Kent · London and the South East
Wichling Chimney Survey
Know where you stand with the chimney stack before you decide what to do next. Chimney surveys in Wichling.
- A stack that appears to lean
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Bricks with flaking faces
Chimney survey in Wichling
If a chimney looks out of line, it’s worth getting it checked. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down, frequently after years of flue gases and damp. We record the lean and the condition of the brickwork and pointing. If the stack looks like a structural issue, the report recommends a structural engineer. Typical surveys look at gaps in the mortar around the pots and unused flues sealed without airflow, on shared and party-wall stacks, flaunching and chimney breasts.
In a village or hamlet like Wichling, older cottages and farmhouses often 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. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
Findings are set out part by part, from the coverings down to the gutters. You will see the good as well as the bad.
- Where
- Wichling (ME9)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney breasts and the loft
Inside, chimney breasts can show damp when water gets into the stack. We check the breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach.
Flaunching
We often find flaunching that has cracked or broken away. Caught early, it is frequently a small job.
Questions from Wichling
Is Wichling within the area you cover?
Yes, we do. We work right across London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Wichling?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it is applicable. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and every flight depends on the airspace and the weather.
Do you inspect the flue?
No. We survey the stack and its weathering, not the flue. For the flue, you’ll need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is frequently shared, so whoever owns or manages the building needs to agree access. We can only inspect what we’re given access to.
Do you need to go on the roof to check the chimney?
We use safe viewpoints rather than climbing onto the stack. Where it applies, our Premium Survey adds a drone inspection for a closer view. Any area we couldn’t view is noted.
How many surveys have you done?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys.
Wichling homes and their roofs
With Belmont House and Gardens about 4.1 miles east, Wichling sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles hung on pegs through two holes, are typical of older Kent buildings. You will also find oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses among the county’s older buildings. Whatever the covering, it is often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of St Margaret, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first. If you live near a park such as Doddington Place Gardens, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
Wichling is about 5 miles south of Sittingbourne, in Kent. Anywhere in Wichling, we can come and survey your property. Wichling is one of the towns and villages in Kent where we work for chimney surveys. Maidstone is in our area too.
Here we cover the ME9 postcode area for chimney surveys. If you are just outside Wichling, we cover Doddington (1 mile north-east), Hollybushes (1 mile north-west), Bluetown (1 mile north), Payden Street (1 mile south) and West Street (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Maidstone (10 miles west), Ashford (10 miles south-east), Canterbury (14 miles east), Sittingbourne (5 miles north), Whitstable (13 miles north-east) and Faversham (7 miles north-east).
Around Wichling
Typical jobs here are in homes near Doddington Place Gardens, among other places. Wichling’s nearest station is Lenham station, about 3.2 miles south-west of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Newnham Castle (2.4 miles north-east).
When to book a survey in Wichling
Aerials and dishes are often fixed to stacks. The extra load in wind can work bricks and joints loose. We check fixings on the stack as part of the survey.
A survey can pick up problems such as:
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Worn or missing pointing
For landlords with property near Lenham station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- What follow-up you get after the report
- What exactly goes into their report
- What experience they bring
What happens on the day
The aim of the visit is simple: to look at the chimney stack as closely as is safe and record what we find. Notes and photographs go into the written report. It normally takes about 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In a hamlet or village like Wichling, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the roof space.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.
How to prepare
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
How to book
We survey roofs seven days a week. To arrange a day that suits you, call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Read more
Also in Wichling
What affects the price in Wichling
Our packages start from £150, with VAT included. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- The roof’s overall size
- Basic, Standard or Premium
Prices quoted always include 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.
What to tell us when you get in touch
To price your survey accurately, we’ll ask about:
- The property’s address and postcode
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
We confirm the price for your survey before booking, so you know where you stand. Prices start from £150, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Tips from our surveys
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner:
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Photograph damp patches with the date
The report is emailed to you, ready to share with a roofer or builder. We use plain English and a photo for each defect, so it’s easy to follow.
Look at your chimneys from the ground now and then, particularly after strong winds. With binoculars, you can often see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
What you can safely check yourself
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, which helps when we look at the roof.
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level, and those are details a survey looks at closely.