Medway · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Lordswood, Medway
Chimney surveys in Lordswood from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. Over 5,000 surveys and 20+ years behind us across London and South East England.
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Worn or missing pointing
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
How a chimney survey works in Lordswood
Each stack is looked at from the safest viewpoints available: from the ground, from windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there is access. With our Premium Survey, a drone inspection is included where applicable. Where part of a stack cannot be seen, the report says so. Every defect we find is photographed and described in plain words. If you’re worried about spalled or crumbling bricks and worn or missing pointing, we can find out what’s behind it.
In a smaller place like Lordswood, homes range from older cottages to bungalows and newer houses. Coverings range from slate and clay tiles on older homes to concrete tiles on many later ones. On older homes, chimney stacks, valleys and gutters are typically where the work is. Nails and battens under older coverings often give out before the slates or tiles themselves.
If any part of the chimney stack couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. You’ll know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t.
- Place
- Lordswood (ME5, ME7)
- Wider area
- Medway
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we do, step by step
Before we start, tell us why you’ve booked: buying, a leak, storm damage, new work or just wanting to know where things stand. It helps us focus on what matters most to you. The visit normally takes between one and two hours on an ordinary house, and longer for a large or complex roof. A visit to Lordswood is planned like any other: the time, the access and where to park are agreed ahead of time. Weekday and weekend visits are both possible. If there are outbuildings or garages you want looked at, mention them.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- The stacks are looked at from the ground, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Where there’s safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- You get a photo-illustrated written report and our recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Book a survey
Unsure which package suits your roof? It is easiest to ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
Advice
For landlords and managing agents
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, putting the urgent items at the top.
With a portfolio of properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To discuss a number of properties, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the addresses.
Roof by roof
Chimney pots and cowls
For unused flues, we check whether caps or cowls allow ventilation. Capping without ventilation can trap moisture.
Flaunching
We often find flaunching that has cracked or broken away. It is normally a modest repair when it’s caught early.
Also near Lordswood
Also in Lordswood
Useful tips for Lordswood property owners
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
You get the report by email and can pass it to whoever does the work. We use plain English and a photo for each defect, so it is easy to follow.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. That helps stop damp building up inside.
Questions from Lordswood
Can a landlord with a rental near Chatham 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 we can send the report to you or your agent.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Lordswood?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
How soon will I get the report?
Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24–48 hours and Premium reports on the same day. Each one is emailed.
What does the report include?
Written findings with photos, covering the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend, with the most urgent first where relevant. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check, and the Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies and structural analysis.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day, which suits people who work during the week. Just say which days work for you.
How do I book a survey in Lordswood?
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address, the type of property and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price and find a day that suits.
Why get it checked now?
A leaning stack should be looked at sooner rather than later. Our survey records it and says when a structural engineer should look at it, so you know where you stand. Around Lordswood, a leak in an older house can soak into timbers and plaster, which is far harder to put right than the roof fault itself.
There are three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Why book us in Lordswood
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- PI and public liability insurance
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- 98% of customers satisfied
See what a roof survey costs and two real surveys.
Lordswood homes and their roofs
The coast is about 5 miles or less from Lordswood, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, and strong wind lifts anything already loose on a roof. With Restoration House about 3.9 miles north-west, Lordswood 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 a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If you own a rental within reach of Chatham station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. Homes near green spaces such as South Wood can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn.
Lordswood is about 2 miles south of Chatham, in Medway. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Lordswood can all book chimney surveys. Our Medway coverage includes Lordswood.
All of ME5 and ME7 is covered for chimney surveys. Streets in the area include Hall Road, Rover Road and Gould Road, and we cover them all. If you’re just outside Lordswood, we cover Lidsing (1 mile south-east), Walderslade (1 mile west), Dunn Street (1 mile south-east), Bredhurst (1 mile east) and Hempstead (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Gillingham (3 miles north-east), Rochester (4 miles north-west), Rainham (3 miles north-east), Strood (5 miles north-west), Twydall (3 miles north-east) and Hoo St Werburgh (6 miles north). Lordswood is among the bigger towns we cover in Medway.
Local landmarks in Lordswood
Typical jobs here are in homes near Greenacre Academy, South Wood and The Harrow pub. The nearest railway station is Chatham station, roughly 3.2 miles north of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Pentagon Shopping Centre (3.4 miles north) and Medway Maritime Hospital (3 miles north). Not far away are Burham Down and Boxley Hills.
When to book a survey in Lordswood
Some owners book because a chimney breast has been removed below and they want to know about the stack above. We record what we can see in the loft and outside, and recommend a structural engineer where support is in question.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Flaunching that has broken away
Take an older house close to St David's Church: the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Questions to ask before you book
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Their insurance cover
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one