Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Shipton-on-Cherwell
Find out what’s going on with the chimney stack before you spend money on it. We carry out chimney surveys in Shipton-on-Cherwell, with photos and a clear written report.
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Worn or missing pointing
Chimney survey in Shipton-on-Cherwell
A chimney survey looks at the stack and everything around it: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and the flashings at the roof line. We also look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. The findings come in a written report with photos and recommendations. It suits a single stack on a house as well as several on a larger building. We are often asked to look into damp on a chimney breast inside and gaps in the mortar around the pots, on flaunching, chimney pots and cowls and shared and party-wall stacks.
Somewhere as small as Shipton-on-Cherwell, 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. 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 normally the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, 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
- Shipton-on-Cherwell (OX5)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Honest limits
In fairness, there are limits to any roof survey:
- A structural engineer’s assessment
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Shipton-on-Cherwell
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
Also in Shipton-on-Cherwell
Should I look at the roof myself first?
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.
It’s useful to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry and it will help the survey.
What happens if roof problems are left?
Chimneys are easy to forget because you rarely see the top of them. Defects tend to go unseen until there’s a stain. A survey gives you a clear picture before that happens. Outbuildings and barns around Shipton-on-Cherwell are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. A quick look before winter can save a lot.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before you book.
Why book us in Shipton-on-Cherwell
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Photographs and a written report every time
- An independent view of the roof
Common questions in Shipton-on-Cherwell
Will you come out to Shipton-on-Cherwell?
Yes. Shipton-on-Cherwell is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We survey roofs across London and the South East. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route as you book.
Is my home in Shipton-on-Cherwell listed or in a conservation area?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It is worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only if it is safe. We inspect whatever is safely visible: from ground level, from windows and vantage points, from the roof space, from the roof itself where safe and by drone where it applies. Anything we can’t see is noted in the report.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We point out what can be seen, like sagging or deflection, but we are not structural engineers and don’t carry out calculations. If we think you need an engineer, the report says so.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first. Let us know about it when you book and we’ll explain what’s needed.
Should a redundant chimney be removed?
A redundant chimney needs looking after like any other. Capping without airflow can lead to damp. Our survey records its condition and how it is capped, so you can plan what to do with it.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We survey seven days a week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Just let us know the days that suit you.
Before and after the survey
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. Because everyone is pricing the same findings, the quotes are easier to compare.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Shipton-on-Cherwell
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work around your tenants.
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, and the report can go to both. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
Local roofs in Shipton-on-Cherwell
Blenheim Palace, about 2.5 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Shipton-on-Cherwell. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters. West Oxfordshire’s older buildings often carry Cotswold stone slates, and a few villages in the county keep their thatch. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. Whatever the covering, it’s frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of Holy Cross, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. Landlords with a home close to Tackley station may find that knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints. For site and facilities teams at buildings like The Marlborough Church of England School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Shipton-on-Cherwell is about 7 miles south-west of Bicester, in Oxfordshire. We visit Shipton-on-Cherwell as part of our work across Oxfordshire, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. Our Oxfordshire coverage includes Shipton-on-Cherwell and the places around it. Oxford is in our area too.
We cover every part of the OX5 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. Close by, we survey roofs in Thrupp (1 mile south), Bunkers Hill (1 mile north-west), Woodstock (2 miles west), Begbroke (2 miles south) and Bladon (2 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Oxford (7 miles south-east), Banbury (15 miles north), Bicester (7 miles north-east), Abingdon-on-Thames (12 miles south), Witney (9 miles south-west) and Carterton (14 miles south-west).
Landmarks near Shipton-on-Cherwell
Around Shipton-on-Cherwell, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Boat Public House and the streets around them. The closest station to Shipton-on-Cherwell is Tackley station, about 2.3 miles north of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum (2.3 miles west). Open spaces near Shipton-on-Cherwell include Woodsides Meadow.
The survey, 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 loft space where it can be reached. In total, it takes an hour or two at a typical home, and longer for a large or complex roof. Older roofs in small places like Shipton-on-Cherwell can have low, tight loft spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- The stacks are looked at from ground level, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Where there is safe access, we check the stack in the loft and the chimney breasts for damp.
- You get a report with photos and our recommendations.
Before the survey
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Book a survey
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.