Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in The Platt, Kent
Know where you stand with the chimney stack before you spend money on it. Chimney surveys in The Platt, with photographs and a clear written report.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Lifted or split lead flashings
What happens on the day
Photographs are taken throughout the visit, so you can see in the report what we found and where. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available, including by drone where it is applicable and the weather allows. Most surveys take about one to two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Older roofs in small places like The Platt 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 is safe.
- 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’s access.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Before the survey
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
Book a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: call 07833 053749 or use the contact form, and we’ll ask about the building and what you need. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Read more
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in The Platt
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. You then know where to start. If you’ve noticed eroded joints in the brickwork and redundant stacks capped without ventilation, we can find out what’s behind it.
In a village or hamlet like The Platt, older cottages and farmhouses frequently sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, often with chimneys that have stood a long time. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. On older roofs, it’s normally the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
We keep jargon out of it: if work is needed, the report says so clearly.
- Location
- The Platt (TN3)
- Region
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026

DIY checks: what’s safe
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date.
A lot can be seen from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
Why get it checked now?
Before deciding what to do with a redundant stack, a survey shows how it is doing. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need permission from the council and the council can advise. In a place like The Platt, a barn or garage roof left to fail puts whatever is inside at risk. It’s worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we can help you choose.
Why book us in The Platt
- Over 20 years’ experience
- Package prices that include VAT
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
The Platt: your questions answered
Can a landlord with a rental near Frant station book a roof survey?
Yes, that’s a common request. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in The Platt?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability, and details are available on request.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. For the rest of the building, a RICS home survey is a separate job.
Does the report include photos?
Yes. We photograph the roof as we go, and the report uses them to show each finding alongside our recommendations.
When does the report arrive?
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.
What does a roof survey cost?
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Our three packages are Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, including VAT.
Also in The Platt
Chimney surveys in The Platt: local notes
Older houses across Kent often have handmade clay or peg tiles, and many have tile-hung walls. You will also find oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses among the county’s older buildings. Whatever the covering, it’s often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. About 3 miles south-east lies Wadhurst Castle, a reminder of how long the area around The Platt has been built on. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
For landlords with property near Frant station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Frant Church of England Primary School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. Living close to Eridge Park is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching.
The Platt is about 4 miles south of Royal Tunbridge Wells, in Kent. We provide chimney surveys for homes and businesses in The Platt and the surrounding area. Across Kent, we cover The Platt and the places around it. You can also see our page for Maidstone.
Chimney surveys in TN3 are booked the same way as anywhere else. We also cover the places around The Platt: Frant (1 mile north), Mark Cross (2 miles south), Eridge Green (2 miles north-west), Town Row (3 miles south-west) and Tidebrook (3 miles south). We also work in nearby towns such as Sevenoaks (14 miles north), Royal Tunbridge Wells (4 miles north), Tonbridge (8 miles north), Kings Hill (14 miles north-east), Paddock Wood (8 miles north-east) and Southborough (5 miles north).
Near you in The Platt
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The George Public House and Eridge Park and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Frant station, roughly 1.7 miles north-east. A little further out are Tunbridge Wells Homeopathic Hospital (3.4 miles north) and The Corn Exchange (2.9 miles north). The countryside around The Platt includes Broadwater Warren RSPB Reserve.
Roof by roof
Lead flashings
Some older stacks have mortar fillets instead of lead. They crack with age, and we check them too.
Chimney breasts and the loft
In the loft, staining around the stack frequently shows where water is getting in. We record what we see with photos.
Prices for chimney surveys in The Platt
To price your survey, we check:
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- The size of the roof
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Helping us price your survey
Here’s what helps us most when you contact us:
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
For a price for chimney surveys in The Platt, phone 07833 053749 or email us. The address, the type of property and what you want to find out help us give you an accurate price.
When you need someone else
It’s a careful look at the chimney stack, not the whole story. The main limits are:
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Hidden damage within the stack
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or email us and we will give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in The Platt
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching