Kent · London and the South East
Otham Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys across Otham, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. Every survey ends with a written report and photographs.
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Worn or missing pointing
Chimney survey in Otham
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. It might come in at the top, through worn pointing or porous bricks, or where the flashings meet the roof. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. That points the work in the right direction. If you’ve noticed a stack that appears to lean and eroded joints in the brickwork, we can find out what’s behind it.
In a smaller place like Otham, homes range from older cottages to bungalows and newer houses. Older roofs can have slate, clay tiles or other traditional coverings, while many later ones have concrete tiles. On older homes, chimney stacks, valleys and gutters are normally where the work is. Nails and battens under older coverings often give out before the slates or tiles themselves.
We keep jargon out of it: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, along with how urgent it is.
- Where
- Otham (ME15, ME17)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey works
We don’t take risks to get a closer look. Everything that can safely be seen is inspected, and anything we cannot see is noted in the report. Most visits take between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. A visit to a smaller place like Otham is no different on the day: outside, inside and from any safe vantage point, in that order. Point out any stains, cracks or loose pieces you’ve spotted.
- 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 be seen safely.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach them.
- You get a photo-illustrated written report and our recommendations.
Before the survey
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
Booking a survey
When you’re ready to go ahead, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date.
Read more
Common questions in Otham
Is my home in Otham listed or in a conservation area?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Will you come out to Otham?
Yes. Otham is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there as you book.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first, with the freeholder or managing agent. Mention it when you contact us and we’ll plan the survey around it.
What if it rains on the day?
It can, depending on the survey. Drones can’t fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. We’ll rearrange with you if the weather isn’t right.
Will you check the chimney is safe to use with a fire?
No. Our survey covers the outside of the stack and the roof around it. For the flue, you will need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We note visible signs like sagging or deflection, but we don’t carry out calculations or give an engineer’s opinion. If we think you need an engineer, the report says so.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. We look at the roof, not the whole building, and it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It can sit alongside a RICS survey if you want both.
Towns and villages near Otham
Other services in Otham
What a chimney survey looks like in Otham
Stoneacre, about 0.6 miles north-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Otham. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Across Kent, older roofs are frequently 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. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
Anyone responsible for a site like Senacre Technology College will know that its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. If you live near a park like Mote Park, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching.
Otham is about 2 miles south-east of Maidstone, in Kent. Bookings from Otham are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. We cover towns and villages across Kent, large and small.
We cover every part of the ME15 and ME17 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. That includes homes and businesses on Church Road, Spartall Drive and Ellis Field and the roads around them. Other places close to Otham include Willington (1 mile north-west), Park Wood (1 mile south-west), Langley (1 mile south-east), Shepway (1 mile north-west) and Caring (1 mile north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Ashford (15 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (10 miles north-east), Royal Tunbridge Wells (15 miles south-west), Gravesend (15 miles north-west), Tonbridge (13 miles west) and Faversham (15 miles east).
What’s near Otham
We work in homes and buildings around New Line Learning Academy, Senacre Wood Primary School and Mote Park, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Bearsted station, roughly 2.1 miles north. Nearby you’ll also find Kent Fire Brigade Museum (2.4 miles west) and KIMS hospital (2.8 miles north). For a walk, there is Detling Hill.
Different roofs, different checks
Brick stacks
Most chimney stacks are built of brick, with mortar joints that wear over time. We check the bricks for spalling and the joints for erosion.
Chimney pots and cowls
On redundant flues, we check how the pots are capped. Capping without ventilation can trap moisture.
What happens if roof problems are left?
Damp in a chimney breast usually gets worse while the cause is left. It can spoil decoration and plaster. Knowing whether it is the flaunching, flashings, brickwork or ventilation means the right fix can be planned. With lower homes, common in places like Otham, there is little between a roof defect and the ceiling, so water can show inside quickly once it gets past the covering. Finding the cause first saves a second job inside.
There are three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Why us?
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- Prices that include VAT
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
Take a look at our cost guide or what we found on two real jobs.
Checking the roof from ground level
A lot can be seen from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Don’t go up yourself.
What we are asked to look at in Otham
Some owners book because a chimney breast has been removed below and they want to know about the stack above. We note what’s visible in the loft space and outside, and the report recommends a structural engineer if support is a concern.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Mortar washing out of the joints
If you let a flat or house near Bearsted station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
What to check before booking
- What insurance they carry
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Their track record with similar roofs
What we cannot see
Every survey has limits, and it’s better to know them up front. Bear these in mind:
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roof types and parts we check
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching