it with a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not always. Safety comes first, and fragile or steep roofs can’t always be walked on. Safe viewpoints, the loft and a drone where applicable let us see the rest.
Is it a problem to have an unused chimney?
A redundant chimney needs looking after like any other. Capping without airflow can lead to damp. We check how it’s capped and its condition, so you can plan what to do with it.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We inspect from wherever is safe: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the loft space. Our Premium Survey includes a drone inspection where applicable. We note anything we couldn’t see.
Places near Harvel
What else we do in Harvel
How the survey changes by roof type
Flaunching
Flaunching takes the worst of the weather. The survey checks for cracking and gaps around each pot.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Where a breast has been taken out, we look at what supports the stack. A structural engineer should confirm whether it’s adequate.
Tips that help
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. With the same list in front of each contractor, comparing quotes is simpler.
Check fixings on the stack are sound, and moved if they’re working it loose. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Harvel
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Let us know about it when you book and we will plan the survey around it.
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, putting the urgent items at the top.
How the survey works
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof, but as a rough guide the survey takes about one to two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. You’re welcome to ask questions while we’re there. For a village or hamlet like Harvel, the journey is planned in advance: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect everything that’s safely in view, inside and out.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
How to prepare
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
Getting a price
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Read more
Prices for chimney surveys in Harvel
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- The roof’s overall size
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
- House, block, shop or office
Price depends partly on the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all with VAT included. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
What to tell us when you get in touch
We’ll usually ask about:
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- Where the property is, with the postcode
Photos help, if you have them. Take them safely from ground level or a window; never climb up to get a better view. To send them or to book, phone 07833 053749 or email us.