Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Howe Hill
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching around Howe Hill, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- Signs that a stack is leaning
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Howe Hill
Each stack is looked at from the safest viewpoints available: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the loft space where it is safe. With our Premium Survey, a drone inspection is included where it applies. If we can’t see part of the stack, the report makes that clear. Every defect we find is photographed and described in plain words. Typical surveys look at redundant stacks capped without ventilation and spalled or crumbling bricks, on flaunching, lead flashings and chimney pots and cowls.
Older buildings in small places like Howe Hill may be listed or in a conservation area. If yours is, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so the council is the place to check. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
Findings are set out part by part, from the coverings down to the gutters. You will see the good as well as the bad.
- Location
- Howe Hill (OX49)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What we can’t see
It’s useful to know what a survey won’t do before booking:
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Flue inspections or sweeping
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we will recommend the right survey before you book. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Howe Hill
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
Do you need a chimney survey in Howe Hill?
Some owners book because a chimney breast has been removed below and they want to know about the stack above. We record what we can see in the loft and outside, and recommend a structural engineer where support is in question.
People typically book a survey after spotting one of these:
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- A stack that appears to lean
If you look after a building such as Icknield Community College, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What the survey will not cover
- Their insurance cover
- How soon the report will arrive
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
Tips from our surveys
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
Where another specialist is needed, such as a structural engineer or sweep, we explain why. That helps you brief them.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.
Chimney surveys in Howe Hill: local notes
Stonor Park, about 3.2 miles south-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Howe Hill. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. Older buildings in west Oxfordshire often have Cotswold stone slate roofs, and some Oxfordshire villages still have thatch. Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
Howe Hill is about 9 miles south of Thame, in Oxfordshire. We visit Howe Hill as part of our work across Oxfordshire, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. Our Oxfordshire coverage includes Howe Hill and the places around it. You can also see our page for Reading.
We cover every part of OX49 for chimney surveys. Close by, we survey roofs in Cookley Green (1 mile south), Christmas Common (1 mile north-east), Northend (2 miles east), Shirburn (3 miles north) and Stonor (3 miles south-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Oxford (14 miles north-west), Didcot (11 miles west), Abingdon-on-Thames (13 miles west), Thame (9 miles north), Henley-on-Thames (7 miles south-east) and Benson (5 miles west).
Local landmarks in Howe Hill
For a walk, there’s Warburg Nature Reserve and Bald Hill.
Nearby places to Howe Hill
Also in Howe Hill
Common questions in Howe Hill
Do you cover Howe Hill?
Yes, Howe Hill is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Howe Hill as anywhere else.
How do I find out if my home in Howe Hill is listed?
We can’t confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is often shared, so whoever owns or manages the building needs to agree access. We inspect only the parts we’re allowed to reach.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We don’t sample or test for asbestos. Where a material might contain it, such as old cement sheets on a building from before 2000, the report flags it, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it’s disturbed.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Only if it’s safe. We inspect whatever is safely visible: from ground level, from windows, from inside the roof space, from the roof where it’s safe and by drone where applicable. Anything we cannot see is noted in the report.
What happens next?
The report arrives by email. With Standard there’s a follow-up consultation; with Premium, an in-person consultation, so you can talk the findings through.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Howe Hill
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords, including offices, shops and units. Bigger roofs take more time.
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf, with the report sent to whoever needs it. Access is agreed with the tenant in advance.
How the survey works
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the roof space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging. The whole visit typically takes about 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Somewhere as small as Howe Hill, access is often the only tricky part. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We check the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
Preparing for the visit
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Book a survey
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
Read more
Different roofs, different checks
Rendered stacks
A rendered stack can mask problems in the bricks below. We look for cracks, hollow areas and staining.
Flaunching
Sitting at the very top, flaunching is fully exposed. We look for cracks, gaps around the pots and missing pieces.