Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Donnington, Oxfordshire
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching across Donnington, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Call or email for a price.
- A chimney out of line
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
Chimney survey in Donnington
On terraced and semi-detached houses, a chimney stack is frequently shared with next door. We check what can be seen safely and what the owner gives us access to. If a defect appears to be on the neighbour’s side, we note it, so you can talk to them. You get a written report with photographs and our recommendations. We survey flaunching, shared and party-wall stacks and brick chimney stacks, and people most frequently book us about worn or missing pointing and spalled or crumbling bricks.
Houses in smaller places like Donnington can face open ground, where wind and driving rain hit the roof harder. Ridge tiles, verges, chimney stacks and flashings take the worst of it. A close look shows whether anything has started to loosen. A loose ridge tile or slate gives the wind something to catch, and others soon follow.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Place
- Donnington (OX4, OX1)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
How it works
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photos. On timing, most surveys take about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. In a smaller place like Donnington, as anywhere, the forecast plays a part: drone flights and thermal imaging need the right conditions, while a look from the ground and the loft can go ahead in most weather.
- You tell us whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- We check the roof around each stack, including the flashings.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
How to prepare
- Check pets are kept safely away
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
Getting a price
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price before booking.
Related advice
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney breasts and the loft
Inside, chimney breasts can show damp when water gets into the stack. We check them and at the stack in the loft where there’s safe access.
Chimney pots and cowls
For unused flues, we check whether caps or cowls allow ventilation. Capping without ventilation can trap moisture.
Donnington questions
Will you come out to Donnington?
Yes, Donnington is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
Is my home in Donnington listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It is worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
How do I arrange a chimney survey in Donnington?
Just ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. We’ll ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date.
Does someone need to be in?
Not necessarily. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Do you use drones?
Yes, where it’s applicable. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, including flight restriction zones near airports. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator.
Will you check the loft?
If it’s needed and safe to reach, yes. Inside, we look for damp, staining, gaps and sagging, as far as the space allows.
How long will you be at the property?
That depends on the size and shape of the roof, but most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. The written report follows by email.
Common roof problems in Donnington
Flashings seal the gap where a stack passes through the roof. With age they can lift, split or come away from the joints. When flashings fail, water often shows up in the loft or on the chimney breast. Lead is also a target for theft.
Things that frequently lead to a survey include:
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
If you look after a building like Larkrise Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Whether the price includes VAT
- What exactly goes into their report
- What the survey won’t cover
Towns and villages near Donnington
What else we do in Donnington
For landlords and managing agents
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, putting the urgent items at the top.
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Donnington. For a price for a let property or a block, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
What a chimney survey looks like in Donnington
Cotswold stone slates are found on older buildings in west Oxfordshire, and thatch survives in some of the county’s villages. Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates. Whatever the covering, it’s often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. Historic houses such as Holywell Manor, about 1.4 miles north-west, show how far back building in the area around Donnington goes. If your house is among 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.
Shop and office owners around Templars Square may find that a written record of the roof’s condition helps you plan maintenance rather than react to leaks. If your house is among the older ones in the streets near St Alban the Martyr, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Donnington is about 1 mile south of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. Whether the building in Donnington is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, we can survey the roof. Donnington is one of the towns and villages in Oxfordshire where we work for chimney surveys.
Here we cover the OX4 and OX1 postcode area for chimney surveys. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Meadow Lane, Arnold Road and Iffley Road or anywhere close by, we can help. With the A4158 close by, Donnington is simple for us to get to. If you’re just outside Donnington, we cover Iffley (1 mile south-east), New Hinksey (1 mile west), Cowley (1 mile south-east), Oxford (1 mile north) and Redbridge (1 mile south-west). Larger places within reach include Didcot (9 miles south), Bicester (12 miles north), Abingdon-on-Thames (5 miles south-west), Witney (12 miles west), Thame (11 miles east) and Wantage (13 miles south-west).
Around Donnington
Typical jobs here are in homes near Greyfriars Catholic School, Magdalen Arms and South Park. Also close by are Alexander Library of Ornithology (1.1 miles north-west) and Emmanuel Christian School (1.3 miles south). The nearest railway station is Oxford station, about 1.9 miles north-west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Warneford Hospital (1 mile north-east) and British Tattoo History Museum (0.5 miles north-east). The countryside around Donnington includes CS Lewis Nature Reserve and Headington Hill.
Checking the roof from ground level
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Do not go up yourself.
What a survey costs
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. That comes down to:
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- The size of the roof
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
Every price we give includes VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
What we need to know
There’s no need for technical words. It’s enough to let us know:
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Dates you’re working to, such as exchange
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.