Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Lower Shiplake
Chimney surveys across Lower Shiplake, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. You get a clear report with photographs.
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- A stack that appears to lean
The survey, step by step
Photos are taken throughout the visit, so the report shows exactly what we saw. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available. A typical visit takes an hour or two for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Rural addresses near Lower Shiplake can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions are welcome. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- You tell us how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- 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.
- You get a written report with photographs and our recommendations.
Preparing for the visit
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Keep pets in another room
How to book
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, so ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details.
Advice
Chimney survey in Lower Shiplake: what you get
Each stack is looked at from the safest viewpoints available: from the ground, from windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there is access. With our Premium Survey, a drone inspection is included where applicable. Where part of a stack cannot be seen, the report says so. Every defect we find is photographed and described in plain words. We survey flaunching, lead flashings and chimney pots and cowls, and the problems we are asked to look at most are damaged chimney pots and cowls and mortar washing out of the joints.
Older buildings in small places like Lower Shiplake 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. A roof report helps you plan work with that in mind. Older materials such as clay tiles, slate and stone are frequently matched when work is done.
The report records the chimney stack as we found it on the day. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, like when you want to compare after future work.
- Place
- Lower Shiplake (RG9)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Your questions about chimney surveys in Lower Shiplake
I let a flat near Shiplake station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, letting agents and landlords book with us as well as owners. Just ring 07833 053749 or email us and let us know about the building, including who will give access on the day.
Is Lower Shiplake within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Our area covers London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when booking.
How much does a chimney survey cost in Lower Shiplake?
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on its size, height, access and the package, confirmed before anything is booked.
Which parts of the chimney do you look at?
The whole stack, as far as it can safely be seen: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. We also note leaning, redundant stacks and damp inside.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
Don’t ignore it. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down. We record its condition with photos, and a structural engineer can confirm whether it is stable.
Will you go up on the roof?
Only when it’s safe. Safety comes first, and fragile or steep roofs can’t always be walked on. Safe viewpoints, the loft and a drone where it applies let us see the rest.
How long does the survey take?
Most surveys take about 1–2 hours for a house, and longer for a large or complex roof. The report follows by email.
Nearby places to Lower Shiplake
Other services in Lower Shiplake
Practical tips
There’s plenty you can do without going near the roof. Here’s what helps most:
- Check your stacks from ground level after strong winds
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
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 anyone reading it can see what we saw.
Keep an eye on chimney breasts for new damp patches. Early signs are easier to trace.
What we look for on each type of roof
Lead flashings
Lead flashings seal the joint between the stack and the roof. The survey looks at whether the lead is tight, sound and well fixed.
Brick stacks
Frost can damage bricks that have soaked up water, making the faces flake away. Any spalling is noted with photos.
Chimney surveys in Lower Shiplake: local notes
With Greenlands about 3.6 miles north, Lower Shiplake sits in an area with a long building history. If your home is one of 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. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
Take a building like Shiplake Church of England School: large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. Living close to Mill Meadows is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching. The streets around a church such as Church of St Mary are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Lower Shiplake is about 4 miles north of Woodley, in Oxfordshire. Lower Shiplake gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photographs and a written report. Lower Shiplake is one of the places in Oxfordshire we cover. Our Reading page covers surveys nearby.
Chimney surveys in RG9 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Whether your property is on Station Road, Oaks Road and Quarry Lane or a nearby road, we can survey it. With the A4155 close by, Lower Shiplake is simple for us to get to. If you’re just outside Lower Shiplake, we cover Wargrave (1 mile south-east), Cockpole Green (2 miles north-east), Remenham Hill (2 miles north), Bowsey Hill (2 miles east) and Remenham (3 miles north). Further out, we also cover Benson (12 miles north-west), Chinnor (13 miles north), Tilehurst (7 miles south-west), Wallingford (12 miles north-west), Little Heath (8 miles south-west) and Oakley (13 miles north).
Near you in Lower Shiplake
Typical jobs here are in homes near Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School, The Baskerville pub and Mill Meadows and the streets around them. Lower Shiplake has its own railway station: Shiplake station. Nearby you will also find Frazer Nash Archives (1.3 miles north) and Royal Berkshire Hospital (5.2 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include South Lake and Sonning Hill.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Lower Shiplake
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps when budgeting.
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf. Access is agreed with the tenant in advance.
What we can’t see
To be straight with you, there are limits to any roof survey:
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Whether the flue is safe to use
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will tell you before you book. What a survey covers and does not.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
How we price chimney surveys
All our prices include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- How big the roof is
- Which survey package you book
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where applicable, from £400 including VAT. We can help you choose the package that fits what you’d like to know.
What we need to know
A little information up front helps. It helps to include:
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- When you need the report by
- What made you get in touch
- The property’s address and postcode
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We’ll confirm the price before you book.