Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Milton Common
A careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Milton Common, with photos and a written report.
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Milton Common
Redundant chimneys are common, especially where fires have been replaced by central heating. A disused stack still needs looking after. If it has been capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside it. Our survey looks at how each unused stack has been capped and checks the breasts for damp. The report sets out what we found and what we recommend. If you’ve noticed pots or cowls that look unsafe and signs that a stack is leaning, we can find out what’s behind it, on lead flashings, shared and party-wall stacks and flaunching alike.
In a village or hamlet like Milton Common, older cottages and farmhouses frequently sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, frequently with chimneys that have stood a long time. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. On older roofs, it is typically the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
With the Standard Survey, you also get 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
- Milton Common (OX9)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey changes by roof type
Flaunching
Flaunching takes the worst of the weather. We look for cracks, gaps around the pots and missing pieces.
Brick stacks
Older brick stacks frequently have soft lime mortar. We note where repairs should match the original mortar.
Milton Common: your questions answered
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Milton Common?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Will you come out to Milton Common?
Yes, we do. We work right across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
When does the report arrive?
It depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day. Reports are sent by email.
What do you check on a chimney?
The whole stack, as far as it can be seen safely: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. We also note leaning, redundant stacks and damp inside.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only when it is safe. Some roofs are too steep or fragile to walk on safely. Safe viewpoints, the loft and a drone where it applies let us see the rest, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
We carry out surveys on weekdays and at weekends. To find a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Does the report include photos?
Yes, plenty. Pictures sit next to the findings they show.
Nearby places to Milton Common
Other services in Milton Common
The survey, step by step
A survey visit follows a simple order: we hear what you’ve seen, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photographs as we go and make notes for the report. Most visits take roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Older rural homes like those around Milton Common can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We check every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
How to prepare
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Let us know about parking before the day
How to book
To get a price for chimney surveys in Milton Common, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. A few details about the property and the roof help us price the survey accurately.
Read more
Leave it or get it looked at?
If you are buying, find out about the stacks before you exchange. After that, any work is yours to arrange and pay for. Our report gives you facts to raise with the seller or agent. Older and listed buildings around Milton Common may need consent and matching materials for repairs, so a defect found early gives time to plan the work properly.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so the price reflects that. The price is confirmed before booking.
Why book us in Milton Common
- 98% of customers satisfied
- Package prices that include VAT
- An independent look at the roof
- Surveys on weekdays and at weekends
Prices for chimney surveys in Milton Common
Prices always include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
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.
Helping us price your survey
These details help when you contact us:
- The address and postcode of the property
- Dates you are working to, such as exchange
- What’s prompted the survey
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
We confirm the price for the job before booking, so you know where you stand. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Can I check my roof myself?
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
For landlords and managing agents
Landlords and letting agents in Milton Common book surveys as well as householders. A report with photographs gives you a clear record of the chimney stack, useful for planning maintenance.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.
Chimney surveys in Milton Common: local notes
About 3.8 miles south-east lies Adwell House, a reminder of how long the area around Milton Common has been built on. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs. Cotswold stone slates are found on older buildings in west Oxfordshire, and thatch survives in some of the county’s villages. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. Whatever the covering, it’s frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
Take an older house close to Church of St Helen: corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Milton Common is about 4 miles west of Thame, in Oxfordshire. We cover Milton Common and the rest of Oxfordshire, as part of our work across London and the South East. We cover towns and villages across Oxfordshire, large and small. For surveys nearby, see our Oxford page.
Chimney surveys in OX9 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Streets in the area include London Road, Old London Road and Sandy Lane. Other places close to Milton Common include Tiddington (1 mile north), Albury (1 mile north), Draycott (1 mile north), Great Milton (1 mile west) and Great Haseley (1 mile south-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Oxford (8 miles west), Didcot (12 miles south-west), Bicester (13 miles north), Abingdon-on-Thames (10 miles west), Thame (4 miles east) and Henley-on-Thames (15 miles south-east).
Near you in Milton Common
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Three Pigeons pub, among other places. Other landmarks nearby include Thame Community Hospital (3.9 miles east) and Waterperry Gardens Rural Museum (2.1 miles north-west). Not far away are Wells Farm.