Kent · London and the South East
West Malling Chimney Survey
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around West Malling, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
Do you need a chimney survey in West Malling?
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.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Bricks with flaking faces
If you own a rental within reach of West Malling station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Before booking anyone
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- What experience they bring
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
Chimney survey in West Malling
On terraced and semi-detached houses, a chimney stack is often shared with next door. We look at whatever is safely visible and what the owner gives us access to. Where a problem seems to involve a neighbour’s side, the report records it and you can then discuss it with them. Everything is written up with photos and what we recommend. We survey lead flashings, flaunching and brick chimney stacks, and people most frequently book us about mortar washing out of the joints and staining on walls around the chimney.
In a smaller place like West Malling, some roofs stand more exposed to wind and rain than in a built-up town. Ridge tiles, verges, chimney stacks and flashings take the worst of it. Checking those edges shows whether anything has begun to work loose. A loose ridge tile or slate gives the wind something to catch, and others soon follow.
If any part of the chimney stack couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. You will know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Where
- West Malling (ME19)
- Region
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
West Malling homes and their roofs
Older houses across Kent often have handmade clay or peg tiles, and many have tile-hung walls. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. Whatever the covering, it’s frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. The wider area around West Malling has a long history of building, with Old Soar Manor about 4.2 miles south-west. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Trees in and around Manor Park Country Park shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls. For site and facilities teams at buildings like More Park Catholic Primary School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
West Malling is about 6 miles west of Maidstone, in Kent. Bookings from West Malling are handled just like any other: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. Across Kent, we cover West Malling and the places around it. You can also see our page for Maidstone.
Every address in ME19 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We cover properties on High Street, Police Station Road and London Road and the roads around them. With the A20 close by, West Malling is easy for us to reach. We also cover Well Street (1 mile south-east), East Malling (1 mile east), Kings Hill (2 miles south), Ditton (2 miles east) and Red Hill (3 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover Maidstone (6 miles east), Sittingbourne (15 miles east), Dartford (13 miles north-west), Sevenoaks (9 miles west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (12 miles south-west) and Gravesend (9 miles north).
Landmarks near West Malling
Typical jobs here are in homes near Manor Park Country Park, The Malling School and The Malling School, among other places. West Malling’s nearest station is West Malling station, roughly 0.7 miles east of the centre. Nearby you will also find Coldrum Long Barrow (2.3 miles north-west) and Leybourne Castle (1.1 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Burham Down and Blue Bell Hill.
Tips from our surveys
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Our tips:
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Check your stacks from ground level after strong winds
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
Once we have been, the findings are written up with photos. It covers the pots, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings, and any damp we found inside. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24 to 48 hours and Premium reports the same day.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
How it works
Before we start, let us know why you’ve booked: buying, a leak, storm damage, new work or just wanting to know where things stand. It helps us focus on what matters most to you. The visit usually takes an hour or two on an ordinary house, and more on a big or complicated roof. In a smaller place like West Malling, parking is seldom the issue; lanes, gates and long drives are worth mentioning. Low roofs on bungalows can frequently be seen well from ground level, and the loft shows the rest.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
How to prepare
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Booking a survey
Unsure which package suits your roof? It’s easiest to call 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
Read more
What we look for on each type of roof
Flaunching
Flaunching is the mortar on top of a stack that holds the pots and sheds water. Cracks in it let water into the stack.
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.
Questions from West Malling
Does a conservation area affect roof work in West Malling?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
I let a flat near West Malling station. Can you check the roof?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you need, and we will talk through which survey suits.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, if the freeholder or managing agent agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we are allowed to reach, and the report makes that clear.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it helps and it is safe, yes. Whether we can fly on the day depends on the weather and the airspace rules. We are a CAA-registered drone operator.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime, which suits people who work during the week. Let us know your preferred days when you book.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
Do not ignore it. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down. We record its condition with photos, and a structural engineer can confirm whether it is stable.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
It depends on what we need to see. For inside areas and the loft space, someone has to give us access.
Also near West Malling
Also in West Malling
When you need someone else
No survey can tell you everything, and it’s better to know them up front. Keep these in mind:
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- Hidden damage within the stack
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we look at
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
For landlords and managing agents
Letting agents frequently book on a landlord’s behalf, and the report can go to both. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
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.