Oxfordshire · London and the South East
North Oxford Chimney Survey
Wondering about the chimney stack at a property in North Oxford? You can book a chimney survey in North Oxford and across Oxfordshire.
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
How a chimney survey works in North Oxford
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. It might come in at the top, through worn pointing or porous bricks, or where the flashings meet the roof. Condensation inside an unventilated stack is another common cause. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. You then know where to start. If you are worried about unused flues sealed without airflow and gaps in the mortar around the pots, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on flaunching, lead flashings and chimney pots and cowls alike.
In a smaller place like North Oxford, some roofs stand more exposed to wind and rain than in a built-up town. That weather tells first on ridges, verges, chimneys and flashings. A careful look shows whether anything has started to loosen. Once one ridge tile or slate moves, wind gets under the next one too.
What you get is a clear record of the chimney stack on the day we saw it. It is useful right away, and a good reference for later.
- Where
- North Oxford (OX2)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photographs, sent to you by email. As for time on site, it usually takes about 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. With a bit of garden around a house, as there often is around North Oxford, the roof can be viewed from several angles. Mention any side of the property we cannot get to. Inside, the loft is checked where it can be reached safely.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the roof space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
How to prepare
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Leave side gates unlocked
Book a survey
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Related advice
When you need someone else
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- The inside of the flue, which needs a sweep or flue specialist
- A structural engineer’s assessment
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
DIY checks: what’s safe
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Don’t go up yourself.
You can learn a lot from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
North Oxford: your questions answered
Does a conservation area affect roof work in North Oxford?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Oxford station?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you need, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
How quickly is the report sent?
That depends on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day. Reports are sent by email.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Can you find out why my chimney breast is damp?
It can come from several places: cracked flaunching, worn pointing, failed flashings, uncapped pots, or damp trapped in an unventilated stack. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause.
What do you check on a chimney?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. We also check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach. You get a written report with photos.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it’s applicable. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Roof by roof
Lead flashings
Some older stacks have mortar fillets instead of lead. They crack with age, and we check them too.
Chimney pots and cowls
A loose or cracked pot can fall from height. We photograph each pot and note any damage.
What a chimney survey looks like in North Oxford
With Holywell Manor about 1.5 miles south-east, North Oxford sits in an area with a long building history. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Older buildings in west Oxfordshire often have Cotswold stone slate roofs, and some Oxfordshire villages still have thatch. 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.
Landlords with a home close to Oxford station may find that a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant. Homes near green spaces such as Oxford University Parks can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
North Oxford is about 2 miles north-west of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. If you’re in North Oxford, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. North Oxford is one of the towns and villages in Oxfordshire we cover for chimney surveys.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: OX2. Local streets include Hobson Road, Linton Road and Banbury Road, all of which we cover. Main roads around North Oxford include the A4165, which makes travel easy. If you are just outside North Oxford, we cover Summertown (1 mile north), Park Town (1 mile south), Walton Manor (1 mile south), Norham Manor (1 mile south-east) and Sunnymead (1 mile north). Within a short drive, we also cover Didcot (11 miles south), Bicester (10 miles north-east), Abingdon-on-Thames (7 miles south), Witney (10 miles west), Carterton (14 miles west) and Thame (13 miles east).
Landmarks near North Oxford
In North Oxford, that means homes and buildings near St Aloysius' Catholic Primary School, Oxford University Parks and St Edward's School, among other places. You’ll also find St Hugh's College Main Building Including Library (0.5 miles south) and Dew Drop Inn (less than half a mile north). North Oxford’s nearest station is Oxford station, roughly 1.4 miles south. A little further out are Oxford University Press Museum (1.1 miles south) and Oxford Castle (1.5 miles south). The countryside around North Oxford includes Hook Meadow and The Trap Grounds and Headington Hill.
Common roof problems in North Oxford
TV aerials, satellite dishes and their brackets are often fixed to chimneys. The extra load in wind can work bricks and joints loose. We check fixings on the stack as part of the survey.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Worn or missing pointing
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
Anyone responsible for a site like Oxford Academy will know that a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
What to check before booking
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- What the survey won’t cover
For landlords and managing agents
Where a roof is shared: we need access agreed with the freeholder or managing agent. Mention it when you contact us and we will plan the survey around it.
Landlords and agents in North Oxford book surveys as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the chimney stack, with photos, which helps you plan work between tenancies.