Kent · London and the South East
Leybourne Chimney Survey
Get a clear view of the chimney stack at a property in Leybourne. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- A stack that appears to lean
- Flaunching that has broken away
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Leybourne
Our survey covers the structure of the stack and its weathering details. It’s not a flue inspection, a chimney sweep or a gas safety inspection. If you use a fire or a gas appliance, the flue should be checked by a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer as appropriate. If something we see points to the flue, we’ll say so. We survey brick chimney stacks, lead flashings and flaunching, and common reasons people get in touch are a chimney out of line and eroded joints in the brickwork.
Older buildings in small places like Leybourne 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. Older materials such as clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
Most points in the report come with a picture, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. If something couldn’t be seen safely, the report is clear about it.
- Place
- Leybourne (ME19, ME20)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What a survey costs
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before you book. These are the things that affect it:
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, access and which survey you book.
Getting in touch
Some details help us suggest the right survey and price. When you contact us, tell us:
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
Most bookings start with a short call: call 07833 053749 or email us. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Leybourne questions
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near West Malling station?
Of course. 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 Leybourne?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, across 20+ years of surveying roofs.
What insurance do you have?
We’re covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
What does the report include?
It works through the roof part by part, in writing and with photos, finishing with recommendations. Points are put in order of urgency where relevant.
Do you work in Leybourne?
Yes. We carry out chimney surveys in Leybourne, and the service is the same as everywhere else we work.
Do I need to be at home?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. We’ll talk about access as you book.
Chimney surveys in Leybourne: local notes
Across Kent, older roofs are often handmade clay or peg tiles, and tile-hanging on upper walls is a familiar sight. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. Whatever the covering, it’s frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. About 4.5 miles north lies Starkey Castle, a reminder of how long the area around Leybourne has been built on. If your house is among 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.
If you let a flat or house near West Malling station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant. If you live near a park such as Leybourne Lakes Country Park, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys.
Leybourne is about 5 miles north-west of Maidstone, in Kent. Surveys in Leybourne work the same way as everywhere we cover: a careful inspection, photos and a written report. Leybourne is one of the towns and villages in Kent we cover.
Every address in ME19 and ME20 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Local streets include London Road, Oxley Shaw Lane and Redbank. Other places close to Leybourne include Larkfield (1 mile east), Lunsford (1 mile north-east), New Hythe (1 mile north-east), Birling (1 mile north-west) and Snodland (2 miles north). Further out, we also cover Maidstone (5 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (14 miles east), Dartford (13 miles north-west), Sevenoaks (10 miles west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (13 miles south-west) and Gravesend (9 miles north).
What’s near Leybourne
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Malling School, Leybourne Lakes Country Park and The Malling School. Leybourne’s nearest station is West Malling station, about 0.7 miles south-west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Leybourne Castle (under half a mile north-west) and Coldrum Long Barrow (2.7 miles north-west). The countryside around Leybourne includes Burham Down and Blue Bell Hill.
Signs you need a chimney survey in Leybourne
Lots of homes have redundant stacks. If a stack is capped or blocked without ventilation, moisture can build up inside. That can lead to damp patches on chimney breasts, even with the roof in good order.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
Anyone responsible for a site like Lunsford Primary School will know that its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
Landlords, agents and block managers in Leybourne
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed beforehand. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when tenants work during the week.
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work around your tenants.
More services for Leybourne
What you can safely check yourself
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are frequently out of sight.
What we do, step by step
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof; as a rough guide, the survey takes about 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. If you have questions on the day, just ask. For a village or hamlet like Leybourne, the journey is planned ahead of time: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Getting ready for the survey
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
Booking a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. Otherwise, simply ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email whenever suits you.
Read more
Honest limits
Before booking, it’s worth knowing what a survey will not do:
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we check
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks