Kent · London and the South East
Stowting Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching for Stowting and the rest of Kent. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
What a chimney survey looks like in Stowting
Across Kent, older roofs are frequently handmade clay or peg tiles, and tile-hanging on upper walls is a familiar sight. You’ll also find oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses among the county’s older buildings. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. With Westenhanger Castle about 3.2 miles south, Stowting sits in an area with a long building history. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Stowting Church of England Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Church of St Mary, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Stowting is about 5 miles north-west of Hythe, in Kent. We carry out chimney surveys in Stowting for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings. We cover towns and villages across Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. There’s also a page for Canterbury.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: TN25. Whether your property is on Stowting Hill and Scot's Lane or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Close by, we survey roofs in Stowting Common (1 mile north), Hemsted (1 mile east), Skeete (1 mile south-east), Woodland (1 mile east) and Rhodes Minnis (2 miles east). Larger places within reach include Ashford (7 miles west), Canterbury (10 miles north), Dover (11 miles east), Folkestone (7 miles south-east), Whitstable (15 miles north) and Faversham (14 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Stowting
Around Stowting, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Spong Wood. Stowting’s nearest station is Westenhanger station, roughly 3.1 miles south. Nearby you’ll also find William Harvey Hospital (5.3 miles west) and Saltwood Castle (4.6 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Hatch Park and Tolsford Hill.
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Stowting
For buyers, a chimney survey before exchange can flag work you may want to raise. Cracked flaunching, failed flashings and worn pointing are common findings on older stacks. Our report gives you specific points to raise with the seller or agent. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it. If you’re worried about frost-damaged brickwork on the stack and flashings pulling away from the stack, we can find out what’s behind it.
Somewhere as small as Stowting, 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 frequently old. We report on what can safely be seen, and thatch is a specialist material. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs frequently need the most attention.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Stowting (TN25)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Towns and villages near Stowting
Also in Stowting
What we cannot see
No survey can tell you everything, and it’s better to know them up front. Keep these in mind:
- Parts of the stack that cannot be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we cannot access
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Flue inspections or sweeping
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will tell you. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
Roof by roof
Lead flashings
Some older stacks have mortar fillets instead of lead. They tend to crack, so we look at them closely.
Chimney pots and cowls
Pots sit in the flaunching on top of the stack, and cowls or caps sit on the pots. We check that they look secure and undamaged.
How the survey works
We photograph the roof as we go, so you can see in the report what we found and where. We take close-ups from wherever is safe, including by drone where it’s applicable and the weather allows. Most surveys take about one to two hours on an ordinary house, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. In a hamlet or village like Stowting, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, so a few directions are welcome. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- 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
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
Arrange a survey
You can call us seven days a week. To book or ask a question, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Advice
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed in advance. Surveys run seven days a week, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on, photographs included.
Questions from Stowting
Is my home in Stowting listed or in a conservation area?
We can’t confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Westenhanger station?
Of course. We just need to know who will give access, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
Our stack is shared. Can you still survey it?
Yes. Many houses share stacks with a neighbour. We survey what we can see safely, and note anything that seems to involve next door.
What happens after the survey?
You receive the written report by email, with photos and recommendations. You can use it to talk to a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent, whichever applies.
Do you look in the loft space?
Normally, if there is one and it can be reached safely. The loft space can show things the outside cannot, like damp timbers, staining or daylight.
Does someone need to be in?
Not necessarily. If we only need the outside, we can agree that ahead of time, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
How experienced are you?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years.
Useful tips for Stowting property owners
You do not need to be a roofer to help. What helps most:
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
The report is emailed to you, ready to share with a roofer or builder. Each defect is described in plain words and shown in a photo so anyone reading it can see what we saw.
Keep an eye on chimney breasts for new damp patches. Early signs are easier to trace.
What we are asked to look at in Stowting
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.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Signs that a stack is leaning
Homes near green spaces such as Spong Wood can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Before booking anyone
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Whether the inside of the roof is included