Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Drayton, Oxfordshire
Chimney surveys in Drayton, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. You get a clear report with photographs.
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Cracked or missing flaunching
Chimney survey in Drayton: what you get
Many homes have chimneys that are no longer used. A disused stack still needs looking after. If it has been capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside it. Our survey looks at how each unused stack has been capped and checks the breasts for damp. You get photos of each stack and our recommendations. Typical surveys look at bricks with flaking faces and damp on a chimney breast inside, across chimney breasts, brick chimney stacks and lead flashings.
In a smaller place like Drayton, some roofs stand more exposed to wind and rain than in a built-up town. Ridge tiles, verges, chimney stacks and flashings take the worst of it. Checking those edges shows whether anything has begun to work loose before it lets water in. Once one ridge tile or slate moves, wind gets under the next one too.
Nothing in the report is left vague: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, and where it can wait, that’s said too.
- Location
- Drayton (OX14)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Drayton homes and their roofs
Cotswold stone slates are found on older buildings in west Oxfordshire, and thatch survives in some of the county’s villages. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. Whatever the covering, it’s often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. Historic houses such as Clifton Hampden Manor, about 4.4 miles east, show how far back building in the area around Drayton goes. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Drayton Community Primary School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Church of Saint Peter, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Drayton is about 3 miles south-west of Abingdon-on-Thames, in Oxfordshire. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Drayton can all book chimney surveys, with a written report and photographs every time. Drayton is one of the towns and villages in Oxfordshire where we work. We also survey roofs in Oxford.
Chimney surveys in OX14 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We offer chimney surveys to properties on High Street, Monk Close and Abbot Crescent and the roads around them. If you are just outside Drayton, we cover Sutton Wick (1 mile north-east), Steventon (2 miles south), Milton Heights (2 miles south), Marcham (2 miles north-west) and Milton Hill (2 miles south). Further out, we also cover Oxford (8 miles north-east), Didcot (4 miles south-east), Abingdon-on-Thames (3 miles north-east), Witney (12 miles north-west), Carterton (15 miles north-west) and Wantage (6 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Drayton
Typical jobs here are in homes near Larkmead School and The Red Lion pub, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Appleford station, roughly 3 miles east. Other landmarks nearby include FitzHarris Castle (2.3 miles north-east) and Abingdon Community Hospital (1.7 miles north). The countryside around Drayton includes Dry Sandford Pit.
Towns and villages near Drayton
What else we do in Drayton
What you can safely check yourself
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Common roof problems in Drayton
Many chimneys are no longer used. A stack sealed without ventilation can trap damp. Damp patches can appear on chimney breasts even when nothing is leaking.
We’re frequently asked to look at:
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Worn or missing pointing
If you own a rental within reach of Appleford station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Before you book anyone
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Whether the price includes VAT
What we can’t see
A survey is a close look at the chimney stack, but it can’t do everything. The main limits are:
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Parts of the stack that cannot be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we cannot access
- A structural engineer’s assessment
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
Before and after the survey
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Some tips:
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
Once we have been, the findings are written up with photos. It covers the pots, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings, and any damp we found inside. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. With binoculars, you can frequently see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
FAQs for Drayton
Can a landlord with a rental near Appleford station book a roof survey?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. You can call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and what you need, and we will talk through which survey suits.
Do you cover smaller places like Drayton?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
What insurance do you have?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
Do you take photos of the roof?
Yes. Photos are part of every report, so you can see exactly what each finding refers to.
Do you inspect shared chimneys?
Yes. We check the parts we can see safely and the parts you can give us access to. If a defect seems to be on your neighbour’s side, the report records it and you can raise it with them.
Will you check the chimney is safe to use with a fire?
No. Our survey covers the outside of the stack and the roof around it. The flue should be checked by a sweep, or by a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We’re roof surveyors, not structural engineers, and it doesn’t include calculations. If we see signs that need an engineer’s opinion, we’ll recommend one.
How we price chimney surveys
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before you book. This is what makes a difference:
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- The size of the roof
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) come with the Premium Survey, which starts from £400, inc. VAT. We will tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Helping us price your survey
To price your survey accurately, we will ask about:
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Any deadline, like an exchange date
- What made you get in touch
- The kind of building and roof involved
We survey roofs on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or email us.
How it works
You don’t need to do much on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we’ll get on with the inspection. The survey itself takes an hour or two at most homes, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. A visit to a smaller place like Drayton is no different on the day: outside, inside and from any safe vantage point, in that order. It is useful to show us anything you’ve already noticed.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
Arrange a survey
Once you know what you need, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.