"I’ve been working on roofs across Sittingbourne, Swale, and the Medway Towns for over thirty years. Every winter, I get called out to leaks where homeowners think their tiles have failed, only to find an unused Victorian chimney stack soaked right through. When a chimney isn't used for fires anymore, it often makes far more sense to drop it below the roof and tile straight over it than to keep spending money repointing and releading it every decade."
— Chris Baker, Owner-Operator at C.L. Baker
1. Roofline Stack Removal vs Internal Chimney Breast Removal
Before looking at regulations or costs, it is important to clear up the most common confusion homeowners have. There are two completely different types of chimney removal:
Taking the Stack Below the Roofline
We dismantle the exposed brickwork above the tiles, continuing down just below the rafters inside the loft space. We cap and ventilate the remaining brickwork in the loft, install new timber rafters across the gap, lay breathable membrane and battens, and tile seamlessly over the hole. No structural steel (RSJs) or messy indoor builders' work is needed.
Full Internal Chimney Breast Removal
This is when you want to knock out the brick chimney breasts in your bedrooms and living room to create extra floor space. Because the upper stack rests on the lower walls, you must still remove the roof stack first—or install heavy structural steel gallows brackets or beams checked by a structural engineer and signed off by Building Control.
2. Step-by-Step: How We Remove a Chimney Stack Safely
Dropping hundreds of kilos of old brickwork from the top of a two- or three-storey house is not a job you can do off a ladder. When you hire me for a chimney removal, I handle the entire job personally from start to sign-off with no subcontractors. Here is what happens on the day:
Scaffolding & Highway Permits
A safe working platform with guardrails and brick guards is erected right around the stack. If you live in a street-facing Victorian terrace—such as in central Sittingbourne, Chatham, or Strood—where the scaffold legs have to stand on the public pavement, a highways permit from Kent County Council or Medway Council is arranged before we start.
Stripping Surrounding Tiles & Lead Flashings
Before touching the masonry, I carefully lift and stack the tiles or slates around the base of the chimney so they don't get cracked. The old lead aprons, step flashings, soakers, and back gutters are stripped away.
Dismantling Course by Course
First, the clay chimney pots and heavy cement flaunching on top are lifted off. Then, the brick courses are taken down methodically by hand from the top downwards until the stack sits roughly two or three courses below the timber rafters inside your loft. Rubble is brought down safely in heavy-duty chutes or bags—never thrown down the roof.
Ventilating the Redundant Flue
You should never completely seal up a disused chimney flue airtight, or damp will build up inside the masonry breasts downstairs. Once reduced into the loft, we make sure the open flue is safely capped against debris while allowing enough air circulation into the ventilated roof space to keep the brickwork bone dry.
Timber Framing, Underlay & Matching Tiles
With the stack out of the way, you are left with a structural gap in the roof. I splice in new treated timber rafters and ridge boards where needed, lay fresh breathable roofing underlay lapped cleanly into your existing felt, fix new graded timber battens, and tile over the opening. Whether your home has Welsh slate, concrete interlocking tiles, or traditional handmade Kent peg tiles, I source matching tiles so the patch blends in properly.
3. Do You Need a Party Wall Agreement to Remove a Chimney?
This is the most important question if you live in a terraced or semi-detached property—such as the Victorian terraced streets across Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, or Sittingbourne.
Under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, if a chimney stack sits on or straddles the party wall separating your property from your neighbour's, it is classed as a party structure. You cannot simply go up on the roof and knock down a shared stack—or even cut away your half of it—without following the legal process.
Scenario A: The Chimney Is Shared on the Party Wall (Terraced & Semi-Detached Homes)
On most Victorian and 1930s houses in Kent, a central chimney stack contains flues from both your fireplaces and your neighbour's fireplaces, built into a single brick structure above the roof.
- Best-case approach (Joint Removal): Often, neither you nor your neighbour uses the chimney anymore, and both sides are suffering from damp or maintenance bills. If you speak to your neighbour and agree to remove the entire shared stack together and split the cost, it is quicker, tidier, and far cheaper per household. You still sign a simple Party Wall Notice and written consent between you for peace of mind.
- Removing only your half or altering a shared stack: Removing half of a shared brick stack leaves the remaining half thin, unstable, and exposed to wind loads. In practice, if your neighbour still uses a live gas fire, log burner, or open fireplace in their half of the stack, you cannot remove the shared chimney stack. Instead, we would carry out chimney repairs, chimney repointing, and lead flashing renewal on your side.
- Serving Notice: For any work directly cutting into or demolishing a shared party wall structure, you must serve a formal Party Structure Notice on your adjoining neighbour at least 2 months before work starts (unless they agree in writing to let you start sooner).
Scenario B: The Chimney Is Entirely on Your Own External Wall
If your house is detached, or if the chimney sits on your own end-of-terrace gable wall or a rear kitchen projection (back-addition) that does not touch your neighbour's property, you do not need a Party Wall Agreement. We can schedule the scaffolding and take the stack down as soon as suits you.
4. Building Control, Planning Permission & Heritage Rules in Kent
Homeowners rightly worry about getting caught out by council paperwork when selling their house later. Here is how local rules across Swale, Medway, and Canterbury apply to chimney stack removals:
Building Regulations
Simply taking an external stack down below the roof tiles and making good the small section of rafters and tiles does not normally trigger a Part L thermal upgrade (which applies when stripping 25% or more of the roof). However, if you are also removing the supporting chimney breasts inside the bedrooms and living rooms below, you must submit a Building Notice to South Thames Gateway (STG) Building Control or your local council.
Conservation Areas & Listed Buildings
In historic parts of Faversham, the Rochester Cathedral precinct, or Canterbury's heritage zones, chimneys are often protected because they form a key part of the traditional street skyline. If your home is Listed or sits under an Article 4 Conservation Area direction, you will need council consent before removing a chimney stack—and in many cases, the conservation officer will require you to repair and retain it using lime mortar instead.
5. Should You Repair Your Chimney or Remove It Completely?
When I climb up to inspect a leaking chimney, I will always give you an honest appraisal of both options. Sometimes a straightforward lead flashing repair or repointing job is all you need; other times, removal saves you thousands over the long run.
| When to Remove the Chimney Stack | When to Repair & Repoint Instead |
|---|---|
| All flues are redundant: Your fireplaces are boarded up, and your boiler uses a modern balanced wall flue or condensing roof flue. | Active fires or appliances: You or your adjoining neighbour still use an open fire, wood-burning stove, or gas fire vented through the stack. |
| Severe structural lean or spalled bricks: High winds (especially near Sheerness, Whitstable, or Herne Bay) have caused the stack to lean or the brick faces have blown completely. | Localized mortar or flashing wear: The brickwork is solid and plumb, and the leak is purely down to a split lead apron or weathered mortar joints. |
| Already stripping the roof: If you are having a full strip and retile done, scaffold is already up and removing the old stack adds very little extra time. | Conservation or visual character: Your property is in a conservation area or the chimney stack is a major feature of the front elevation. |
Official UK Guidance on Party Walls & Roofing Regulations
If you want to check the official government guidance on serving a Party Wall Notice or see when local Building Control needs to be notified, these official resources cover the legal details:
Planning Portal: Building Regulations for Roof Work
Explains when stripping and re-covering a tiled roof requires building regulations approval, structural checks, or thermal insulation upgrades.
Planning Portal: Roof Planning Permission Guidance
Details permitted development rules for pitched roofs, specifying when changes to tile materials or roof shape require planning permission.
South Thames Gateway Building Control Partnership
The local building control authority for Sittingbourne homeowners needing building notices or site inspections for major roof replacements.
NFRC Competent Person Scheme for Homeowners
Explains how using a certified roofing contractor allows self-certification under Part L regulations to receive a mandatory compliance certificate.
NFRC Homeowners Pitch and Tiled Roof Advice
Provides industry technical guidance for homeowners on tiled roof construction standards, maintenance schedules, and contractor standards.
GOV.UK: Party Wall Dispute Prevention and Guidance
Clarifies legal party wall requirements and notices needed when re-tiling or repairing abutments on terraced and semi-detached properties.
Citizens Advice: Problems with Building Work
Provides step-by-step consumer advice for Sittingbourne residents dealing with defective roofing installations, substandard repairs, or contractor disputes.
Common Questions About Removing a Chimney Stack
Can you remove an unused chimney stack from my terraced house in Chatham or Rochester?
Yes. Provided the stack is not actively venting a neighbour's fireplace or boiler and Party Wall requirements are met where the stack straddles the boundary wall, we safely dismantle the brickwork to below the roofline, support the rafters, install breathable underlay and battens, and tile seamlessly over the opening.
Will you be able to match my existing roof tiles when tiling over the hole?
Yes. Having worked on Kent roofs for over 30 years, I keep strong links with local reclamation yards and roofing merchants across North and Mid Kent. Whether your roof is covered in weathered Welsh slate, handmade Kent peg tiles, clay plain tiles, or 1970s concrete interlocking tiles, I source matching profiles so the repair blends naturally with the rest of your pitch.
What happens if my gas boiler flue goes up the chimney?
Most modern condensing boilers vent out through a horizontal wall flue or a standalone plastic roof terminal rather than up a brick chimney. If you still have an older back-boiler or a liner running up the stack, a Gas Safe engineer would need to disconnect or relocate that appliance before the brick stack can be taken down.
Do you use subcontractors or agency labour on site?
No. When you hire C.L. Baker, I personally survey your roof, discuss the options with you plainly, and carry out the work myself. There are no sales reps and no jobs passed on to third-party subcontractors.