Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Harwell, Oxfordshire
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Harwell, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Call or email for a price.
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
Chimney survey in Harwell: what you get
Our survey covers the structure of the stack and its weathering details. It’s not a flue inspection, a chimney sweep or a gas safety inspection. If you use a fire or a gas appliance, the flue should be checked by a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer as appropriate. We will tell you if we see anything that suggests they should take a look. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, flaunching and chimney breasts, and people most often book us about unused flues sealed without airflow and a chimney out of line.
Around Harwell, older cottages sit alongside bungalows and newer houses. Coverings range from slate and clay tiles on older homes to concrete tiles on many later ones. On older homes, chimney stacks, valleys and gutters are typically where the work is, and the fixings under the coverings matter too. Nails and battens under older coverings often give out before the slates or tiles themselves.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent, whichever applies.
- Place
- Harwell (OX11)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Do you need a chimney survey in Harwell?
The flaunching on top of a stack holds the pots in place and sheds water. Once it cracks, water gets in and frost makes the cracks bigger. In time, the pots can become loose.
Look out for signs like these:
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Signs that a stack is leaning
If you live in an older home near Church of St Matthew, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- How long the report takes to arrive
- What they won’t be able to tell you
- What follow-up you get after the report
- What experience they bring
Local roofs in Harwell
West Oxfordshire’s older buildings often carry Cotswold stone slates, and a few villages in the county keep their thatch. Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates. Whatever the covering, it is frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. Listing and conservation areas can both shape what roof work is allowed on an older home. The council is the place to check, along with Historic England’s list, ideally before any re-roofing is planned.
Landlords with a home close to Didcot Parkway station may find that a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Harwell Primary School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Harwell is about 2 miles west of Didcot, in Oxfordshire. We cover Harwell and the rest of Oxfordshire, as part of our work across London and South East England. Harwell is one of the towns and villages in Oxfordshire we cover for chimney surveys. We also survey roofs in Oxford.
All of OX11 is covered for chimney surveys. Whether your property is on High Street, Loder Road and The Styles or a nearby road, we can survey it. We also cover the places around Harwell: West Hagbourne (2 miles south-east), Coscote (2 miles east), Upton (2 miles south-east), Chilton (2 miles south) and East Hagbourne (2 miles east). Larger places within reach include Oxford (11 miles north), Abingdon-on-Thames (5 miles north), Witney (15 miles north-west), Wantage (6 miles west), Grove (6 miles west) and Faringdon (13 miles west).
What’s near Harwell
In Harwell, that means homes and buildings near The Crispin pub, UTC Oxfordshire and UTC Oxfordshire, among other places. The nearest railway station is Didcot Parkway station, roughly 2.3 miles east. Well-known places in the area include Atlas Computer Laboratory (2 miles south-west) and Abingdon Community Hospital (4.8 miles north). The countryside around Harwell includes Churn Hill and Mowbray Fields.
How we price chimney surveys
All our prices include VAT. What changes the price is:
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- Building height and the viewpoints available
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, access and which survey you book.
What we need to know
We’ll typically ask about:
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Anything about access we should know
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- When you need the report by
Every survey is priced before it’s booked, so you know where you stand. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. To book, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
How the survey works
Every visit follows the same pattern: we listen to what’s been worrying you, inspect the roof from every safe vantage point, take photographs as we go and record our findings for the written report. It normally takes between one and two hours at most homes, and longer for a large or complex roof. For a survey in Harwell, we agree the time, the access and parking before the day. Weekday and weekend visits are both possible. Let us know about any garages, outbuildings or extensions you want included.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there is access.
- The report, with photos and recommendations, is emailed to you.
How to prepare
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Getting a price
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You will know the price before anything is booked.
Read more
Harwell questions
Will you come out to Harwell?
Yes, Harwell is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Can a landlord with a rental near Didcot Parkway station book a roof survey?
Yes, landlords and agents book with us as well as owners. Just ring 07833 053749 or email us and tell us about the building, including who will give access on the day.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Only when it’s safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where applicable, a drone.
What will the report tell me?
It sets out what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, backed by photos. Anything we couldn’t see safely is noted too.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. If you need a full building survey, you will need a RICS survey as well.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
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, so you can discuss it with them.
Is a chimney survey the same as a flue inspection?
No. We survey the stack and its weathering, not the flue. For the flue, you will need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Tips that help
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out:
- Make sure fixings on the stack are secure
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
If the stack is shared, you can pass the report to your neighbour. The photos show the problem and which side it’s on from the viewpoints we used.
Make sure redundant flues are capped with ventilation. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
Why get it checked now?
Most people never get a proper look at their chimney stacks. Defects tend to go unseen until there’s a stain. A survey gives you a clear picture before that happens. In a smaller place like Harwell, wherever a roof is exposed, a loose ridge or flashing doesn’t stay loose for long. Wind gets under it and lifts more.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
What you get with us
- Photographs and a written report every time
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and two real surveys.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
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 do not climb up for a closer look.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Do not go up yourself.