Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in The Brents, Kent
Not sure what state the chimney stack is in? We carry out chimney surveys in The Brents and across Kent.
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- A chimney out of line
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in The Brents
On terraced and semi-detached houses, a chimney stack is often shared with next door. We inspect the parts we can see safely and the parts the owner gives us access to. If a defect appears to be on the neighbour’s side, we note it, so you can talk to them. You get a written report with photographs and our recommendations. If you’ve noticed bricks with flaking faces and eroded joints in the brickwork, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on flaunching, lead flashings and chimney breasts alike.
Around The Brents, gardens, hedges and nearby trees can mean leaves and moss end up on roofs and in gutters. Blocked gutters overflow and soak the walls below. It is the kind of slow problem a roof report picks up early. Plants growing from a gutter or moss on the tiles are signs worth noting from ground level.
Where we cannot see part of the chimney stack, the report says so. That way, it’s clear what was covered and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Place
- The Brents (ME13)
- Region
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Why it is worth a survey now in The Brents
Damp in a chimney breast typically gets worse while the cause is left. It can stain walls and damage plaster. Knowing whether it’s the flaunching, flashings, brickwork or ventilation means the right fix can be planned. Homes in smaller places like The Brents can face more weather, so a loose ridge or verge soon lets rain in. Wind gets under it and lifts more.
Every price we give includes VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Why us?
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Every finding written up with photos
- 98% of clients satisfied
Take a look at our cost guide and what we found on two real jobs.
What we cannot see
It’s a careful look at the chimney stack, not the whole story. Its limits include:
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will point you to the right survey before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we check
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
Also in The Brents
Roof by roof
Rendered stacks
What’s behind the render can’t be seen without removing some, so the report explains what we could and couldn’t assess.
Flaunching
Cracked flaunching is one of the most common chimney defects we record. It’s normally a modest repair when it is caught early.
Signs you need a chimney survey in The Brents
Flashings seal the gap where a stack passes through the roof. With age they can lift, split or come away from the joints. When flashings fail, water often shows up in the loft or on the chimney breast. Lead is also a target for theft.
It’s worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- A stack that appears to lean
- Lifted or split lead flashings
Landlords with a home close to Faversham station may find that the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
How the survey works
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you’d like to know. We then inspect everything that can be seen safely. Most surveys take between one and two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. A visit to a smaller place like The Brents is no different on the day: outside, inside and from any safe vantage point, in that order. It helps to show us anything you’ve already noticed.
- You tell us how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Where there is safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- You get a report with photographs and our recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
Book a survey
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will explain the options and the price.
Advice
What a chimney survey looks like in The Brents
The coast is about 3 miles or less from The Brents, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. Across Kent, older roofs are often handmade clay or peg tiles, and tile-hanging on upper walls is a familiar sight. Oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of the county’s older buildings too. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
Take a building like Davington Primary School: its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. Homes near green spaces like Oare Meadow can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching.
The Brents is about 1 mile north-east of Faversham, in Kent. Wherever you are in The Brents, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Our Kent coverage includes The Brents and the places around it. You can also see our page for Canterbury.
We cover every part of the ME13 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. You will find streets like Ham Road, Back Lane and Quay Lane, and we cover them all. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Davington (1 mile west), Faversham (1 mile south-west), Preston (1 mile south), Oare (1 mile north-west) and Ospringe (1 mile south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Ashford (12 miles south), Canterbury (9 miles east), Sittingbourne (7 miles west), Whitstable (6 miles east), Herne Bay (11 miles east) and Minster (8 miles north-west).
Landmarks near The Brents
In The Brents, that means homes and buildings near The Brents Tavern, Oare Meadow and Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School and the streets around them. The closest station to The Brents is Faversham station, roughly 0.6 miles south. Well-known places in the area include Newnham Castle (4.6 miles south-west).
Before and after the survey
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Some tips:
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
After the visit, we write up the report with photographs of each stack. It explains the condition of each part of the stack and any damp inside. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24 to 48 hours and Premium reports the same day.
Check fixings on the stack are sound and taken off if they’re no longer needed. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
The Brents: your questions answered
I let a flat near Faversham station. Can you check the roof?
Of course. 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 The Brents, take more of a battering?
Yes, coastal weather is harder on roofs: there’s more wind, and more salt in the air. Ridges, verges, flashings and fixings are where it typically shows.
Will you photograph what you find?
Yes. Photographs are taken throughout the survey, and the report uses them to show each finding.
How fast do I get the report?
Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24–48 hours and Premium reports on the same day. All of them come by email, ready to forward.
What’s the best way to book?
It is easiest to phone 07833 053749 or email us. Give us the address and some details about the roof, and we will take it from there. We survey on weekdays and at weekends.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We do not carry out asbestos surveys or testing. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Surveys run seven days a week. To arrange a date, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.