Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Piddington, Oxfordshire
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching across Piddington, using drones and thermal imaging where it applies. Call or email for a price.
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Cracked or missing flaunching
Chimney surveys for homes and businesses in Piddington
On terraced and semi-detached houses, a chimney stack is frequently shared with next door. We check everything that’s safely in view and what the owner gives us access to. Where a problem seems to involve a neighbour’s side, the report records it and you can then discuss it with them. You get a written report with photos and what we recommend. We are often asked to look into flaunching that has broken away and damp patches on chimney breasts, on chimney pots and cowls, shared and party-wall stacks and flaunching.
In a small place like Piddington, 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. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
The written findings come by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Where
- Piddington (OX25)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What a chimney survey looks like in Piddington
Older buildings in west Oxfordshire often have Cotswold stone slate roofs, and some Oxfordshire villages still have thatch. Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. Boarstall Tower, about 2.1 miles south-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Piddington. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of St Nicholas, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Piddington is about 5 miles south-east of Bicester, in Oxfordshire. Piddington is one of many places we visit across Oxfordshire, for homes and businesses alike. We cover towns and villages across Oxfordshire, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Oxford.
Here we cover the OX25 postcode area for chimney surveys. That includes homes and businesses on Eastbrook Close, Luggershall Road and Thame Road. Close by, we survey roofs in Ludgershall (1 mile east), Blackthorn (2 miles north-west), Brill (2 miles south), Little London (3 miles south) and Oakley (3 miles south). We also work in nearby towns such as Oxford (10 miles south-west), Bicester (5 miles north-west), Abingdon-on-Thames (15 miles south-west), Thame (8 miles south-east), Kidlington (9 miles west) and Chinnor (12 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Piddington
Piddington’s nearest station is Bicester Village station, roughly 4.4 miles north-west of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Bicester Community Hospital (4.9 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Graven Hill and Upper Ray Meadows.
Also near Piddington
More services for Piddington
FAQs for Piddington
Can a landlord with a rental near Bicester Village station book a roof survey?
Of course. We just need to know who will give access, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
Is Piddington within the area you cover?
Yes, we do. We work right across London and the South East, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
What happens after the survey?
You will get the report by email, with photographs and clear recommendations. With Standard there’s a follow-up consultation; with Premium, an in-person consultation.
What do you check on a chimney?
The survey covers the pots and cowls, the flaunching, the pointing, the bricks and the flashings. We also check chimney breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach. Everything is written up with photos.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. This is a survey of the roof only, so it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. Many buyers have both.
Will you photograph what you find?
Yes. The report includes photographs of what we found, so you can see each point for yourself.
How quickly is the report sent?
The Premium Survey report comes the same day, the Standard within 24–48 hours and the Basic within 48 hours. Each one is emailed, ready to forward.
How the survey changes by roof type
Rendered stacks
A rendered stack can mask problems in the bricks below. The survey checks for cracking, bulging and staining in the render.
Lead flashings
Over time, lead can lift or come away from the brickwork. Any loose or split flashings are recorded.
How the survey works
When we arrive, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that’s worrying you. After that, we check everything we can see safely, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where applicable. The survey typically takes about one to two hours for a house, and longer for a large or complex roof. For a village or hamlet like Piddington, the journey is planned in advance: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Preparing for the visit
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Getting a price
When you’re ready to go ahead, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Read more
Can I check my roof myself?
A lot can be seen from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Useful tips for Piddington property owners
There’s plenty you can do without going near the roof. What helps most:
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
If the report recommends a structural engineer, a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer, it will say why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. Binoculars help you spot loose pots, missing mortar or lifted flashings.
What we can’t see
It is a careful look at the chimney stack, not the whole story. Its limits include:
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll suggest the right survey before booking. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
Common roof problems in Piddington
The flaunching on top of a stack holds the pots in place and sheds water. Cracked flaunching lets water in, and each winter makes it worse. Loose pots can follow.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
If you own a rental within reach of Bicester Village station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
Before you book anyone
- What they won’t be able to tell you
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- Their insurance cover