Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Parkgate, Kent
Wondering about the chimney stack at a property in Parkgate? We carry out chimney surveys in Parkgate and across Kent, with plain-English findings.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Signs that a stack is leaning
Chimney survey in Parkgate
Our survey covers the structure of the stack and its weathering details. It is not a flue inspection, a sweep or a gas safety check. 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. We will tell you if we see anything that suggests they should take a look. We survey brick chimney stacks, shared and party-wall stacks and chimney pots and cowls, and common reasons people get in touch are flaunching that has broken away and pots or cowls that look unsafe.
In a small place like Parkgate, many roofs stand in the open, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A roof report shows what needs attention first. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are often the first to give way.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- Parkgate (TN30)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
The visit usually starts outside and finishes in the loft: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the loft space where it can be reached. In total, it takes an hour or two for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. For a village or hamlet like Parkgate, the journey is planned in advance: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- Every part we can see is checked: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Where there is safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Getting ready for the survey
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Keep pets in another room
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Getting a price
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. For a price or to book, call 07833 053749 or email us.
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When you need someone else
This isn’t a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
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 we look at
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
Prices for chimney surveys in Parkgate
Survey packages start from £150, with VAT included. The price for your roof depends on:
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- The roof’s overall size
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so the price reflects that. The price is confirmed before you book.
What to tell us when you get in touch
Here’s what helps us most when you get in touch:
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
We confirm the price for your roof before booking, so you know where you stand. Our price is from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Practical tips
There is plenty you can do without going near the roof. What helps most:
- Make sure unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
Once we have been, the findings are written up with photos. It explains the condition of each part of the stack and any damp inside. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24 to 48 hours and Premium reports the same day.
Make sure fixings on the stack are sound and taken off if they’re no longer needed. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
Places near Parkgate
What else we do in Parkgate
When to book a survey in Parkgate
TV aerials, satellite dishes and their brackets are often fixed to chimneys. Their weight and the wind on them can loosen bricks and pointing. We check fixings on the stack as part of the survey.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Mortar washing out of the joints
Anyone responsible for a site like Homewood School will know that large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
What to check before booking
- What exactly goes into their report
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- What experience they bring
Landlords, agents and block managers in Parkgate
We survey roofs for letting agents and landlords as well as homeowners. A written report with photographs gives you a clear record of the chimney stack, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants. We survey on any day of the week, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Local roofs in Parkgate
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. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. The wider area around Parkgate has a long history of building, with Smallhythe Place about 3.7 miles south-east. If yours is one of the older homes, 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 live near a park such as Wattle Wood, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Parkgate is about 10 miles south-west of Ashford, in Kent. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Parkgate can all book chimney surveys. We cover towns and villages across Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. Maidstone is in our area too.
We cover every part of the TN30 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. Streets in the area include Cranbrook Road, Millpond Lane and Tenterden Road, and we cover them all. If you’re just outside Parkgate, we cover Clapper Hill (1 mile north-west), East End (1 mile west), Strood (2 miles south), Fosten Green (2 miles north-west) and London Beach (2 miles north-east). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (14 miles north-west), Ashford (10 miles north-east), Foley Park (15 miles north), Paddock Wood (13 miles north-west), Bearsted (13 miles north) and Park Wood (12 miles north).
Around Parkgate
Around Parkgate, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Wattle Wood, among other places. Other landmarks nearby include Mervyn Quinlan Museum (1.5 miles west) and Benenden Hospital (1.5 miles west).
Parkgate: your questions answered
Will you come out to Parkgate?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We survey roofs across London and the South East. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route as you book.
Do you cover Parkgate?
Yes, Parkgate is within the area we cover. We work right across London and South East England. Just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and let us know about the property, and we will talk through which survey suits.
What’s the best way to book?
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address, the type of property and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price and agree a day with you.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
It can come from several places: 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.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. We are experienced roof surveyors, and our survey covers the roof rather than the whole building. For the rest of the building, a RICS home survey is a separate job.
Do you need to get into the loft?
If there’s a loft and safe access to it, yes. From inside, the underside of the roof frequently shows damp, staining or daylight that can’t be seen from outside.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We use safe viewpoints rather than climbing onto the stack. Where it applies, our Premium Survey adds a drone inspection for a closer view. Any area we couldn’t view is noted.