Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Little Heath, Oxfordshire
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching for Little Heath, from an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photographs.
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- A stack that appears to lean
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
How a chimney survey works in Little Heath
A leaning chimney stack is worth having looked at. A stack may lean because the mortar on one side has weakened, which can happen over many years of use. The survey notes how the stack looks, how far it seems to lean and the state of the bricks and joints. Where it may be a structural concern, we’ll recommend a structural engineer. Common reasons to book are eroded joints in the brickwork and unused flues sealed without airflow, across chimney breasts, chimney pots and cowls and brick chimney stacks.
Around Little Heath, 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. Chimneys, valleys and gutters on older homes frequently need the most attention. Nails and battens under older coverings often give out before the slates or tiles themselves.
Most points in the report come with a picture, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Where
- Little Heath (RG31, RG30)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Why it is worth a survey now in Little Heath
A loose pot or brick can fall from height. Finding them early means they can be dealt with before they come down by a suitable contractor. Arranging work in a smaller place like Little Heath is easier with notice than in an emergency. A survey gives you that notice.
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, how it can safely be seen and which survey you book.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Little Heath
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- Visits on any day of the week
- Customer satisfaction of 98%
- Packages from £150, including VAT
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced or our case studies.
Different roofs, different checks
Flaunching
Flaunching takes the worst of the weather. We look for cracks, gaps around the pots and missing pieces.
Rendered stacks
What’s behind the render cannot be seen without removing some, so the report explains what we could and couldn’t assess.
Little Heath questions
Can a landlord with a rental near Tilehurst station book a roof survey?
Yes, that is a common request. 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 cover smaller places like Little Heath?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Our area covers London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when booking.
How long will you be at the property?
It typically takes between one and two hours at a typical home, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. The report follows by email.
Do you need to get into the loft?
If the survey needs it and the roof space can be reached safely, yes. A clear path to the hatch helps, and if the loft can’t be reached safely, the report says so.
Is it a problem to have an unused chimney?
There’s no single answer. We record how the stack is doing and whether it’s capped with ventilation. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need consent.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have been surveying roofs for over 20 years and have completed over 5,000 surveys.
Chimney surveys in Little Heath: local notes
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. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. Mapledurham House, about 2 miles north-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Little Heath. If yours is one of the older homes, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Homes near green spaces like Calcot Park can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching. If you run a business near Broad Street Mall, a roof report helps plan work around trading rather than after a leak. If you own a rental within reach of Tilehurst station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
Little Heath is about 3 miles west of Reading, in Oxfordshire. Whether the building in Little Heath is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, the roof can be surveyed. We cover towns and villages across Oxfordshire, from the larger towns to small villages.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: RG31 and RG30. We offer chimney surveys to properties on City Road, Kiln Lane and Back Lane and the roads around them. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Tilehurst (1 mile east), Sulham (1 mile north-west), Tilehurst Within (1 mile east), Calcot (1 mile south) and Norcot (1 mile east). We also work in nearby towns like Didcot (13 miles north-west), Henley-on-Thames (8 miles north-east), Benson (11 miles north), Wallingford (10 miles north), Great Western Park (14 miles north-west) and Watlington (13 miles north).
Around Little Heath
We work in homes and buildings around Fox and Hounds pub, Calcot Park and Little Heath School and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Tilehurst station, roughly 1.4 miles north-east. Well-known places in the area include Broad Street Mall (3.4 miles east) and Battle Hospital (2.5 miles east). Open spaces near Little Heath include Moor Copse Nature Reserve and Hosehill Lake.
What a survey costs
All our prices include VAT. What changes the price is:
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- The roof’s overall size
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
There are three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Booking your survey
What helps most when you contact us:
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- When you need the report by
We survey roofs on any day of the week. To arrange a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Practical tips
Getting the most from a chimney survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Don’t use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
You get the report by email and can pass it to whoever does the work. We use plain English and a photo for each defect, so it’s easy to follow.
Check fixings on the stack are sound and taken off if they’re no longer needed. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
How it works
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof, but as a rough guide the survey takes roughly 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. If you have questions on the day, just ask. A visit to Little Heath is planned like any other: the time, the access and where to park are agreed in advance. Weekday and weekend visits are both possible. If there are outbuildings or garages you want looked at, mention them.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- 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 roof space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Before the survey
- Tell us about parking before the day
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
Booking a survey
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, so ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details.
Read more
When you need someone else
Every survey has limits, and we’d rather be clear about that before booking. Bear these in mind:
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- Flue inspections or sweeping
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will suggest the right survey before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roof types and parts we check
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks