Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Slutshole, Kent
Chimney surveys in Slutshole from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Flaunching that has broken away
- A stack that appears to lean
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
What affects the price in Slutshole
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. The main factors are:
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Basic, Standard or Premium
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how it can be reached and seen safely. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT.
Getting in touch
A little information up front helps. It helps to include:
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- The property’s address and postcode
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from the ground or a window. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
About our chimney survey in Slutshole
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. 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. We’re often asked to look into cracked or missing flaunching and bricks with flaking faces, on chimney breasts, shared and party-wall stacks and lead flashings.
Some older homes in villages like Slutshole are 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. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
Findings are set out part by part, from the coverings down to the gutters. It records what’s sound as well as what isn’t.
- Where
- Slutshole (ME13)
- Region
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What we’re asked to look at in Slutshole
Years of fires can affect the mortar inside a stack. Mortar can deteriorate unevenly from flue gases and moisture, which can make a stack lean.
We’re often asked to look at:
- A chimney out of line
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
Take an older house close to Church of St Michael: its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
What to check before booking
- Their track record with similar roofs
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- What insurance they carry
- How long the report takes to arrive
How the survey changes by roof type
Lead flashings
Some older stacks have mortar fillets instead of lead. They crack with age, and we check them too.
Chimney breasts and the loft
If a chimney breast has been removed below, we note what we can see of the support above. A structural engineer should confirm whether it is adequate.
Your questions about chimney surveys in Slutshole
Is the coastal weather around Slutshole hard on roofs?
It can do. Slutshole is within about 4 miles of the sea, and coastal roofs tend to see faster wear on metal parts and more wind lifting loose pieces.
Will you come out to Slutshole?
Yes, Slutshole is covered. We cover the whole of London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Do you inspect shared chimneys?
Yes. Many houses share stacks with a neighbour. We survey what we can see safely, and note anything that seems to involve next door.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have been surveying roofs for over 20 years and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
How do I arrange a chimney survey in Slutshole?
Just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day, weekday or weekend.
Is it a problem to have an unused chimney?
A redundant chimney needs looking after like any other. If it’s capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside. Our survey records its condition and how it is capped, so you can decide with a builder what to do.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey is a roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey of the whole building. It focuses on the roof and can sit alongside a RICS survey.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Slutshole
Slutshole lies within about 4 miles of the sea, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces. Listing and conservation areas can both shape what roof work is allowed on an older home. The council is the place to check, along with Historic England’s list, ideally before any re-roofing is planned.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Hernhill Church of England Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. Living close to Mount Ephraim Gardens is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
Slutshole is about 3 miles east of Faversham, in Kent. We survey roofs in Slutshole and the rest of Kent. Slutshole is one of the towns and villages in Kent where we work for chimney surveys. For surveys nearby, see our Canterbury page.
Chimney surveys in ME13 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Other places close to Slutshole include Hernhill (1 mile north-east), Staplestreet (1 mile south-west), Dargate (1 mile north-east), Goodnestone (1 mile north-west) and Culmers (1 mile north-west). Larger places within reach include Ashford (12 miles south), Canterbury (6 miles east), Sittingbourne (10 miles west), Whitstable (5 miles north-east), Faversham (3 miles west) and Herne Bay (9 miles north-east).
Around Slutshole
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Red Lion pub and Mount Ephraim Gardens, among other places. The nearest railway station is Selling station, about 2.1 miles south. Well-known places in the area include Tower keep castle at Chilham (4.3 miles south) and Eastbridge Hospital of St Thomas the Martyr (5.5 miles east). Not far away are Blean Woods RSPB Reserve.
How the survey works
The visit has one job: to see as much of the chimney stack as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It usually takes about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Cottages and farmhouses around Slutshole often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- 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.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Where there’s safe access, we look at 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.
Preparing for the visit
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
Getting a price
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Advice
Useful tips for Slutshole property owners
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner:
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
- Check unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Photograph damp patches with the date
If anything in the report is not clear, just ask us. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. With binoculars, you can frequently see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
Towns and villages near Slutshole
What else we do in Slutshole
What happens if roof problems are left?
A loose pot or brick can fall from height. A survey picks them out so they can be made safe by a roofer. For an older or listed building in a place like Slutshole, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so leaving a defect until it’s urgent leaves less time to plan.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so the price reflects that. The price is confirmed before booking.
Why book us in Slutshole
- Plain-English reports with photos
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- An independent view of the roof
Take a look at our cost guide or our case studies.