Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Forest Hill, Oxfordshire
We take a careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Forest Hill, and put it all in a report with photographs.
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Worn or missing pointing
What we are asked to look at in Forest Hill
Years of fires can affect the mortar inside a stack. Flue gases and damp can break down the mortar, sometimes more on one side than the other, which can make a stack lean.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
For an older house near a landmark such as Church of St Nicholas, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- Their report turnaround times
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Are they insured for the work?
How a chimney survey works in Forest Hill
A leaning chimney stack is worth having looked at. A stack may lean because the mortar on one side has weakened, which can happen over many years of use. The survey notes how the stack looks, how far it seems to lean and the state of the bricks and joints. Where it may be a structural concern, we will recommend a structural engineer. If you’ve noticed damp on a chimney breast inside and gaps in the mortar around the pots, we can find out what’s behind it, on lead flashings, chimney breasts and chimney pots and cowls alike.
Village roofs often face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A roof report shows what needs attention first. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are frequently the first to give way.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent, whichever applies.
- Location
- Forest Hill (OX33)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Towns and villages near Forest Hill
Also in Forest Hill
Forest Hill: your questions answered
Do you carry out roof surveys in Forest Hill?
Yes, Forest Hill is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Forest Hill as anywhere else.
Do you cover smaller places like Forest Hill?
Yes. Forest Hill is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We survey roofs across London and the South East. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when booking.
Do you inspect shared chimneys?
Yes. We look at the parts we can see safely and the parts you can give us access to. Where a problem appears to be on next door’s side, we note it, so you can discuss it with them.
Does the report include photos?
Yes, plenty. Each finding is shown in a picture where possible.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
Do not ignore it. Leaning often comes from mortar breaking down unevenly. The survey records what we can see, and a structural engineer can assess whether it needs work.
Do you use drones?
Yes, where it’s applicable. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Can you find out why my chimney breast is damp?
There are a few common causes: cracked flaunching, worn pointing, failed flashings, uncapped pots, or damp trapped in an unventilated stack. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause.
What happens on the day
We photograph the roof as we go, so you can see in the report what we found and where. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available. Most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Cottages and farmhouses around Forest Hill often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can be seen safely.
- 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.
Before we arrive
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
How to book
To get a price for chimney surveys in Forest Hill, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. The address, the type of property and what you’d like to know help us give you an accurate price.
Read more
Why get it checked now?
Chimneys are easy to forget because you rarely see the top of them. Problems often go unnoticed until damp appears inside. A survey gives you a clear picture before that happens. Older cottages and farmhouses around Forest Hill can have roof timbers that have been there a very long time, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it is left.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, how it can be seen safely and the package you choose.
Why us?
- Photos and a written report every time
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
Read our cost guide or two real surveys.
What we cannot see
To be straight with you, there are limits to any roof survey:
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- Conditions inside walls
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or email us and we will recommend the right survey before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What this survey covers
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
Practical tips
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Check your stacks from the ground after strong winds
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
Many people use the report to get quotes for the work. Because everyone is pricing the same findings, the quotes are easier to compare.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
Forest Hill homes and their roofs
About 3.6 miles south lies Garsington Manor, a reminder of how long the area around Forest Hill has been built on. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs. 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. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
If you look after a building such as Sandhills Community Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. Shop and office owners around Templars Square may find that a dated report on the roof is useful for planning and for any lease discussions.
Forest Hill is about 3 miles east of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Forest Hill can all book chimney surveys, with a written report and photographs every time. We cover towns and villages across Oxfordshire, large and small.
Surveys in OX33 are booked the same way as anywhere else. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Main Street, Milton Crescent and Powell Close or anywhere close by, we can help. We also cover Holton (1 mile south-east), Stanton St John (1 mile north), Littleworth (1 mile south), Risinghurst (2 miles west) and Wheatley (2 miles south-east). Larger places within reach include Oxford (3 miles west), Didcot (11 miles south), Bicester (9 miles north), Abingdon-on-Thames (8 miles south-west), Witney (14 miles west) and Thame (8 miles east).
Local landmarks in Forest Hill
Typical jobs here are in homes near Shotover Country Park, The Kings Arm's Public House and Wheatley Park School, among other places. Nearby you will also find Waterperry Gardens Rural Museum (2.9 miles east) and Templars Square (3.5 miles south-west). For a walk, there is CS Lewis Nature Reserve and Shotover.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Forest Hill
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work.
Landlords, agents and building managers in Forest Hill and across Oxfordshire can book any of our surveys. To discuss a property or a block, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.