Removing a chimney breast requires Building Regulations approval, a structural engineer's beam design, and separate roofing work to close the stack penetration and remove the lead flashings. It is a multi-trade project. The roofer's scope follows the structural builder's work and must not proceed until the support structure is signed off.
Chimney breast removal is frequently underestimated at the planning stage. What happens above the ceiling involves structural engineering, roofing and potentially planning consent. Understanding all three prevents costly surprises partway through.
A typical Victorian or Edwardian chimney breast in an Ashford or Kent terrace is part of a continuous structure: fireplace and breast at ground floor, rising through first floor, stack projecting above the roof slope. Removing the ground floor breast removes support from everything above unless independently supported. Removing the stack above the roof leaves the lead flashings, the gap in the tile covering, and the structural opening in the rafters to be made good.
Planning chimney removal? We survey and quote the roofing scope. Call to arrange.
Book SurveyStack removal: Taken down to just below the roof surface by the demolition contractor. The opening in the rafters is made good with new timber. Tile reinstatement: The gap in the tile covering must be closed with matching tiles relaid on new battens over new underlay, correctly integrated with the surrounding tiling. Matching tiles for Victorian terraces — clay plain tiles in Ashford's Newtown area, Welsh slate on Edwardian properties — requires the same sourcing care as any period repair. Lead flashing removal: Flashings at the junction between stack and tiles are removed when the stack comes down. Mortar haunching must be carefully removed without damaging surrounding tiles.
Full chimney removal is generally permitted development but is building regulations notifiable. For listed buildings, listed building consent is required. In conservation areas, removal of a visible chimney stack may require planning consent as it changes the roofline character. We advise on the roofing planning position at the survey stage.
Tile reinstatement at a removed chimney: £400–£1,200 depending on tile type, tiles affected and access. Clay tile or slate matching adds cost. Valley adjustment where required: additional £200–£500. All confirmed at survey before work starts.
Chimney removal roofing scope. Survey and quote across Ashford and Kent.
Book SurveyEvery chimney breast removal roof job starts with a free inspection and written quote before any work begins. We do not start work until you have confirmed the written quote. Our standard rates apply across Ashford and the surrounding Kent area.
We cover all Ashford postcodes and the surrounding towns: Folkestone, Canterbury, Maidstone, Tenterden, Hythe and the villages across the Weald. Emergency cover is available 24 hours a day on 01233 877 146.
No call-out fee across our full service area. Written quote before work starts. For chimney breast removal roof work the quote is provided on the same visit as the inspection in most cases. You pay only for work carried out.
All re-roofing work and major repairs carry our written 10-year workmanship guarantee. Lead flashing work is guaranteed for 10 years. Minor tile repairs carry a 2-year guarantee. The guarantee is provided in writing at completion and transfers to a new owner if the property is sold.
We are registered with the National Federation of Roofing Contractors. Verify our registration at nfrc.co.uk. We carry 5m public liability insurance on every chimney breast removal roof job. Insurance certificate available on request before work starts.
Ashford's housing stock spans five decades of construction: Victorian and Edwardian terraces in Newtown and the older town streets, 1930s semis in Kennington and Willesborough, post-war and 1960s estates at Bockhanger, Stanhope and Park Farm, and more recent development across the southern suburbs.
Each era presents different characteristics. Victorian clay tile on period properties requires matching reclaimed material and lime mortar at any repointing work. 1960s concrete interlocking tile on the estates is now 50-65 years old with corroded nail fixings on most unmodified properties. Understanding which housing era a property belongs to is the starting point for any assessment.
These estates are Ashford's highest-volume source of roofing work. The 1960s-70s concrete interlocking tile stock is now 50-65 years old. Nail sickness is present on the majority of unmodified properties. If you live in one of these areas and have not had roofing work in the last 15 years, a free assessment is worthwhile.
The Victorian terraces in Ashford's Newtown area and the older streets around the town centre require period-appropriate specification: reclaimed or reproduction clay tile, lime mortar at chimney repointing, and conservation-aware approach to any work on visible elevations.
Free survey and advice across Ashford and Kent. Call 01233 877 146.
Call 01233 877 146Chimney breast removal is a multi-trade project. The structural builder removes the breast from inside the house and installs the support beam. The roofer's scope is separate: at roof level, we remove the stack above the roof line (or reduce it to a stub if retained), close the tile covering with matching material, and remove all lead flashings from the now-absent chimney junction.
The roofing work follows the structural builder's completion below ceiling level. We do not close the roof until the structural work is signed off, because any settling or movement in the support structure after the roof is closed could reopen the junction we have just waterproofed.
Where the chimney penetration is closed and tiles are reinstated, the new tile area is smaller than the original surrounding slope. Exact tile matching depends on the age and type of the original tiles. On concrete interlocking tiles from the 1970s-80s, finding an exact current-production match is not always possible — manufacturers change profiles. On Victorian clay tile, reclaimed matching tile is the correct specification. We confirm matchability at the survey before committing.
Some owners retain the external stack above the roof as a visual feature after removing the breast below. This is architecturally appropriate for period properties where the stack contributes to the roofline character. A retained stub requires independent structural support from the roof structure, correct weatherproofing at the new roof junction, and cowl caps on the flue tops. It also has ongoing maintenance requirements identical to any other chimney stack. Weigh the visual benefit against the structural complexity and ongoing maintenance before deciding.
For context on how roofing costs compare across the range of work we carry out, here are realistic price ranges for the most common jobs across the Ashford area. All prices include labour and materials. VAT is not applicable on most domestic residential roofing work.
| Job Type | Typical Cost |
|---|---|
| Single tile replacement | £150 – £300 |
| Ridge repointing (per 4m) | £200 – £400 |
| Lead chimney flashing replacement | £500 – £1,100 |
| Full re-roof (3-bed semi, concrete tile) | £4,800 – £7,500 |
| Flat roof replacement (GRP, up to 20m2) | £900 – £1,800 |
| Full gutter clear (semi-detached) | £80 – £160 |
| Fascia and soffit replacement (semi) | £800 – £1,800 |
| Roof condition survey | £120 – £200 |
Free written quotes on all work. No call-out fee. Call 01233 877 146 to book.
We are a family-run roofing business based in Ashford, covering the town and the surrounding Kent area. We have been working on roofs in this area since 2003. Every job is carried out by our own employed team — we do not subcontract labour. The people who quote are the people who work.
We are registered with the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC). Our registration can be verified at nfrc.co.uk. We carry £5m public liability insurance on every job. Our insurance certificate is available on request before any work starts. All re-roofing work carries a written 10-year workmanship guarantee. Lead flashing work is guaranteed for 10 years. The guarantee is transferable to a new owner if the property is sold.
We cover Ashford and a broad area of the surrounding Kent countryside: Folkestone, Hythe, Canterbury, Maidstone, Tenterden, and the villages across the Weald and Romney Marsh. Emergency cover is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 01233 877 146 for any roofing emergency. For non-urgent work, we aim to survey within 5-7 working days and have the quote in writing within 48 hours of the survey.
We do not charge for call-outs or surveys. Every job gets a written quote before a single tile is moved. The quoted price is the price on the invoice unless we identify and agree additional scope with you during the work. For re-roofing projects where deck condition is unknown before stripping, we include a clear provisional allowance for batten replacement rather than presenting you with a surprise on invoice.
These are the questions we are asked most frequently when homeowners call us for the first time. If your question is not here, call 01233 877 146 and we will answer it directly.
Yes. All call-outs and surveys are free of charge across Ashford and the surrounding Kent area. The written quote we provide after the survey is also free and carries no obligation. We do not charge for surveys even on properties where we ultimately recommend no immediate work.
For emergency calls where water is actively entering the building: same day where call volume permits. For the most urgent calls — active ingress, safety hazard from displaced tiles — we aim to attend within 2 hours. Out-of-hours emergency cover is available 24/7 on 01233 877 146. For non-urgent work we survey within 5-7 working days.
Written workmanship guarantee on all work. 10 years for full re-roofing and lead flashing work. 5 years for ridge repointing. 2 years for minor tile repairs. The guarantee is provided in writing at completion. It transfers to a new owner if the property is sold. We are NFRC registered and carry £5m public liability insurance.
For most standard concrete interlocking profiles we carry matching tiles on the van. For conservation area repairs requiring reclaimed clay tile or matched Welsh slate, we source from Kent and Sussex demolition salvage and confirm match quality before committing. We show samples on any repair where visual matching is important before starting work.
We cover Ashford and all of the surrounding Kent area: Folkestone, Hythe, Canterbury, Maidstone, Tenterden, and the villages across the Weald. If you are outside Ashford town, call us and we will confirm whether we cover your postcode. Most Kent postcodes within 25 miles of Ashford are in our standard service area.
Last reviewed: July 2026
The roofer removes the stack above the roof line, closes the tile penetration with matching material, and removes the lead flashings, working after the structural builder's beam installation.
Yes. It is notifiable under Part A (structure) and requires a structural engineer's beam design and building control inspection.
Properties built before 2000 may contain asbestos in fire-opening rope, textured coatings or hearth boards. An asbestos survey is recommended before demolition on pre-1985 properties.
Yes, but a retained stub needs independent structural support, weatherproofing at the new roof junction, and cowl caps — plus the same ongoing maintenance as any stack.