Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Burford, Oxfordshire
Need a chimney survey in Burford? We can help, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
Chimney survey in Burford: what you get
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. It might come in at the top, through worn pointing or porous bricks, or where the flashings meet the roof. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. That points the work in the right direction. We survey chimney breasts, shared and party-wall stacks and brick chimney stacks, and people most often book us about disused chimneys trapping moisture and staining on walls around the chimney.
In a smaller place like Burford, homes range from older cottages to bungalows and newer houses. Coverings range from slate and clay tiles on older homes to concrete tiles on many later ones. Chimneys, valleys and gutters on older homes frequently need the most attention. The fixings under an older roof often fail before good slates or tiles do.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Place
- Burford (OX18)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the price in Burford
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. The main factors are:
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- The size of the roof
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, including VAT.
Getting in touch
Getting the details right at the start saves time. It helps to include:
- Anything about access we should know
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- What made you get in touch
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
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.
Practical tips
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. A few suggestions:
- Make sure fixings on the stack are secure
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
If anything in the report isn’t clear, just ask us. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Check fixings on the stack are sound, and moved if they’re working it loose. Less load on the stack means less strain in wind.
Roof by roof
Lead flashings
Flashings can lift in wind or pull out of their mortar joints. We photograph any we find that look loose or damaged.
Chimney breasts and the loft
If a chimney breast has been removed below, we note what we can see of the support above. A structural engineer should confirm whether it is adequate.
Why get it checked now?
If you are buying, find out about the stacks before you exchange. Once you’ve exchanged, the work is down to you. Our report gives you facts to raise with the seller or agent. Homes in smaller places like Burford can face more weather, so a loose ridge or verge soon lets rain in. Each storm lifts it a little further, and water follows.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Why book with us
- Plain-English reports with photos
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
See what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
Burford: your questions answered
How do I find out if my home in Burford is listed?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Is Burford within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability, and details are available on request.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, if whoever owns or manages the building agrees access. We check the parts we are given access to.
What will the report tell me?
Written findings with photographs, explaining the condition of the chimney stack, any defects and our recommendations. Standard adds moisture detection and a structural check; Premium adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
How quickly is the report sent?
Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24–48 hours and Premium reports on the same day. Each one is emailed.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing aren’t part of what we do. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
How it works
Before we start, tell us why you’ve booked: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. That way we can focus on what matters to you. The visit normally takes between one and two hours for a house; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. Parking around Burford is usually easier than in a town centre, but mention lanes, gates or long drives. On bungalows and lower roofs, much can be seen from ground level, with the loft showing the underside.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Getting ready for the survey
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Find any records of previous roof work
Arrange a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. Otherwise, simply call 07833 053749 or send us an email whenever suits you.
Related advice
Places near Burford
More services for Burford
Chimney surveys around Burford
Historic houses such as Minster Lovell Hall, about 4.4 miles east, show how far back building in the area around Burford goes. If your home is one of the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Older buildings in west Oxfordshire frequently have Cotswold stone slate roofs, and some Oxfordshire villages still have thatch. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
If you let a flat or house near Shipton station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak. If you look after a building like Burford Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Burford is about 3 miles north-west of Carterton, in Oxfordshire. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Burford can all book chimney surveys. Burford is one of the towns and villages in Oxfordshire we cover. For surveys nearby, see our Oxford page.
All of OX18 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We offer chimney surveys to properties on High Street, Lower High Street and Swan Lane. With the A40 and A361 close by, Burford is easy for us to reach. We also cover the places around Burford: Fulbrook (1 mile north-east), Little Barrington (3 miles west), Milton-under-Wychwood (4 miles north), Fifield (4 miles north) and Idbury (5 miles north). Larger places within reach include Witney (6 miles east), Carterton (3 miles south-east), Faringdon (11 miles south), Kidlington (15 miles east), Chipping Norton (10 miles north) and Woodstock (13 miles east).
Landmarks near Burford
Around Burford, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Burford School and The Royal Oak Public House, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Shipton station, roughly 4.5 miles north-east.
When to book a survey in Burford
Flaunching is the mortar bed that holds the pots and throws water off the top. Once it cracks, water gets in and frost makes the cracks bigger. In time, the pots can become loose.
It’s worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- A chimney out of line
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
For an older house near a landmark like Church of St John the Baptist, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- What insurance they carry
- When you’ll get the report