Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Bix, Oxfordshire
Chimney surveys in Bix, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. Every survey ends with a written report and photographs.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
Chimney survey in Bix
A leaning chimney stack is worth having looked at. A stack may lean because the mortar on one side has weakened, which can happen over many years of use. The survey notes how the stack looks, how far it seems to lean and the state of the bricks and joints. If the stack looks like a structural issue, the report recommends a structural engineer. We survey chimney breasts, flaunching and shared and party-wall stacks, and the problems we are asked to look at most are gaps where the stack meets the roof and damaged chimney pots and cowls.
Older buildings in small places like Bix may be listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. A roof report helps you plan work with that in mind. Older materials like clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
After the visit, you get a written report with photos, emailed to you. It sets out the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our written recommendations.
- Place
- Bix (RG9)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Why act early in Bix
Before deciding what to do with a redundant stack, a survey shows how it’s doing. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need permission from the council, so check with them first. In a place like Bix, a barn or garage roof left to fail puts whatever is inside at risk. It’s worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
For a price for your roof in Bix, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and some details. We will confirm the figure before booking.
Why book with us
- An independent look at the roof
- Photos and a written report every time
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Packages from £150, with VAT included
See our cost guide or our case studies.
Chimney surveys in Bix: local notes
West Oxfordshire’s older buildings often carry Cotswold stone slates, and a few villages in the county keep their thatch. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. About 1.3 miles south lies Greys Court, a reminder of how long the area around Bix has been built on. If your home is one of the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof.
If you let a flat or house near Henley-On-Thames station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
Bix is about 6 miles north of Caversham, in Oxfordshire. Bookings from Bix are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Our Oxfordshire coverage includes Bix and the places around it. Reading is in our area too.
Every address in RG9 is within our area for chimney surveys. Local streets include White Lane and Rectory Lane. If you’re just outside Bix, we cover Middle Assendon (1 mile north-east), Lower Assendon (1 mile south-east), Fawley Bottom (1 mile north-east), Catslip (2 miles north-west) and Shepherd's Green (2 miles south-west). Further out, we also cover Didcot (13 miles west), Thame (13 miles north), Henley-on-Thames (3 miles south-east), Benson (8 miles north-west), Chinnor (10 miles north) and Tilehurst (8 miles south-west).
Near you in Bix
Around Bix, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Fox Public House and the streets around them. Bix’s nearest station is Henley-On-Thames station, about 2.9 miles south-east. A little further out are Frazer Nash Archives (3.2 miles south-east). Open spaces near Bix include Warburg Nature Reserve.
Tips that help
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. Our suggestions:
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. Because everyone is pricing the same findings, the quotes are easier to compare.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. Early signs are easier to trace.
Also in Bix
Landlords, agents and block managers in Bix
Landlords and letting agents in Bix book surveys as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photos, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan.
What this survey cannot tell you
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will suggest the right survey before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What this survey covers
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
Do you need a chimney survey in Bix?
Flashings seal the gap where a stack passes through the roof. They can lift in wind, crack with age or pull out of the mortar joints. When flashings fail, water often shows up in the loft or on the chimney breast. Lead flashings can also be stolen.
Problems we come across often include:
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
If you live in an older home near Church of St James, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Questions to ask before booking
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- How soon the report will arrive
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Their track record with similar roofs
Bix questions
Will you come out to Bix?
Yes, Bix is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Henley-On-Thames station?
Yes, that’s a common request. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it’s applicable. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
How fast do I get the report?
Report times are set by the package. Basic: within 48 hours. Standard: 24 to 48 hours. Premium: the same day. If you have a deadline, such as an exchange date, tell us when booking.
Will you photograph what you find?
Yes. The report includes photos of what we found, so you can see exactly what each finding refers to.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
There are a few common causes: cracked flaunching, worn pointing, failed flashings, uncapped pots, or damp trapped in an unventilated stack. We check each one and note the most likely cause.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
A leaning stack should be looked at. We record the lean, the brickwork and the pointing, and recommend a structural engineer where it may be a structural concern.
What we do, step by step
We do not take risks to get a closer look. Everything that can safely be seen is inspected, and anything we can’t see is noted in the report. The survey typically takes about one to two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Somewhere as small as Bix, access is often the only tricky part. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- You tell us whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We check the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Preparing for the visit
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
How to book
Most bookings start with a short call: phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. You will have a price before anything is arranged.