Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in South Alkham, Kent
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching across South Alkham, using drones and thermal imaging where it applies. Call or email for a price.
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- A chimney out of line
How the survey works
We will ask a few questions first, like when any problem began and what work has been done before. Then the inspection itself takes an hour or two at a typical home, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Somewhere as small as South Alkham, access is often the only tricky part. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Before the survey
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
Book a survey
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can phone 07833 053749 or email us to find out.
Advice
About our chimney survey in South Alkham
A chimney stands up above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. In time, flaunching cracks, mortar washes out and flashings come loose. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the roof space. We record what we find with photos and recommendations. We’re frequently asked to look into flashings pulling away from the stack and a stack that appears to lean, across flaunching, lead flashings and brick chimney stacks.
Somewhere as small as South Alkham, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some 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. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the coverings down to the gutters. It records what’s sound as well as what isn’t.
- Place
- South Alkham (CT15)
- Region
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Practical tips
You don’t need to be a roofer to help. What helps most:
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
If the report recommends a structural engineer, a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer, it will say why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. The sooner damp is spotted, the easier the cause is to find.
Nearby places to South Alkham
More services for South Alkham
Questions from South Alkham
Is the coastal weather around South Alkham hard on roofs?
Often, yes. Within about 2 miles of the sea, as South Alkham is, metal fixings wear faster and gales find any loose ridge or slate.
Do you cover smaller places like South Alkham?
Yes, South Alkham is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
A leaning stack should be looked at. Our survey notes how it looks and the condition of the bricks and joints, and recommend a structural engineer where it may be a structural concern.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys, across 20+ years of surveying roofs, with 98% customer satisfaction.
How much is a survey?
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. We confirm the exact price before booking. To get a price, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing are not part of what we do. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. We look at the parts we’re given access to, and the report makes that clear.
Roof by roof
Flaunching
Flaunching takes the worst of the weather. We look for cracks, gaps around the pots and missing pieces.
Brick stacks
Most chimney stacks are built of brick, with mortar joints that wear over time. The survey looks for crumbling bricks and worn or missing mortar.
What a survey costs
We confirm the exact price before booking. These are the things that affect it:
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package you pick makes a difference too. The price is always agreed first.
Getting in touch
Before you get in touch, it’s useful to have:
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
We survey roofs seven days a week. To find a date that works for you, phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and the days you’d prefer.
When to book a survey in South Alkham
Stacks that were used for open fires for many years can weaken from the inside. Flue gases and damp can break down the mortar, sometimes more on one side than the other, which is one reason stacks start to lean.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- A chimney out of line
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
For an older house near a landmark like Church of St Anthony the Martyr, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Questions to ask before you book
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Whether the price includes VAT
For landlords and managing agents
We survey roofs for landlords and agents as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photos.
With a portfolio of properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To discuss a number of properties, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the addresses.
South Alkham homes and their roofs
South Alkham is within about 2 miles of the coast, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, and strong wind lifts anything already loose on a roof. 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. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
For landlords with property near Kearsney station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak. Homes near green spaces like Sladden Wood can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
South Alkham is about 4 miles west of Dover, in Kent. If you are in South Alkham, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. South Alkham is one of the towns and villages in Kent we cover for chimney surveys. You can also see our page for Canterbury.
Every address in CT15 is within our area for chimney surveys. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Meggett Lane and Alkham Valley Road or anywhere close by, we can help. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Alkham (1 mile north-east), Drellingore (1 mile south-west), Chalksole Green (1 mile north), Ewell Minnis (1 mile north-east) and Wolverton (1 mile north-east). We also work in nearby towns like Ashford (15 miles west), Canterbury (12 miles north-west), Dover (4 miles east), Folkestone (4 miles south-west), Deal (10 miles north-east) and Hythe (7 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in South Alkham
We work in homes and buildings around Sladden Wood and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Kearsney station, about 2.8 miles north-east of the centre. A little further out are Folkestone Castle (3.2 miles south-west) and Crabble Corn Mill (3.1 miles east). For a walk, there’s Dover Western Heights and Sugar Loaf Hill.