Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Newnham, Kent
Not sure what state the chimney stack is in? You can book a chimney survey in Newnham and across Kent.
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
Useful tips for Newnham property owners
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. Our suggestions:
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. Because everyone is pricing the same findings, the quotes are easier to compare.
Have aerial and dish brackets on the stack checked, and moved if they’re working it loose. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
Chimney survey in Newnham
A damp patch on a chimney breast doesn’t always come from the same place. 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. If you’ve noticed a chimney out of line and disused chimneys trapping moisture, we can find out what’s behind it.
In a small place like Newnham, many roofs stand in the open, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
Nothing in the report is left vague: if work is needed, the report says so clearly.
- Where
- Newnham (ME9)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Landlords and letting agents in Newnham book surveys as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photos, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends, which can make access easier.
Why act early in Newnham
A leaning stack should be looked at sooner rather than later. We record its condition and recommend a structural engineer where needed, so you can decide what to do next. Older cottages and farmhouses around Newnham can have roof timbers that have been there a very long time, where water from a failed roof can cause rot if it’s left.
One thing that affects the price is the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all including VAT. The roof’s size, height and access matter as well.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Newnham
- Packages from £150, inc. VAT
- 20+ years’ experience
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- 98% customer satisfaction
Towns and villages near Newnham
What else we do in Newnham
Common questions in Newnham
Is Newnham within the area you cover?
Yes. Newnham is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We work right across London and the South East. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
How do I find out if my home in Newnham is listed?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Light rain is normally fine; heavy rain and wind are different. In high wind or heavy rain, a drone can’t fly and access may not be safe, and we’d agree another day.
Are you insured?
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance cover our surveys. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Not always. Some roofs are too steep or fragile to walk on safely. Safe viewpoints, the loft and a drone where applicable let us see the rest, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
Why is my chimney breast damp?
There are a few common causes: water getting in at the top, through the brickwork or at the flashings, or moisture trapped in a stack with no ventilation. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Newnham
About 2.2 miles south-east lies Belmont House and Gardens, a reminder of how long the area around Newnham has been built on. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years. Handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles hung on pegs through two holes, are typical of older Kent buildings. Oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of the county’s older buildings too. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
Take an older house close to Church of St Peter and St Paul: old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs. Living close to Doddington Place Gardens is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Newnham is about 4 miles south-west of Faversham, in Kent. Whether the building in Newnham is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, we can survey the roof on a weekday or at the weekend. Newnham is one of the towns and villages in Kent where we work. We also survey roofs in Maidstone.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: ME9. Streets in the area include The Street, Sharsted Hill and Newnham Lane, all of which we cover. Other places close to Newnham include Doddington (1 mile west), Wichling (2 miles west), Bluetown (2 miles west), Hollybushes (3 miles west) and Payden Street (3 miles south-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Maidstone (12 miles west), Ashford (10 miles south), Canterbury (12 miles east), Sittingbourne (5 miles north-west), Whitstable (11 miles north-east) and Faversham (4 miles north-east).
What’s near Newnham
Around Newnham, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The George Inn and Doddington Place Gardens. For rail, the closest station is Teynham station, roughly 3.4 miles north. Nearby you will also find Newnham Castle (less than half a mile north-east).
When to book a survey in Newnham
Flashings seal the gap where a stack passes through the roof. With age they can lift, split or come away from the joints. When flashings fail, water often shows up in the loft or on the chimney breast. Lead is also a target for theft.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Mortar washing out of the joints
Landlords with a home close to Teynham station may find that a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- What happens after the report arrives
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
The survey, step by step
Once we have finished looking, we write up our findings as a photo-illustrated written report, emailed to you. On timing, most surveys take about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Around Newnham, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can safely be seen.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Before we arrive
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
Booking a survey
Once you know what you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date.
Read more
How the survey changes by roof type
Brick stacks
Frost can damage bricks that have soaked up water, making the faces flake away. We record any we can see.
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.