Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Great Holcombe Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys across Great Holcombe, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- A stack that appears to lean
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching that has broken away
About our chimney survey in Great Holcombe
If you’re buying a home with chimneys, it is worth knowing their condition before you exchange. On older stacks, we frequently find cracked flaunching, loose flashings and worn pointing. You get photos and findings you can take back to the seller or agent. It complements a RICS home survey rather than replacing it. We survey chimney breasts, shared and party-wall stacks and brick chimney stacks, and common reasons people get in touch are signs that a stack is leaning and damaged chimney pots and cowls.
Village roofs often face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A roof report shows what needs attention first. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are often the first to give way.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent.
- Where
- Great Holcombe (OX10)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
We do not take risks to get a closer look. Everything that can be seen safely is inspected, and anything we can’t see is noted in the report. Most visits take about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. For a village or hamlet like Great Holcombe, the journey is planned beforehand: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect whatever is safely visible, inside and out.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Before we arrive
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Getting a price
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. To book or ask a question, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Advice
When to book a survey in Great Holcombe
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 often asked to look at:
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
For an older house near a landmark like Church of St Giles, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Before you book anyone
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
- Which limits apply to the survey
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Great Holcombe questions
Is Great Holcombe in the area you cover?
We do. The survey and report are the same in Great Holcombe as anywhere else.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Great Holcombe?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
What do you check on a chimney?
Every part of the stack we can see from safe positions: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. We also note leaning, redundant stacks and damp inside.
Should a redundant chimney be removed?
A redundant chimney needs looking after like any other. Capping without airflow can lead to damp. Our survey records its condition and how it’s capped, so you can plan what to do with it.
My chimney looks like it’s leaning. What should I do?
It is worth having a leaning stack checked. Our survey notes how it looks and the condition of the bricks and joints, and recommend a structural engineer where it may be a structural concern.
Will you check the loft?
If it is needed and safe to reach, yes. We look for staining, damp, daylight and signs of movement, as far as the space allows.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. It is a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
Different roofs, different checks
Flaunching
We often find flaunching that has cracked or broken away. It is usually a modest repair when it’s caught early.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Damp patches on chimney breasts often point to a problem above. We look at them and at the stack in the loft where there’s safe access.
Before and after the survey
A little preparation and a few simple habits help, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Our tips:
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
Questions about the findings are always welcome. Standard Surveys come with a follow-up consultation, and Premium Surveys with an in-person one.
Look at your chimneys from ground level now and then, particularly after strong winds. With binoculars, you can often see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
Honest limits
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, and that sets some limits:
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
- Hidden damage within the stack
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you before you book. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
Also near Great Holcombe
More services for Great Holcombe
What a chimney survey looks like in Great Holcombe
About 3.8 miles north-west lies Garsington Manor, a reminder of how long the area around Great Holcombe has been built on. If your house is among the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. West Oxfordshire’s older buildings often carry Cotswold stone slates, and a few villages in the county keep their thatch. 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.
Great Holcombe is about 3 miles north of Benson, in Oxfordshire. Great Holcombe gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photos and a written report. Our area takes in places right across Oxfordshire, large and small. For surveys nearby, see our Oxford page.
All of OX10 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Other places close to Great Holcombe include Newington (1 mile north), Drayton St Leonard (1 mile west), Brookhampton (1 mile north), Stadhampton (1 mile north) and Berrick Salome (1 mile south-east). Larger places within reach include Oxford (8 miles north-west), Didcot (7 miles south-west), Abingdon-on-Thames (7 miles west), Thame (9 miles north-east), Wantage (14 miles west) and Henley-on-Thames (13 miles south-east).
Landmarks near Great Holcombe
In Great Holcombe, that means homes and buildings near The Catherine Wheel pub and the streets around them. Well-known places in the area include Brightwell Castle (4 miles south-west) and Littlemore Hospital (5.8 miles north-west). Not far away are Wells Farm and Wittenham Clumps.
Can I check my roof myself?
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are frequently out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.