Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Horton-cum-Studley Chimney Survey
We take a careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Horton-cum-Studley, with photographs and a written report.
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
Should I look at the roof myself first?
It helps to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us when you book and it will help the survey.
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Horton-cum-Studley
A chimney survey looks at the stack and everything around it: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and the flashings at the roof line. Inside, we check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft where it is safe to reach. You get a written report with photos and our recommendations. It suits a single stack on a house as well as several on a larger building. We survey lead flashings, chimney pots and cowls and shared and party-wall stacks, and people most frequently book us about gaps where the stack meets the roof and bricks with flaking faces.
In a small place like Horton-cum-Studley, many roofs stand in the open, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. 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: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent, whichever applies.
- Place
- Horton-cum-Studley (OX33)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Horton-cum-Studley homes and their roofs
Historic houses such as Boarstall Tower, about 2.2 miles north-east, show how far back building in the area around Horton-cum-Studley goes. 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 frequently have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
Homes near green spaces such as Katie and George Park can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn. If you own a rental within reach of Islip station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let. Take an older house close to Church of St Barnabas: old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Horton-cum-Studley is about 6 miles north-east of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. Surveys in Horton-cum-Studley work the same way as everywhere we cover: a careful inspection, photos and a written report. Horton-cum-Studley is one of the towns and villages in Oxfordshire we cover. Oxford is in our area too.
Every address in OX33 is within our area for chimney surveys. Local streets include The Green, Church Lane and Oakley Road, and we cover them all. Other places close to Horton-cum-Studley include Murcott (2 miles north), Fencott (3 miles north-west), Charlton-on-Otmoor (3 miles north-west), Upper Arncott (3 miles north) and Merton (3 miles north). We also work in nearby towns such as Oxford (6 miles south-west), Didcot (14 miles south), Bicester (7 miles north), Abingdon-on-Thames (11 miles south-west), Witney (15 miles west) and Thame (8 miles south-east).
Near you in Horton-cum-Studley
We work in homes and buildings around Katie and George Park and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Islip station, about 4.4 miles west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Churchill Hospital (4.5 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include Shotover and Bernwood Meadows.
What happens on the day
Every roof is different, but as a rough guide the survey takes roughly 1–2 hours for a house; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. You’re welcome to ask questions while we are there. Cottages and farmhouses around Horton-cum-Studley often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- The stacks are looked at from ground level, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
Before we arrive
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Getting a price
Not sure which survey you need? It’s easiest to phone 07833 053749 or email us and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll explain the options and the price.
Related advice
Practical tips
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out:
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
You get the report by email and can pass it to whoever does the work. Each defect is described in plain words and shown in a photo, so it is easy to follow.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney breasts and the loft
In the loft, staining around the stack frequently 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. Caught early, it’s frequently a small job.
Towns and villages near Horton-cum-Studley
Also in Horton-cum-Studley
What a survey costs
We confirm the exact price before booking. These are the things that affect it:
- Roof area
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- The shape of the roof and its details
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package you pick makes a difference too. We will give you the figure before anything is booked.
What to let us know when you get in touch
To price your survey accurately, we’ll ask about:
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- The property’s address and postcode
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just phone 07833 053749 or email us when you’re ready.
Why act early in Horton-cum-Studley
Before deciding what to do with a redundant stack, a survey shows how it’s doing. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need permission from the council, so check with them first. For an older or listed building in a place like Horton-cum-Studley, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so leaving a defect until it’s urgent leaves less time to plan.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, inc. VAT, and we can help you choose.
Why book with us
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Photos and a written report every time
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
Questions from Horton-cum-Studley
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Horton-cum-Studley?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Can a landlord with a rental near Islip station book a roof survey?
Of course. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling are not something we do. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Can you find out why my chimney breast is damp?
Damp on a chimney breast typically 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.
My chimney looks like it is leaning. What should I do?
Don’t ignore it. Leaning often comes from mortar breaking down unevenly. We record its condition with photographs, and a structural engineer can confirm whether it’s stable.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. We inspect what can safely be seen and what you 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.
Will you check the loft?
Yes, where the survey calls for it and there’s safe access. Inside, we look for damp, staining, gaps and sagging, as far as the space allows.