Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Lyford, Oxfordshire
Know where you stand with the chimney stack before you spend money on it. We carry out chimney surveys in Lyford, with photographs and a clear written report.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Worn or missing pointing
Common questions in Lyford
Do you cover smaller places like Lyford?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Our area covers London and the South East. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
Is Lyford in the area you cover?
Yes, Lyford is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Lyford as anywhere else.
Our stack is shared. Can you still survey it?
Yes. Many houses share stacks with a neighbour. We record the stack as far as we can see it and flag anything on the neighbour’s side.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
We survey seven days a week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Just tell us the days that suit you.
Are you structural engineers?
No. Our survey is not a structural engineer’s report, and it does not include calculations. If we see signs that need an engineer’s opinion, we’ll recommend one.
Is it a problem to have an unused chimney?
It depends on its condition and your plans. We record how the stack is doing and whether it’s capped with ventilation. If you’re thinking of removing it, check with the council first in a conservation area or on a listed building.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once access has been agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so the building owner or managing agent needs to agree access. We can only inspect what we are given access to.
About our chimney survey in Lyford
A chimney survey looks at the stack and everything around it: the pots and cowls, the flaunching on top, the pointing, the brickwork and the flashings where it meets the roof. We also look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. The findings come in a written report with photos and recommendations. We survey single stacks on houses and groups of stacks on bigger buildings. Typical surveys look at frost-damaged brickwork on the stack and gaps in the mortar around the pots, on brick chimney stacks, lead flashings and chimney breasts.
Village roofs often face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, 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 frequently the first to give way.
Report times depend on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Place
- Lyford (OX12)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Useful tips for Lyford property owners
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Use the report as a baseline for future checks
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
- Don’t use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
The report is emailed to you, ready to share with a roofer or builder. Each defect is described in plain words and shown in a photo, so it’s easy to follow.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. Early signs are easier to trace.
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. What we find is photographed and described.
Lead flashings
Over time, lead can lift or come away from the brickwork. Any loose or split flashings are recorded.
What this survey can’t tell you
This isn’t a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- Whether the flue is safe to use
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer before booking. The full list of what we check.
What we check
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
What happens on the day
On the day, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you want to find out. After that, we check everything we can see safely. Most surveys take about 1–2 hours for most houses, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. Older rural homes like those around Lyford can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- The stacks are looked at from the ground, 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.
How to prepare
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
Book a survey
Once you know what you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email. From there it is a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day.
Related advice
Why get it checked now?
A leaning stack should be looked at sooner rather than later. We record its condition and recommend a structural engineer where needed, so you can decide what to do next. Matching old materials, like handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. That’s one more reason to find defects before they become urgent.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Our price is from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Why us?
- 20+ years’ experience
- An independent view of the roof
- Packages from £150, inc. VAT
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Towns and villages near Lyford
Other services in Lyford
Chimney surveys around Lyford
Longworth House, about 3.2 miles north, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Lyford. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Cotswold stone slates are found on older buildings in west Oxfordshire, and thatch survives in some of the county’s villages. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
Lyford is about 4 miles north of Wantage, in Oxfordshire. We carry out chimney surveys in Lyford for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings, with a written report and photographs every time. Across Oxfordshire, we cover Lyford and the places around it. There is also a page for Oxford.
All of OX12 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Charney Bassett (1 mile west), West Hanney (1 mile south-east), Denchworth (2 miles south), Kingston Bagpuize (3 miles north) and Pusey (3 miles north-west). Further out, we also cover Oxford (11 miles north-east), Didcot (8 miles east), Abingdon-on-Thames (7 miles east), Witney (10 miles north), Carterton (11 miles north-west) and Wantage (4 miles south).
What’s near Lyford
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Chequers pub. Nearby you’ll also find Abingdon Community Hospital (6 miles east) and Hinton Waldrist Castle (3.1 miles north). Not far away are Hitchcopse Pit and Chain Hill.
Common roof problems in Lyford
Chimney stacks stand above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Frost opens up cracks in the mortar, and rain gets into worn bricks and joints. People normally call us when they notice damp or a problem with the stack, or before a purchase.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
Take an older house close to Church of St Mary: old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
What to check before booking
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- How soon the report will arrive
- Their insurance cover
- What they won’t be able to tell you