Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Charlbury Chimney Survey
Independent chimney surveys in Charlbury. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
Chimney survey in Charlbury
A damp patch on a chimney breast doesn’t always come from the same place. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. We check each possibility and record what we find. You then know where to start. We survey flaunching, lead flashings and chimney breasts, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are flashings pulling away from the stack and eroded joints in the brickwork.
In a smaller place like Charlbury, homes range from older cottages to bungalows and newer houses. Older roofs can have slate, clay tiles or other traditional coverings, while many later ones have concrete tiles. On older homes, chimney stacks, valleys and gutters are normally where the work is, and the fixings under the coverings matter too. The fixings under an older roof often fail before good slates or tiles do.
Findings are set out part by part, from the coverings down to the gutters, with a note and a photo for each point. It records what’s sound as well as what isn’t.
- Place
- Charlbury (OX7)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Practical tips
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out:
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Check fixings on the stack are secure
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. Because everyone is pricing the same findings, the quotes are easier to compare.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. It’s far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
Prices for chimney surveys in Charlbury
Survey packages start from £150, with VAT included. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- The size of the roof
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Getting in touch
Here’s what helps us most when you contact us:
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Dates you’re working to, such as exchange
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
We confirm the price for your survey before booking, so you know the cost up front. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. To book, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Cracked flaunching and worn pointing are often modest repairs when they’re caught early. Leave it, and frost can work the stack loose and the job gets bigger. Around Charlbury, leaves and moss in gutters lead to overflowing water and damp walls, particularly where trees overhang. It is easy to sort the cause early and slow to dry a damp wall.
To find out what your survey will cost, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and let us know about the roof. We’ll confirm the figure before booking.
Why us?
- Photos and a written report every time
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- 20+ years’ experience
- An independent view of the roof
See what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
Different roofs, different checks
Lead flashings
Where the chimney meets the roof slopes, lead flashings keep water out. We check for lifting, splits and gaps in the joints.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Damp patches on chimney breasts often point to a problem above. We check the breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Charlbury
Older buildings in west Oxfordshire often 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. Before planning roof work on an older home, find out whether it is listed or in a conservation area. Listed building consent covers changes to a listed building’s special interest, and an Article 4 direction can bring extra controls in a conservation area.
The streets around a church like St Mary's Church are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first. Take a building like Charlbury Primary School: a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time. Landlords with a home close to Charlbury station may find that the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
Charlbury is about 6 miles north of Witney, in Oxfordshire. Roofs in Charlbury get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Oxfordshire. Our Oxfordshire coverage includes Charlbury and the places around it. For surveys nearby, see our Oxford page.
We survey roofs across the OX7 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. Streets in the area include Market Street, Crawborough Road and Sandford Rise. You will find Charlbury on the B4022 and B4026, so it’s easy for us to get to. We also cover Fawler (2 miles south-east), Spelsbury (2 miles north-west), Finstock (2 miles south), Stonesfield (2 miles south-east) and Ramsden (3 miles south). We also work in nearby towns such as Oxford (13 miles south-east), Banbury (14 miles north-east), Bicester (14 miles east), Witney (6 miles south), Carterton (9 miles south-west) and Kidlington (9 miles south-east).
What’s near Charlbury
We work in homes and buildings around Ye Olde Three Horseshoes pub and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Charlbury station, roughly 0.5 miles west. Not far away are Blenheim Farm.
More services for Charlbury
Questions from Charlbury
I let a flat near Charlbury station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you need, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Charlbury?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you’re planning to re-roof in a different material.
How quickly is the report sent?
That depends on the survey you book: the Basic Survey report arrives within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey the same day. The report is emailed to you.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We’re roof surveyors, not structural engineers, and it does not include calculations. We will recommend an engineer if we see signs that call for one.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years.
Which parts of the chimney do you look at?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. We also check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach. Everything is written up with photos.
My chimney looks like it is leaning. What should I do?
A leaning stack should be looked at. Our survey notes how it looks and the condition of the bricks and joints, and if it may be a structural issue, we recommend a structural engineer.
How it works
The visit has one job: to look at the chimney stack as closely as is safe and record what we find. Notes and photos go into the written report. The visit normally takes about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In a smaller place like Charlbury, as anywhere, the forecast plays a part: the parts that need calm, dry weather are planned around it.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
Before the survey
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Note where any stains or damp appear
How to book
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form to find out.
Read more
Landlord and commercial surveys in Charlbury
With a portfolio of properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To discuss a number of properties, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed in advance. Surveys run seven days a week, which helps when tenants work during the week.