Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Drayton St Leonard, Oxfordshire
Find out the condition of the chimney stack at your property in Drayton St Leonard. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
How the survey works
Every roof is different; as a rough guide, the survey takes roughly 1–2 hours on an ordinary house; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. If you have questions on the day, just ask. Around Drayton St Leonard, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. We only go where it is safe.
- You tell us how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- 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.
Preparing for the visit
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
How to book
We confirm the price for the job before you book, so you know where you stand. Prices start from £150, including VAT. To book, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Advice
About our chimney survey in Drayton St Leonard
A chimney survey looks at the stack and everything around it: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and the flashings at the roof line. We also look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access. The findings come in a written report with photos and recommendations. We survey single stacks on houses and groups of stacks on bigger buildings. We’re often asked to look into a chimney out of line and loose, cracked or missing pots, across chimney pots and cowls, chimney breasts and brick chimney stacks.
In a village or hamlet like Drayton St Leonard, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, often with chimneys that have stood a long time. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs frequently need the most attention.
The report is written in plain words, so you don’t need to be a roofer to follow it. Each point is backed by a photo where possible.
- Location
- Drayton St Leonard (OX10)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Towns and villages near Drayton St Leonard
More services for Drayton St Leonard
Tips that help
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
After the visit, we write up the report with photographs of each stack. It explains the condition of each part of the stack and any damp inside. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24 to 48 hours and Premium reports the same day.
Make sure fixings on the stack are sound, and moved if they’re working it loose. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
What we look for on each type of roof
Lead flashings
Mortar fillets are sometimes used where lead would typically be. They crack with age, and we check them too.
Rendered stacks
What’s behind the render cannot be seen without removing some, so the report says what can and cannot be judged.
Prices for chimney surveys in Drayton St Leonard
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- The size of the roof
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Building height and the viewpoints available
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package you pick makes a difference too. We will give you the figure before anything is booked.
Helping us price your survey
A few details help us suggest the right survey and price. When you contact us, it is useful to mention:
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Dates you’re working to, such as exchange
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or email us and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price before booking.
Drayton St Leonard: your questions answered
Do you cover smaller places like Drayton St Leonard?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Culham station?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you need, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
Do you inspect the flue?
No. A flue inspection, sweep or gas safety check is a separate job. We check the structure and weathering of the stack and any damp, and we will say if anything suggests the flue needs checking.
Are you structural engineers?
No. Visible signs such as deflection or sagging are recorded, but calculations and an engineer’s opinion are outside what we do. The report will say if you need an engineer.
Will you photograph what you find?
Yes, plenty. Pictures sit next to the findings they show.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We survey seven days a week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Let us know which days suit you as you book.
DIY checks: what’s safe
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
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. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
Signs you need a chimney survey in Drayton St Leonard
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.
A survey can pick up problems like:
- A chimney out of line
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
For an older house near a landmark such as Church of St Leonard, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
What to check before booking
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- What experience they bring
- Is VAT included in the price?
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
Drayton St Leonard 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. Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look. With Clifton Hampden Manor about 3.1 miles west, Drayton St Leonard sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters.
Landlords with a home close to Culham station may find that knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Drayton St Leonard is about 6 miles north-east of Didcot, in Oxfordshire. Drayton St Leonard gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photos and a written report. Our Oxfordshire coverage includes Drayton St Leonard and the places around it. We also survey roofs in Oxford.
We survey roofs across OX10 for chimney surveys. We cover properties on High Street, Church Lane and Ford Lane and the roads around them. We also cover Great Holcombe (1 mile east), Newington (1 mile east), Brookhampton (1 mile north), Stadhampton (1 mile north) and Berinsfield (1 mile west). Within a short drive, we also cover Oxford (7 miles north-west), Didcot (6 miles south-west), Abingdon-on-Thames (6 miles west), Thame (9 miles north-east), Wantage (13 miles west) and Henley-on-Thames (13 miles south-east).
Around Drayton St Leonard
In Drayton St Leonard, that means homes and buildings near The Catherine Wheel pub, among other places. The nearest railway station is Culham station, about 4.3 miles west of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Littlemore Hospital (5.3 miles north-west) and Aston Martin Heritage Trust Museum (less than half a mile south). Not far away are Wittenham Clumps and Wells Farm.