Chimney repairs & lead work in Kent.
Chimney rebuilds, repointing, removals, pot replacement and lead flashing — heritage-quality work for Kent’s period homes and modern stock alike.
Chimney and lead work — done properly, first time.
Chimneys take more weather than anything else on a house. Mortar perishes, brickwork erodes, lead flashings work loose, and pots crack. By the time most owners notice, water has been getting in for a while. Most of our chimney work is on properties at least 50 years old — Victorian and Edwardian terraces, inter-war semis, and Kent’s older village stock.
Lead work and chimney work go together. Most chimney problems eventually involve the lead flashing where the stack meets the roof, and a fair number of leaks blamed on tiles are actually failing lead. We do both properly — Code 4 and Code 5 lead, dressed and fixed to traditional practice.
Every kind of chimney and lead work work we take on.
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Chimney rebuilds
Stack stripped down to roof line, rebuilt with matching brick and the right mortar mix. Restored to original detailing.
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Chimney repointing
Failed mortar raked out and replaced — lime mortar for older stock, cement-based for modern.
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Chimney removal
Full removal to roof line or below, with the roof made good — tiled, slated and flashed to match.
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Pot replacement
New chimney pots fitted, including matching salt-glaze or terracotta on heritage stacks.
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Cowls & rain caps
Anti-downdraught, bird-guard and rain-cap cowls fitted to disused or wet pots.
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Lead flashing renewal
Stepped flashing, soakers, aprons and back gutters — all in Code 4/5 lead, traditionally dressed.
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Lead valleys & box gutters
Full renewal where original lead has failed. Bay-window roofs and parapet box gutters a speciality.
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Lead roofs
Smaller lead-clad areas — porches, bay tops, dormer cheeks — installed and repaired.
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Re-pointing & capping
Cap stones renewed; mortar cap properly weathered; flaunching renewed around pots.
Common chimney problems we sort
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Stain on bedroom ceiling near chimney breast
Almost always failing lead flashing or perished flaunching. Rarely the tiles themselves.
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White salts on internal chimney breast
Damp from the stack working through the brickwork — usually pointing or flaunching at fault.
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Brick spalling on the stack
Frost damage from water in the bricks. Re-point and possibly cap before more bricks blow.
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Pots leaning visibly
Flaunching has failed. Re-bed the pot and renew the mortar fillet around it.
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Disused fireplace, want it removed
Cap the pot, remove the stack to below roof, make good — saves long-term maintenance.
Chimney and lead work across Kent — town by town.
We’re based in Cranbrook and cover the major Kent towns and surrounding villages. Tap your town for postcodes, local context and a Kent-specific quote.
- Chimney and lead work in Cranbrook · base
- Chimney and lead work in Maidstone
- Chimney and lead work in Tunbridge Wells
- Chimney and lead work in Tonbridge
- Chimney and lead work in Sevenoaks
- Chimney and lead work in Ashford
- Chimney and lead work in Canterbury
- Chimney and lead work in Sittingbourne
- Chimney and lead work in Faversham
- Chimney and lead work in Margate
Chimney and lead work — frequently asked questions.
Direct answers to the things Kent homeowners ask us most about chimney and lead work. Don’t see yours? Just call.
How much does a chimney rebuild cost?
A typical single-flue chimney rebuild down to the roofline runs £1,500–£3,500. Larger Victorian double-flue stacks can be £3,000–£6,000+. Full removal (rather than rebuild) is usually similar — cost is in the access, not the bricks.
Do I need scaffolding for chimney work?
For anything beyond a single pot replacement, yes — scaffold gives safe working access and is non-negotiable for rebuilds and repointing. We include scaffold cost in the quote.
How long does lead flashing last?
Properly installed Code 4/5 lead lasts 60–100+ years. The failures we see are usually badly dressed lead, cracks from thermal cycling on long runs (no expansion joints), or lead that was nailed instead of properly clipped.
Can you remove a chimney completely?
Yes — to roof level or all the way to ground (the second is structural and usually involves a structural engineer for load-bearing chimney breasts). Most of our removals are to roof level with the roof tiled and flashed back to match.
Will the chimney work match the rest of the house?
Yes — that’s the whole point. We source matching brick where possible, use the right mortar mix for the age of the stack, and salvage original pots if they’re sound. Conservation-area work gets done to whatever the planning officer requires.
Do you fit bird guards and rain caps?
Yes — both. Bird guards for disused flues prevent nesting damp; rain caps prevent water ingress into capped pots. Quick job once the scaffold’s up.
Everything else we do.
Roof repairs
Storm damage, slipped tiles, leaks, ridge work.
Flat roofing
EPDM, fibreglass, stone tar & chip systems.
Re-roofs & new roofs
Strip-and-relay, full replacements, slate & tile.
Fascias, soffits & guttering
UPVC fascias, gutter runs, downpipes.
Emergency roof repairs
Same-day attendance for leaks and storm damage.
Commercial roofing
Industrial flat roofs, gutter runs, planned maintenance.
Free quote for chimney and lead work.
Tell us about your job and we’ll come back the same day where possible. Or pick up the phone — we like a chat.