Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Boars Hill, Oxfordshire
We take a careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Boars Hill, and put it all in a photo-illustrated written report.
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney breasts and the loft
Where a breast has been taken out, we look at what supports the stack. Confirming the support is a job for a structural engineer.
Lead flashings
Mortar fillets are sometimes used where lead would usually be. They tend to crack, so we check them closely.
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Boars Hill
A chimney stands up above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Over the years, the flaunching cracks, the pointing wears and flashings lift. Water then gets into the stack and can show as damp on a chimney breast or a stain in the loft. We record what we find with photographs and recommendations. Typical surveys look at pots or cowls that look unsafe and a chimney out of line, across flaunching, shared and party-wall stacks and chimney pots and cowls.
Village roofs often face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are frequently the first to give way.
You receive the findings by email, ready to forward to whoever needs them. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24–48 hours and Premium on the day.
- Place
- Boars Hill (OX1)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you want to find out. After that, we check everything we can see safely, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where applicable. Most surveys take about one to two hours for most houses, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. For a village or hamlet like Boars Hill, the journey is planned beforehand: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- You let us know how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can safely be seen.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Where there is safe access, we look at the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
How to prepare
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Booking a survey
Once you know what you need, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Advice
What happens if roof problems are left?
A small amount of repointing or new flaunching is normally a modest job. Left for a few winters, frost and water can loosen pots and bricks and the job gets bigger. For older village homes like those around Boars Hill, the right replacement materials aren’t always easy to find quickly. That’s one more reason to find defects before they become urgent.
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package matters as well. The price is always agreed first.
Why book us in Boars Hill
- Package prices that include VAT
- Every finding written up with photos
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- An independent look at the roof
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and our case studies.
For landlords and managing agents
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, including offices, shops and units. Larger roofs take longer, so they’re priced to suit.
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, with the report sent to whoever needs it. Access is agreed with the tenant in advance.
Common questions in Boars Hill
Is Boars Hill within the area you cover?
Yes. Boars Hill is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We work right across London and the South East. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
I let a flat near Oxford station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, letting agents and landlords book with us as well as owners. You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and a few details.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only where it is safe to do so. We inspect everything that’s safely in view: from ground level, from windows and vantage points, from the roof space, from the roof itself where safe and by drone where applicable. The report says if anything couldn’t be seen.
Does the weather affect the survey?
It can, depending on the survey. Drone flights need calm, dry weather, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. We will rearrange with you if the weather is not right.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends. To find a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
How long does the survey take?
That depends on the size and shape of the roof; most visits take an hour or two for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. The written report follows by email.
What do you check on a chimney?
Every part of the stack we can see from safe positions: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. We also note leaning, redundant stacks and damp inside.
When to book a survey in Boars Hill
TV aerials, satellite dishes and their brackets are often fixed to chimneys. The extra load in wind can work bricks and joints loose. We check fixings on the stack as part of the survey.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Signs that a stack is leaning
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Church of St Peter, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What happens after the report arrives
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- Their insurance cover
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
DIY checks: what’s safe
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
You can learn a lot from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Nearby places to Boars Hill
More services for Boars Hill
Local roofs in Boars Hill
West Oxfordshire’s older buildings often carry Cotswold stone slates, and a few villages in the county keep their thatch. Older houses in the South East frequently have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. About 2.9 miles west lies Appleton Manor, a reminder of how long the area around Boars Hill has been built on. If your house is among the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
If you let a flat or house near Oxford station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak. If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for example near Westgate Shopping Centre, a written record of the roof’s condition helps you plan maintenance rather than react to leaks.
Boars Hill is about 3 miles north of Abingdon-on-Thames, in Oxfordshire. In Boars Hill, as across Oxfordshire, every roof gets the same careful survey. Our area takes in places right across Oxfordshire.
Every address in OX1 is within our area for chimney surveys. That includes homes and businesses on Berkeley Road, Jarn Way and Bedwells Heath and the roads around them. We also cover Bayworth (1 mile south-east), Chilswell (1 mile north), Sunningwell (1 mile south), Hinksey Hill (1 mile north-east) and Harcourt Hill (2 miles north). Larger places within reach include Oxford (4 miles north-east), Didcot (8 miles south), Bicester (14 miles north-east), Abingdon-on-Thames (3 miles south), Witney (10 miles north-west) and Carterton (13 miles west).
Local landmarks in Boars Hill
In Boars Hill, that means homes and buildings near Raleigh Park, The Fox pub and Matthew Arnold School. For rail, the closest station is Oxford station, roughly 2.8 miles north. A little further out are The Story Museum (2.8 miles north-east) and Westgate Shopping Centre (2.8 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Lashford Lane Fen and Harcourt Hill.