Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Thong, Kent
Chimney surveys around Thong, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
About our chimney survey in Thong
A chimney stands up above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. In time, flaunching cracks, mortar washes out and flashings come loose. Water then gets into the stack and can show as damp on a chimney breast or a stain in the loft. We record what we find with photographs and recommendations. We survey flaunching, brick chimney stacks and chimney pots and cowls, and common reasons people get in touch are lifted or split lead flashings and signs that a stack is leaning.
In a small place like Thong, many roofs stand in the open, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A roof report shows what needs attention first. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are often the first to give way.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent, whichever applies.
- Where
- Thong (DA12)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Before and after the survey
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
You get the report by email and can pass it to whoever does the work. Each defect is described in plain words and shown in a photo, so it is easy to follow.
Look at your chimneys from ground level now and then, especially after strong winds. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.
FAQs for Thong
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Thong, take more of a battering?
Near the coast, roofs face more wind and more salt than further inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, while strong wind lifts anything already loose.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Sole Street station?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. Just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and tell us about the building.
Do you need to get into the loft?
If the survey needs it and the roof space can be reached safely, yes. Please clear anything stored under the hatch.
What’s the best way to book?
To book, call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address, the type of property and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price and find a day that suits.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. We check the parts we can see safely and the parts you can give us access to. If a defect seems to be on your neighbour’s side, the report records it, so you can discuss it with them.
How can you see the top of the stack?
We inspect from wherever is safe: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the roof space. Our Premium Survey includes a drone inspection where it applies. We note anything we couldn’t see.
Do I need to be at home?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. We will talk about access as you book.
What else we do in Thong
How the survey works
We work from the outside in: outside views come first, then the roof space if there’s safe access. In total, it takes about one to two hours at a typical home, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. Older roofs in small places like Thong can have low, tight loft spaces, so it helps 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 by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Before we arrive
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the freeholder or managing agent
- Keep pets in another room
Booking a survey
Booking is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form, let us know about the property and we’ll recommend the right survey. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Related advice
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney pots and cowls
Damaged pots are a safety concern as well as a leak risk. We record their condition with photographs.
Chimney breasts and the loft
In the loft, staining around the stack frequently shows where water is getting in. What we find is photographed and described.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
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 around your tenants.
Letting agents frequently book on a landlord’s behalf. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Damp in a chimney breast normally gets worse while the cause is left. It can spoil decoration and plaster. Knowing whether it’s the flaunching, flashings, brickwork or ventilation means the right fix can be planned. Outbuildings and barns around Thong are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. It’s worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where it applies, from £400 including VAT. We’ll tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Why book us in Thong
- 20+ years’ experience
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- An independent look at the roof
- Every finding written up with photos
See our cost guide or our case studies.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Thong
Thong is within about 4 miles of the coast, 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. Across Kent, older roofs are often handmade clay or peg tiles, and tile-hanging on upper walls is a familiar sight. Kent’s older buildings take in oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses as well. Whatever the covering, it is often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
Living close to Shorne Woods Country Park is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching. Anyone responsible for a site like Riverview Infant School will know that its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. Cobham College, about 1.5 miles south, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Thong. On a period home nearby, the survey separates sound original work from tired later repairs.
Thong is about 2 miles south-east of Gravesend, in Kent. Thong gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a proper look at everything that’s safely in view, photographs and a clear written report. Thong is one of the towns and villages in Kent we cover. Maidstone is in our area too.
Here we cover the DA12 postcode area for chimney surveys. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Upper Ifield (1 mile east), Shorne Ridgeway (1 mile east), Shorne (1 mile east), Chalk (1 mile north) and Higham (2 miles east). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (11 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (15 miles east), Dartford (8 miles west), Sevenoaks (13 miles south-west), Northfleet (3 miles north-west) and Swanley (10 miles west).
Near you in Thong
Around Thong, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Shorne Woods Country Park and Thamesview School, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Sole Street station, about 2.2 miles south-west. Well-known places in the area include Rochester Castle (4.5 miles east) and Gravesham Museum (2.6 miles north-west). Not far away are Rede Common and Gad's Hill.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Do not go up yourself.