Kent · London and the South East
Kemsing Chimney Survey
Need a chimney survey in Kemsing? We can help, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
About our chimney survey in Kemsing
A chimney stands up above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. In time, flaunching cracks, mortar washes out and flashings come loose. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the loft space. We record what we find with photographs and recommendations. If you are worried about flaunching that has broken away and damaged chimney pots and cowls, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on chimney breasts, chimney pots and cowls and shared and party-wall stacks alike.
Houses in smaller places like Kemsing can face open ground, where wind and driving rain hit the roof harder. That weather tells first on ridges, verges, chimneys and flashings. A close look shows whether anything has started to loosen before it lets water in. A loose ridge tile or slate gives the wind something to catch, and others soon follow.
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
- Kemsing (TN15)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What we can’t see
Every survey has limits, and we’d rather be clear about that before you book. Keep these in mind:
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- Parts of the stack that can’t be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we can’t access
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What this survey covers
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground.
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and a fall can be serious. That’s where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
What happens on the day
We don’t take risks to get a closer look. We inspect everything that’s safely in view, and anything we can’t see is noted in the report. Most visits take about 1–2 hours at most homes, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. Some parts of a survey depend on the weather, so a visit to Kemsing is booked with the forecast in mind: drone flights and thermal imaging need the right conditions, while a look from the ground and the loft can go ahead in most weather.
- You tell us how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can safely be seen.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
Before we arrive
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
How to book
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, so ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the details.
Related advice
Kemsing questions
Will you come out to Kemsing?
Yes, Kemsing is covered. We work right across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
Is my home in Kemsing listed or in a conservation area?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
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.
What should I do with a chimney I don’t use?
It depends on its condition and your plans. The survey shows its condition and how it’s been capped. If you are thinking of removing it, check with the council first in a conservation area or on a listed building.
What happens after the survey?
You’ll receive the report by email, and what you do next is up to you: raise it with a seller, send it to an insurer, brief a roofer or share it with a managing agent.
Do you take photos of the roof?
Yes. Photographs are part of every report.
Can you find out why my chimney breast is damp?
There are a few common causes: cracked flaunching, worn pointing, failed flashings, uncapped pots, or damp trapped in an unventilated stack. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause.
Nearby places to Kemsing
More services for Kemsing
What a survey costs
Prices always include VAT. What changes the price is:
- Height and safe access
- Roof area
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Basic, Standard or Premium
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, inc. VAT, and we will tell you which fits.
What to tell us when you get in touch
If you can, have these to hand when you contact us:
- The address and postcode of the property
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- When you need the report by
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Local roofs in Kemsing
With Knole House about 2.8 miles south, Kemsing sits in an area with a long building history. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. 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. Kent’s older buildings take in oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses as well. Whatever the covering, it is often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
For site and facilities teams at buildings like Kemsing Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. Homes near green spaces such as Kemsing Down can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn. If you live in an older home near Church of St Mary, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Kemsing is about 2 miles north-east of Sevenoaks, in Kent. Whether the building in Kemsing is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, the roof can be surveyed on a weekday or at the weekend. Our Kent coverage includes Kemsing and the places around it. You can also see our page for Maidstone.
We work across TN15 for chimney surveys. We offer chimney surveys to properties on High Street, Copperfields Walk and Childsbridge Lane and the roads around them. We also cover the places around Kemsing: Cotman's Ash (1 mile north-east), Heaverham (2 miles east), Woodlands (2 miles north-east), Romney Street (2 miles north) and Knatts Valley (2 miles north-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Maidstone (14 miles east), Dartford (9 miles north), Royal Tunbridge Wells (12 miles south), Gravesend (11 miles north-east), Tonbridge (8 miles south) and Northfleet (10 miles north-east).
Landmarks near Kemsing
Typical jobs here are in homes near St Michael's Preparatory School, Knole Academy and Kemsing Down. Kemsing’s nearest station is Otford station, roughly 1 mile north-west of the centre. A little further out are Kemsing Castle Bank (0.5 miles east) and Otford Heritage Centre (1 mile west). Not far away are Dryhill Nature Reserve.
How the survey changes by roof type
Chimney breasts and the loft
Damp patches on chimney breasts often point to a problem above. We check the breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach.
Flaunching
Flaunching takes the worst of the weather. We look for cracks, gaps around the pots and missing pieces.
Leave it or get it looked at?
A loose pot or brick can fall from height. A survey picks them out so they can be made safe by a suitable contractor. Arranging work in a smaller place like Kemsing is easier with notice than in an emergency. Knowing early gives you time to get the right people in.
All our prices include VAT. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. We confirm the price for the job before booking.
What you get with us
- Every finding written up with photos
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- Visits on any day of the week
- An independent look at the roof