Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Headington Chimney Survey
Independent chimney surveys in Headington. We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
Chimney survey in Headington
On terraced and semi-detached houses, a chimney stack is frequently shared with next door. We inspect the parts we can see safely and the parts the owner gives us access to. Where a problem seems to involve a neighbour’s side, the report records it and you can then discuss it with them. You get a written report with photos and our recommendations. If you’ve noticed damp patches on chimney breasts and loose, cracked or missing pots, we can find out what’s behind it.
Around Headington, gardens, hedges and nearby trees can mean leaves and moss end up on roofs and in gutters. Once gutters and outlets block, water spills over and soaks the walls, and moss holds water against tiles. A report spots that kind of slow problem before it becomes damp inside. Plants growing from a gutter or moss on the tiles are signs worth noting from ground level.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Headington (OX3)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Headington
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. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. With Holywell Manor about 1.6 miles west, Headington sits in an area with a long building history. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Take an older house close to St Andrew's Church: its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. For landlords with property near Oxford station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. If you run a business near Clarendon Shopping Centre, a dated report on the roof is useful for planning and for any lease discussions.
Headington is about 1 mile north-east of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. Wherever you are in Headington, we can come and survey your property. Across Oxfordshire, we cover Headington.
We survey roofs across the OX3 postcode area for chimney surveys. If you need a chimney survey at a property on Upway Road, Osler Road and Beech Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Northway (1 mile north-west), Headington Quarry (1 mile south-east), Headington Hill (1 mile south-west), New Marston (1 mile west) and Oxford (1 mile south-west). Larger places within reach include Didcot (11 miles south), Bicester (10 miles north), Abingdon-on-Thames (7 miles south-west), Witney (12 miles west), Thame (10 miles east) and Wantage (15 miles south-west).
Landmarks near Headington
In Headington, that means homes and buildings near White Hart Inn, Bury Knowle Park and Cheney School and the streets around them. Also close by are Headington Rye Oxford (0.7 miles south-west), English Faculty Library (1.6 miles west) and Holy Trinity Church (0.8 miles south-east). For rail, the closest station is Oxford station, roughly 2.6 miles west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Rumble Museum (0.9 miles south-west) and Churchill Hospital (less than half a mile west). The countryside around Headington includes CS Lewis Nature Reserve and Headington Hill.
What we do, step by step
There is not much for you to do on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, such as stains, drips or loose pieces, and we will get on with the inspection. The survey itself takes about 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, and longer for a large or complex roof. In a smaller place like Headington, parking is seldom the issue; lanes, gates and long drives are worth mentioning. On bungalows and lower roofs, much can be seen from the ground, with the loft showing the underside, while taller roofs may need other vantage points or the drone where it applies.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Before the survey
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
- Check we can get to the back of the property
Book a survey
Once you know what you need, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date.
Related advice
Why it is worth a survey now in Headington
Chimneys are easy to forget because you rarely see the top of them. Defects tend to go unseen until there’s a stain. Surveying the stack now can catch problems first. In an older home around Headington, water from a roof defect can get into timber and plaster, which is far harder to put right than the roof fault itself.
Prices start from £150, with VAT included, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400. You will know the price for your survey before booking.
Why book us in Headington
- Surveys seven days a week
- Package prices that include VAT
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Read what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
What affects the price in Headington
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before you book. This is what makes a difference:
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Roof area
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package matters as well. We will give you the figure before anything is booked.
Helping us price your survey
When you call or email, these details help:
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
Getting a price is simple: just call 07833 053749 or send us an email, let us know about the property and we will suggest the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Your questions about chimney surveys in Headington
Is my home in Headington listed or in a conservation area?
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.
Will you come out to Headington?
Yes. Headington is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
Why is my chimney breast damp?
Damp on a chimney breast usually means water is getting into the stack, or moisture is trapped inside it. The survey looks at the stack, the flashings and the capping, and record what we find.
How much does a chimney survey cost in Headington?
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on its size, height, access and the package.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Just tell us the days that suit you.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We don’t sample or test for asbestos. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We point out what can be seen, such as sagging or deflection, but we are not structural engineers and don’t carry out calculations. Where an engineer is needed, we say so in the report.
When you need someone else
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so there are some things a survey can’t cover:
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- Parts of the stack that cannot be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we can’t access
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll tell you. What a survey covers and does not.
Roofs we survey in Headington
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
Landlord and commercial surveys in Headington
We survey roofs for landlords and letting agents as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photographs, useful for planning maintenance.
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client, photographs included.
Towns and villages near Headington
More services for Headington
How the survey changes by roof type
Chimney breasts and the loft
In the loft, staining around the stack often shows where water is getting in. We record what we see with photographs.
Flaunching
Cracked flaunching is one of the most common chimney defects we record. It is usually a modest repair when it’s caught early.