Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Southfleet, Kent
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching across Southfleet, using drones and thermal imaging where it applies. Get in touch for a price.
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
Chimney survey in Southfleet
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. 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 check each possibility and record what we find. That points the work in the right direction. If you’ve noticed spalled or crumbling bricks and signs that a stack is leaning, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Older buildings in small places like Southfleet may be 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. Older materials such as clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photos, sent by email. It explains the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Where
- Southfleet (DA13)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
When you need someone else
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll recommend the right survey before booking. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Southfleet
The coast is about 4 miles or less from Southfleet, 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, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. About 3.6 miles south-east lies Cobham College, a reminder of how long the area around Southfleet has been built on. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead.
Take a building like Sedley's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School: its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of St Nicholas, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Southfleet is about 2 miles south-west of Northfleet, in Kent. Surveys in Southfleet work the same way as everywhere we cover: a careful inspection, photos and a written report. Southfleet is one of the places in Kent where we work. For surveys nearby, see our Maidstone page.
Every address in DA13 is within our area for chimney surveys. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Red Street, Gloxinia Road and Brakefield Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Hook Green (1 mile south-west), Northfleet Green (1 mile east), Betsham (1 mile north-west), Painters Ash (1 mile north-east) and Springhead (1 mile north). We also work in nearby towns like Maidstone (13 miles south-east), Dartford (5 miles north-west), Sevenoaks (11 miles south-west), Gravesend (3 miles north-east), Tonbridge (15 miles south) and Swanley (7 miles west).
Landmarks near Southfleet
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Northfleet School for Girls, Black Lion pub and Longfield Chalk Bank and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Longfield station, about 1.5 miles south-west. A little further out are Gravesham Community Hospital (2.7 miles north-east) and Bluewater (2.9 miles north-west). For a walk, there is Sawyers Lake.
How the survey changes by roof type
Rendered stacks
Some stacks are rendered, which can hide the condition of the brickwork beneath. The survey checks for cracking, bulging and staining in the render.
Chimney breasts and the loft
In the loft, staining around the stack often shows where water is getting in. What we find is photographed and described.
Do you need a chimney survey in Southfleet?
Some owners book because a chimney breast has been removed below and they want to know about the stack above. We note what’s visible in the loft space and outside, and the report recommends a structural engineer if support is a concern.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Mortar washing out of the joints
If you run a business near Bluewater, knowing the roof’s condition lets you budget for work rather than pay for emergencies.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What happens after the report arrives
- What they will not be able to tell you
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Why act early in Southfleet
A leaning stack should be looked at sooner rather than later. We record its condition and recommend a structural engineer where needed, so you know where you stand. In a small place like Southfleet, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and damp in older walls is slow to dry out.
Prices start from £150, with VAT included, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400. We confirm the price for the job before booking.
Why book with us
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Clear package prices, inc. VAT
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
Read our cost guide and two real surveys.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Southfleet
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work with less disruption.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on.
Places near Southfleet
What else we do in Southfleet
How the survey works
Every roof is different, but as a rough guide the survey takes between one and two hours on an ordinary house, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. You’re welcome to ask questions while we are there. Around Southfleet, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so it’s useful to know whether there is a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- 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.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Before we arrive
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Keep pets in another room
Arrange a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form, and we’ll ask about the building and what you need. You will have a price before anything is arranged.
Related advice
Your questions about chimney surveys in Southfleet
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Longfield station?
Yes, that’s a common request. We just need to know who will give access, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Southfleet, take more of a battering?
Near the coast, roofs face more wind and more salt than further inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
Do you inspect shared chimneys?
Yes. Shared stacks are common on terraced and semi-detached houses. We survey what we can see safely, and note anything that seems to involve next door.
What’s the best way to book?
It’s easiest to phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form. Let us know the address and a little about the roof, and we’ll take it from there. We survey on any day of the week.
Does someone need to be in?
Not always. If we only need the outside, we can agree that in advance, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
Why is my chimney breast damp?
There are a few common causes: water getting in at the top, through the brickwork or at the flashings, or moisture trapped in a stack with no ventilation. We look at each one and note the most likely cause.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.