Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Frilford, Oxfordshire
Chimney surveys across Frilford, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
Chimney survey in Frilford: what you get
A damp patch on a chimney breast doesn’t always come from the same place. It might come in at the top, through worn pointing or porous bricks, or where the flashings meet the roof. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. You then know where to start. If you’ve noticed flaunching that has broken away and lifted or split lead flashings, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Village roofs often face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
Where we can’t see part of the chimney stack, the report says so. You’ll know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Location
- Frilford (OX13)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we look for on each type of roof
Brick stacks
Frost can damage bricks that have soaked up water, making the faces flake away. Any spalling is noted with photos.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Inside, chimney breasts can show damp when water gets into the stack. We look at them and at the stack in the loft where there’s safe access.
Also near Frilford
Other services in Frilford
How we price chimney surveys
Not every roof costs the same to survey, and it comes down to:
- Height and safe access
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- The roof’s overall size
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how it can be reached and seen safely. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT.
Booking your survey
You do not need to know any roofing terms. Just let us know:
- What made you get in touch
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Anything about access we should know
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can ring 07833 053749 or send us an email to find out.
Practical tips
You do not need to be a roofer to help. Here’s what helps most:
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Make sure unused flues are capped with ventilation
With a shared stack, the report can help when talking to next door. It shows what we found and where from the viewpoints we used.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. It is far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
Common roof problems in Frilford
Removing a chimney breast inside can leave questions about how the stack is supported. We note what’s visible in the loft space and outside, and the report recommends a structural engineer if support is a concern.
We’re often asked to look at:
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Abingdon Preparatory School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
What to check before booking
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- What follow-up you get after the report
- Is VAT included in the price?
Frilford: your questions answered
Do you carry out roof surveys in Frilford?
Yes, Frilford is within the area we cover. We survey roofs across London and the South East. You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and a few details.
Is Frilford within the area you cover?
Yes, we do. We cover the whole of London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
A leaning stack should be looked at. We record the lean, the brickwork and the pointing, and recommend a structural engineer where it may be a structural concern.
What does a roof survey cost?
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Our three packages are Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, inc. VAT.
Will you go up on the roof?
Only when it is safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where applicable, a drone, and anything out of sight is recorded in the report.
Why is my chimney breast damp?
It can come from several places: cracked flaunching, worn pointing, failed flashings, uncapped pots, or damp trapped in an unventilated stack. We check each one and note the most likely cause.
Do I need to be at home?
Not necessarily. If we only need the outside, we can agree that beforehand, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
How the survey works
You don’t need to do much on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we will take it from there. The survey itself takes roughly 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Somewhere as small as Frilford, access is often the only tricky part. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- You let us know 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.
Preparing for the visit
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
Arrange a survey
We confirm the price for the job before booking, so you know the cost up front. Prices start from £150, including VAT. To book, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Advice
Local roofs in Frilford
Older buildings in west Oxfordshire frequently have Cotswold stone slate roofs, and some Oxfordshire villages still have thatch. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. The wider area around Frilford has a long history of building, with Appleton Manor about 2.6 miles north. 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 a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
For an older house near a landmark such as Church of All Saints, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Frilford is about 3 miles west of Abingdon-on-Thames, in Oxfordshire. Anywhere in Frilford, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. We cover towns and villages across Oxfordshire, from the larger towns to small villages. For surveys nearby, see our Oxford page.
Every address in OX13 is within our area for chimney surveys. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Oxford Road and Kingston Road or a nearby road, we can help. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Frilford Heath (1 mile north), Marcham (1 mile east), Tubney (1 mile north), Fyfield (2 miles north-west) and Netherton (2 miles north-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Oxford (8 miles north-east), Didcot (7 miles south-east), Abingdon-on-Thames (3 miles east), Witney (10 miles north-west), Carterton (12 miles north-west) and Wantage (6 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Frilford
In Frilford, that means homes and buildings near The White Hart Public House, among other places. A little further out are FitzHarris Castle (3.4 miles east) and Abingdon Community Hospital (2.6 miles east). Not far away are Hitchcopse Pit and Cumnor Hill.
Checking the roof from ground level
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Do not go up yourself.
A lot can be seen from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.