Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Swanscombe, Kent
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Swanscombe, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Call or email for a price.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
Common questions in Swanscombe
Do you cover smaller places like Swanscombe?
Yes, we do. We survey roofs across London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
Is my home in Swanscombe listed or in a conservation area?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Does the report include photos?
Yes. The report includes photographs of what we found, so you can see each point for yourself.
Why is my chimney breast damp?
Typically it’s water getting in from outside, or condensation in a sealed stack. The survey looks at the stack, the flashings and the capping and records the likely cause.
Which parts of the chimney do you look at?
The survey covers the pots and cowls, the flaunching, the pointing, the bricks and the flashings. Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. You get a written report with photos.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not always. Safety comes first, and fragile or steep roofs cannot always be walked on. We use safe viewpoints, the loft space and a drone where it applies, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drones can’t fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. If the conditions aren’t right, we will talk to you about another date.
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Swanscombe
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. Condensation inside an unventilated stack is another common cause. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. That points the work in the right direction. If you’ve noticed disused chimneys trapping moisture and pots or cowls that look unsafe, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
In a smaller place like Swanscombe, some roofs stand more exposed to wind and rain than in a built-up town. That weather tells first on ridges, verges, chimneys and flashings. Checking those edges shows whether anything has begun to work loose before it lets water in. A loose ridge tile or slate gives the wind something to catch, and others soon follow.
The report doesn’t just list problems. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend.
- Where
- Swanscombe (DA9, DA10)
- Region
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Common roof problems in Swanscombe
A stack takes the weather from every direction. Frost opens up cracks in the mortar, and rain gets into worn bricks and joints. People usually call us when they notice damp or a problem with the stack, or before a purchase.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
If you own a rental within reach of Greenhithe for Bluewater station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Before you book anyone
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- When you will get the report
- What follow-up you get after the report
- Will the report include photos?
What a chimney survey does not cover
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so there are some things a survey cannot cover:
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer before booking. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Swanscombe
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
Swanscombe homes and their roofs
Swanscombe is within about 4 miles of the coast, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, while gales work at loose ridges, slates and tiles, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. Before planning roof work on an older home, find out whether it’s listed or in a conservation area. Listed building consent covers changes to a listed building’s special interest, and an Article 4 direction can bring extra controls in a conservation area.
Anyone responsible for a site like Knockhall Primary School will know that its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. Take an older house close to Church of St Mary: the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Swanscombe is about 3 miles east of Dartford, in Kent. If you’re in Swanscombe, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Swanscombe is one of the places in Kent where we work. Our Maidstone page covers surveys nearby.
We cover every part of the DA9 and DA10 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. That includes homes and businesses on London Road, Craylands Square and High Street. Being close to the A206 and A226, Swanscombe is simple for us to get to for chimney surveys. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Greenhithe (1 mile north-west), Stone (1 mile west), Bean (1 mile south), West Thurrock (2 miles north) and Darenth (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Dartford (3 miles west), Sevenoaks (12 miles south), Gravesend (4 miles east), Northfleet (3 miles south-east), Swanley (6 miles south-west) and Kings Hill (13 miles south).
Landmarks near Swanscombe
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Castle Hill Park, The Ebbsfleet Academy and The Pier Hotel and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Greenhithe for Bluewater station, roughly 0.5 miles west of the centre. Nearby you will also find Stone Castle (0.7 miles south-west) and Bluewater (1 mile south-west). The countryside around Swanscombe includes Sawyers Lake and Chafford Gorges Nature Park.
Also near Swanscombe
More services for Swanscombe
What happens on the day
You do not need to do much on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we’ll take it from there. A typical survey takes roughly 1–2 hours for most houses, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. A visit to a smaller place like Swanscombe is no different on the day: outside, inside and from any safe vantage point, in that order. Point out any stains, cracks or loose pieces you’ve spotted.
- 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.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there is access.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.
How to prepare
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Keep pets in another room
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the freeholder or managing agent
Getting a price
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can ring 07833 053749 or email us to find out.
Advice
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Share it with us when booking.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That’s where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
What a survey costs
When we price a survey, we consider:
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
- Height and safe access
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- Basic, Standard or Premium
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, with VAT included, and we can help you choose.
Booking your survey
Getting the details right at the start saves time. It’s useful to include:
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- The property’s address and postcode
- Anything about access we should know
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine, and please don’t climb up for a closer look. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Useful tips for Swanscombe property owners
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
Once we have been, the findings are written up with photos. It explains the condition of each part of the stack and any damp 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 moved if they’re working it loose. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.