Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Nuffield, Oxfordshire
Get a clear view of the chimney stack at a property in Nuffield from an independent roof surveyor. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Bricks with flaking faces
- A stack that appears to lean
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
Landlord and commercial surveys in Nuffield
Landlords, agents and building managers in Nuffield and across Oxfordshire can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed ahead of time. We survey seven days a week, which helps when tenants work during the week.
How a chimney survey works in Nuffield
A damp patch on a chimney breast doesn’t always come from the same place. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. Condensation inside an unventilated stack is another common cause. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. That points the work in the right direction. We are often asked to look into flashings pulling away from the stack and spalled or crumbling bricks, on chimney pots and cowls, chimney breasts and flaunching.
Somewhere as small as Nuffield, homes are frequently older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are frequently old. We report on everything that’s safely in view, and thatch is a specialist material. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
The report doesn’t just list problems. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend, so you can decide what to do next.
- Where
- Nuffield (RG9)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we cannot see
No survey can tell you everything, and we’d rather be clear about that before you book. Bear these in mind:
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
Do you need a chimney survey in Nuffield?
Stacks that were used for open fires for many years can weaken from the inside. Flue gases and damp can break down the mortar, sometimes more on one side than the other, which can make a stack lean.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Worn or missing pointing
- A stack that appears to lean
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
If your house is among the older ones in the streets near Church of the Holy Trinity, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Whether the price includes VAT
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
Local roofs in Nuffield
Historic houses such as Greys Court, about 4.2 miles south-east, show how far back building in the area around Nuffield goes. If your home is one of the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. West Oxfordshire’s older buildings frequently carry Cotswold stone slates, and a few villages in the county keep their thatch. Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
Nuffield is about 8 miles north-west of Caversham, in Oxfordshire. We cover Nuffield and the rest of Oxfordshire, as part of our work across London and South East England. Nuffield is one of the places in Oxfordshire we cover for chimney surveys. You can also see our page for Reading.
Every address in RG9 is covered for chimney surveys. That includes homes and businesses on Churchfield, Timbers Lane and Nuffield Hill and the roads around them. If you’re just outside Nuffield, we cover Heath End (1 mile south), Stoke Row (2 miles south), Checkendon (2 miles south), Ipsden (2 miles south-west) and Hook End (4 miles south). Larger places within reach include Oxford (15 miles north-west), Didcot (9 miles west), Abingdon-on-Thames (13 miles north-west), Thame (12 miles north), Henley-on-Thames (6 miles south-east) and Benson (4 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Nuffield
Around Nuffield, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Crown Public House, among other places. A little further out are Wallingford Castle (4 miles north-west). The countryside around Nuffield includes Warburg Nature Reserve.
Other services in Nuffield
Nuffield: your questions answered
How do I find out if my home in Nuffield is listed?
We can’t confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case.
Do you cover Nuffield?
Yes, Nuffield is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Nuffield as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
Damp on a chimney breast typically means water is getting into the stack, or moisture is trapped inside it. The survey looks at the stack, the flashings and the capping and records the likely cause.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys or testing. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
Will you check the loft?
If there is a loft and safe access to it, yes. From inside, the underside of the roof often shows damp, staining or daylight that cannot be seen from outside.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day. Just say which days work for you.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. We look at the parts we can see safely and the parts you can give us access to. Where a problem appears to be on next door’s side, we note it, so you can discuss it with them.
Before and after the survey
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
If anything in the report isn’t clear, just ask us. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Keep an eye on chimney breasts for new damp patches. Early signs are easier to trace.
How it works
Every roof is different, but as a rough guide the survey takes about 1–2 hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. If you have questions on the day, just ask. For a village or hamlet like Nuffield, the journey is planned beforehand: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect everything that’s safely in view, inside and out.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- Every part we can see is checked: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Where there’s safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- The findings are written up with photographs and recommendations and emailed to you.
How to prepare
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Let us know about parking near the property
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
Booking a survey
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Read more
Why get it checked now?
If you are buying, find out about the stacks before you exchange. Once you’ve exchanged, the work is down to you. A report gives you something specific to put to the seller. For older village homes like those around Nuffield, the right replacement materials are not always easy to find quickly. That is one more reason to find defects before they become urgent.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before booking.
Why us?
- Visits on any day of the week
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Packages from £150, including VAT
- 98% of customers satisfied
Read our cost guide and two real surveys.