Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Sole Street, Kent
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Sole Street, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Worn or missing pointing
About our chimney survey in Sole Street
A damp patch on a chimney breast does not always come from the same place. 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. We look at each possibility and record what we find. That points the work in the right direction. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, flaunching and brick chimney stacks, and people most often book us about unused flues sealed without airflow and signs that a stack is leaning.
In a village or hamlet like Sole Street, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. We report on whatever is safely visible, and thatch is a specialist material. On older roofs, it is usually the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
Most points in the report come with a picture, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Location
- Sole Street (DA13, DA12)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Sole Street homes and their roofs
The coast is about 5 miles or less from Sole Street, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. 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. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
Historic houses like Cobham College, about 0.9 miles east, show how far back building around Sole Street goes. Older roofs nearby frequently mix original materials with later repairs, and the survey shows where each one is. For site and facilities teams at buildings like Cobham Primary School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. The streets around a church such as St Mary's Room are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Sole Street is about 3 miles south of Gravesend, in Kent. From houses to flats and shops in Sole Street, the roof can be surveyed on a weekday or at the weekend. We cover towns and villages across Kent. You can also see our page for Maidstone.
We work across the DA13 and DA12 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. That includes homes and businesses on Scratton Fields, Sole Street and Manor Road. If you’re just outside Sole Street, we cover Gold Street (1 mile east), Round Street (1 mile north), Henley Street (1 mile south-east), Meopham (1 mile south-west) and Foxendown (1 mile south). We also work in nearby towns like Maidstone (10 miles south-east), Dartford (8 miles north-west), Sevenoaks (11 miles south-west), Gravesend (3 miles north), Tonbridge (14 miles south) and Northfleet (4 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Sole Street
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Railway Inn, Meopham School and Camer Park Country Park and the streets around them. There is a railway station in Sole Street itself: Sole Street station. Well-known places in the area include Gravesham Museum (3.9 miles north) and Gravesham Community Hospital (4 miles north). The countryside around Sole Street includes Ranscombe Farm and Gad's Hill.
Also near Sole Street
More services for Sole Street
Why it’s worth a survey now in Sole Street
A loose pot or brick can fall from height. Finding them early means they can be dealt with before they come down by a suitable contractor. Older cottages and farmhouses around Sole Street 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.
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and which survey you book.
Why book us in Sole Street
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
Read our cost guide or two real surveys.
Roof by roof
Flaunching
We often find flaunching that has cracked or broken away. Caught early, it is often a small job.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Damp patches on chimney breasts often point to a problem above. We check the breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach.
When you need someone else
Every survey has limits, and it is better to know them up front. Keep these in mind:
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Parts of the stack that cannot be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we can’t access
- Hidden damage within the stack
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
How it works
We check the roof from outside and, where it’s relevant and there’s safe access, from inside the roof space too. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement. The whole visit normally takes an hour or two for a house, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. Older roofs in small places like Sole Street can have low, tight loft spaces, so tell us about the loft hatch and any ladder. We only go where it is safe.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there is access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
How to prepare
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Arrange a survey
Photos help, if you have them. Take them safely from the ground or a window, and please do not climb up for a closer look. To send them or to book, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
Surveys for landlords and agents in Sole Street
Landlords and agents in Sole Street book surveys as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photographs.
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work with less disruption.
Can I check my roof myself?
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
It helps to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us when you book, as it helps us focus the survey.
Sole Street: your questions answered
Is the coastal weather around Sole Street hard on roofs?
Generally, yes: wind and salt air take more of a toll near the sea. Exposed details like ridges, verges, flashings and metal fixings are the ones to watch.
Will you come out to Sole Street?
Yes, Sole Street is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime, which suits people who work during the week. Just say which days work for you.
Will I get photos?
Yes. Photos are part of every report.
How many surveys have you done?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, across 20+ years of surveying roofs.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. Our survey is not a structural engineer’s report, and it doesn’t include calculations. We will recommend an engineer if we see signs that call for one.