Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in South Street, Kent
Independent chimney surveys in South Street. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Flaunching that has broken away
- A chimney out of line
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
Your questions about chimney surveys in South Street
I let a flat near Selling station. Can you check the roof?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you need, and we will talk through which survey suits.
Is South Street within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Our area covers London and the South East. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when booking.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Only when it’s safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where it applies, a drone, and anything out of sight is recorded in the report.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
What if it rains on the day?
Light rain doesn’t typically stop a survey, and it can even help show where water is getting in. Strong wind or a downpour can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so we will agree a new date if the weather isn’t suitable.
Is it a problem to have an unused chimney?
A redundant chimney needs looking after like any other. Capping without airflow can lead to damp. Our survey records its condition and how it is capped, so you can decide with a builder what to do.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We look from ground level, from windows and from the loft where it’s safe. Where applicable, our Premium Survey adds a drone inspection for a closer view. Any area we couldn’t view is noted.
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in South Street
A chimney survey looks at the stack and everything around it: the pots and cowls, the flaunching on top, the pointing, the brickwork and the flashings where it meets the roof. We also look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. You get a written report with photos and our recommendations. We survey single stacks on houses and groups of stacks on bigger buildings. We survey brick chimney stacks, flaunching and chimney pots and cowls, and the problems we are asked to look at most are cracked or missing flaunching and flashings pulling away from the stack.
Village roofs frequently face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent.
- Location
- South Street (ME13)
- Region
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What we’re asked to look at in South Street
Many chimneys are no longer used. If a stack is capped or blocked without ventilation, moisture can build up inside. That can lead to damp patches on chimney breasts, even with the roof in good order.
It is worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Flaunching that has broken away
- A stack that appears to lean
Take a building like Boughton-under-Blean and Dunkirk Primary School: a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
Chimney surveys around South Street
South Street is within about 5 miles of the coast, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Near the sea, metal fixings wear faster and loose pieces on a roof are more likely to lift, while driving rain finds any gap. With Belmont House and Gardens about 4.4 miles west, South Street sits in an area with a long building history. If yours is one of the older homes, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof.
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Church of St Peter and St Paul, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. Trees in and around Mount Ephraim Gardens shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters.
South Street is about 3 miles south-east of Preston, in Kent. We provide chimney surveys for homes and businesses in South Street and nearby. Our area takes in places right across Kent, large and small. We also survey roofs in Canterbury.
Chimney surveys in ME13 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Whether your property is on North Lane and South Street or anywhere close by, we can help. We also cover Crouch (1 mile north-west), Oversland (1 mile east), Neames Forstal (1 mile south-west), Hickmans Green (1 mile north-east) and Winterbourne (1 mile east). Within a short drive, we also cover Ashford (10 miles south), Canterbury (6 miles east), Sittingbourne (10 miles north-west), Whitstable (6 miles north-east), Faversham (3 miles north-west) and Herne Bay (10 miles north-east).
Local landmarks in South Street
We work in homes and buildings around Mount Ephraim Gardens and The Sondes Arms. There is a railway station in South Street itself: Selling station. Well-known places in the area include Eastbridge Hospital of St Thomas the Martyr (5.7 miles east) and Tower keep castle at Chilham (2.8 miles south). Not far away are Blean Woods RSPB Reserve.
When you need someone else
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll suggest the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
How we price chimney surveys
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- Which survey package you book
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- Height and safe access
- How big the roof is
All our prices include VAT. Prices start from £150, including VAT. We confirm the price for your roof before booking.
Booking your survey
We will typically ask about:
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
Once you know what you need, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date.
Tips that help
You do not need to be a roofer to help. Here’s what helps most:
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
Once we’ve been, the findings are written up with photos. It covers the pots, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings, and any damp we found inside. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Have aerial and dish brackets on the stack checked and taken off if they’re no longer needed. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
Places near South Street
More services for South Street
What happens on the day
We work from the outside in: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the loft space where it can be reached. In total, it takes between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Older roofs in small places like South Street can have low, tight loft spaces, so it helps to know whether there is a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. We only go where it’s safe.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- The stacks are looked at from ground level, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
Preparing for the visit
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
Getting a price
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Related advice
Roof by roof
Chimney breasts and the loft
Stains on timbers or brickwork around the stack can point to a leak. What we find is photographed and described.
Flaunching
Flaunching is the mortar on top of a stack that holds the pots and sheds water. Once it cracks, water can get straight into the brickwork.