Buckinghamshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Oakley, Buckinghamshire
Chimney surveys across Oakley, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. You get a clear report with photos.
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Cracked or missing flaunching
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Oakley
Chimney stacks take more weather than almost any other part of a house. In time, flaunching cracks, mortar washes out and flashings come loose. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the loft space. We record what we find with photos and recommendations. We are often asked to look into flashings pulling away from the stack and signs that a stack is leaning, on lead flashings, brick chimney stacks and flaunching.
In a village or hamlet like Oakley, older cottages and farmhouses often 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. We report on what can safely be seen, and thatch is a specialist material. On older roofs, it is usually the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
Most points in the report come with a picture, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. If something couldn’t be seen safely, the report is clear about it.
- Place
- Oakley (HP18)
- Wider area
- Buckinghamshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
FAQs for Oakley
Is Oakley within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Our area covers London and the South East. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route as you book.
How do I find out if my home in Oakley is listed?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
What does the report include?
It works through the roof part by part, in writing and with photos, and ends with what we recommend. The most urgent items are made clear.
Do you need to go on the roof to check the chimney?
Each stack is viewed from the safest viewpoints: from the ground, windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there is access. A drone inspection is included in our Premium Survey where applicable. If part of a stack can’t be seen, the report says so.
What insurance do you have?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability, and we can provide details if a managing agent needs them.
What do you check on a chimney?
The survey covers the pots and cowls, the flaunching, the pointing, the bricks and the flashings. Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access. You get a written report with photos.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We do not sample or test for asbestos. Where a material might contain it, such as old cement sheets on a building from before 2000, the report flags it, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it is disturbed.
How the survey changes by roof type
Lead flashings
Some older stacks have mortar fillets instead of lead. They tend to crack, so we check them closely.
Chimney breasts and the loft
Damp patches on chimney breasts frequently point to a problem above. We check them and at the stack in the loft where there’s safe access.
Chimney surveys around Oakley
About 1.5 miles north-west lies Boarstall Tower, a reminder of how long the area around Oakley has been built on. If you own one of the older houses, 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. Some villages in Buckinghamshire still have thatched roofs. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
The streets around a church like Church of St Mary are often among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs. If you look after a building like Oakley Church of England Combined School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Oakley is about 6 miles north-west of Thame, in Buckinghamshire. We carry out chimney surveys in Oakley for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings. We cover towns and villages across Buckinghamshire, from the larger towns to small villages. We also survey roofs in Oxford.
Here we cover the HP18 postcode area for chimney surveys. That includes homes and businesses on Brookside, Manor Road and The Turnpike and the roads around them. If you’re just outside Oakley, we cover Little London (1 mile east), Brill (1 mile north-east), Piddington (3 miles north), Ludgershall (4 miles north-east) and Blackthorn (5 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Aylesbury (11 miles east), Buckingham (14 miles north), Elmhurst (11 miles east), Southcourt (11 miles east), Princes Risborough (12 miles south-east) and Haydon Hill (10 miles east).
What’s near Oakley
In Oakley, that means homes and buildings near The Royal Oak pub. A little further out are Waterperry Gardens Rural Museum (3.8 miles south). For a walk, there’s Bernwood Meadows.
Practical tips
You don’t need to be a roofer to help. What helps most:
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
You get the report by email and can pass it to whoever does the work. We use plain English and a photo for each defect, so it’s easy to follow.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. Early signs are easier to trace.
What we do, step by step
The visit typically starts outside and finishes in the loft: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the roof space where it can be reached. All told, expect about one to two hours on an ordinary house, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. Around Oakley, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so tell us about the loft hatch and any ladder. We only go where it is safe.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- We check every stack from wherever it can safely be seen.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Before we arrive
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
Book a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form, and we will ask about the building and what you need. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Related advice
Places near Oakley
More services for Oakley
What a survey costs
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. That comes down to:
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
Prices start from £150, including VAT, for a Basic Survey. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, both inc. VAT. We confirm the price for your survey before booking.
Booking your survey
Getting the details right at the start saves time. It helps to include:
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
- Any deadline, like an exchange date
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
To get a price for chimney surveys in Oakley, phone 07833 053749 or email us. A few details about the property and the roof help us give you an accurate price.
What this survey can’t tell you
Before booking, it’s worth knowing what a survey won’t do:
- Conditions inside walls
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
- A structural engineer’s assessment
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you. What our survey covers.
What we check
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
Why act early in Oakley
A loose pot or brick can fall from height. A survey picks them out so they can be made safe by a roofer. Older cottages and farmhouses around Oakley can have roof timbers that have been there a very long time, where water from a failed roof can cause rot if it is left.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Our price is from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Why book with us
- Visits on any day of the week
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- 98% of customers satisfied
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help