Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Mackney, Oxfordshire
A careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Mackney, with photographs and a written report.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Mortar washing out of the joints
Chimney survey in Mackney: what you get
If a chimney looks out of line, it is worth getting it checked. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down, frequently after years of flue gases and damp. We record the lean and the condition of the brickwork and pointing. If the stack looks like a structural issue, the report recommends a structural engineer. Common reasons to book are damaged chimney pots and cowls and gaps where the stack meets the roof, across flaunching, brick chimney stacks and chimney breasts.
In a small place like Mackney, many roofs stand in the open, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A roof report shows what needs attention first. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are frequently the first to give way.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- Mackney (OX10)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we do, step by step
You don’t need to do much on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, such as stains, drips or loose pieces, and we will take it from there. The survey itself takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Older roofs in small places like Mackney can have low, tight loft spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. We only go where it’s safe.
- You tell us how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- 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 report with photographs and our recommendations.
Before the survey
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
How to book
If you are buying, it’s useful to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply ring 07833 053749 or email us whenever suits you.
Read more
Honest limits
In fairness, there are limits to any roof survey:
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- Parts of the stack that cannot be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we cannot access
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll recommend the right survey before booking. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
Also near Mackney
Other services in Mackney
How we price chimney surveys
All our prices include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
Every price we give includes VAT. Our price is from £150, including VAT. You will know the price for your roof before booking.
What to tell us when you contact us
You do not need to know any roofing terms. Just tell us:
- What made you get in touch
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
- The address and postcode of the property
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Mackney
West Oxfordshire’s older buildings often carry Cotswold stone slates, and a few villages in the county keep their thatch. Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. With Brightwell Manor about 0.5 miles north, Mackney sits in an area with a long building history. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as 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.
If you own a rental within reach of Cholsey station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant. For site and facilities teams at buildings like Brightwell-Cum-Sotwell Church of England Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Mackney is about 4 miles east of Didcot, in Oxfordshire. Bookings from Mackney are handled just like any other: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. We cover towns and villages across Oxfordshire, large and small. Oxford is in our area too.
We survey roofs across the OX10 postcode area for chimney surveys. Neighbouring places we cover for chimney surveys include Brightwell-cum-Sotwell (1 mile north), North Moreton (1 mile west), Wallingford (1 mile east), Shillingford (2 miles north-east) and Little Wittenham (2 miles north-west). Larger places within reach include Oxford (10 miles north), Didcot (4 miles west), Abingdon-on-Thames (7 miles north-west), Thame (13 miles north-east), Wantage (11 miles west) and Henley-on-Thames (12 miles south-east).
Around Mackney
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Wallingford School and Kinecroft and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Cholsey station, about 2.4 miles south. Other landmarks nearby include Pendon Museum (3.3 miles north-west) and Brightwell Castle (0.5 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Wittenham Clumps and Cholsey Marsh.
FAQs for Mackney
I let a flat near Cholsey station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, that’s a common request. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
Will you come out to Mackney?
Yes. Mackney is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We survey roofs across London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Let us know which days suit you as you book.
How long will you be at the property?
It normally takes an hour or two for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. The written report follows by email, on the timescale of your package.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
It can come from several places: water getting in at the top, through the brickwork or at the flashings, or moisture trapped in a stack with no ventilation. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Light rain does not normally stop a survey. High wind or heavy rain can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so if conditions aren’t right we will arrange another day with you.
How soon will I get the report?
Each package has its own report time. Basic: within 48 hours. Standard: 24 to 48 hours. Premium: the same day. Mention any deadline as you book.
Do you need a chimney survey in Mackney?
Lots of homes have redundant stacks. If a stack is capped or blocked without ventilation, moisture can build up inside. Damp patches can appear on chimney breasts even when nothing is leaking.
A survey can pick up problems like:
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Mortar washing out of the joints
Trees in and around Kinecroft shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters.
Questions to ask before you book
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- When you will get the report
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
Why act early in Mackney
Cracked flaunching and worn pointing are often modest repairs when they’re caught early. Leave it, and frost can work the stack loose, and the work grows. Matching old materials, like handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, including VAT, and we can help you choose.
What you get with us
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- 20+ years’ experience
- A report with photos
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
Read what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
Before and after the survey
There’s plenty you can do without going near the roof. What helps most:
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
If the stack is shared, you can pass the report to your neighbour. The photos show the problem and which side it is on from the viewpoints we used.
Check fixings on the stack are sound, and moved if they’re working it loose. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.