Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Steeple Barton Chimney Survey
Not sure what state the chimney stack is in? We carry out chimney surveys in Steeple Barton and across Oxfordshire.
- Damaged chimney pots and cowls
- Signs that a stack is leaning
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
The survey, step by step
When we arrive, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that is worrying you. After that, we check everything we can see safely, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where it applies. The survey usually takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. For a village or hamlet like Steeple Barton, the journey is planned beforehand: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. 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.
- 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.
- Every part we can see is looked at: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
How to prepare
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
Booking a survey
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We will confirm the price before booking.
Advice
About our chimney survey in Steeple Barton
We inspect chimneys from wherever they can safely be seen: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the loft space where it is safe. A drone inspection is part of our Premium Survey where it applies. Where part of a stack can’t be seen, the report says so. Each defect is recorded with a photo and a plain description. We’re often asked to look into lifted or split lead flashings and damp patches on chimney breasts, on brick chimney stacks, chimney pots and cowls and chimney breasts.
In a small place like Steeple Barton, many roofs stand in the open, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are frequently where weather gets in first.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Location
- Steeple Barton (OX25)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Before and after the survey
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
If anything in the report is not clear, just ask us. Standard Surveys come with a follow-up consultation, and Premium Surveys with an in-person one.
Look at your chimneys from ground level now and then, particularly after strong winds. With binoculars, you can often see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.
How we price chimney surveys
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. The main factors are:
- House, block, shop or office
- How big the roof is
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- The shape of the roof and its details
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we can help you choose.
What to let us know when you contact us
Here’s what helps us most when you get in touch:
- The address and postcode of the property
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Nearby places to Steeple Barton
Also in Steeple Barton
Steeple Barton questions
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Steeple Barton?
We cannot 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 smaller places like Steeple Barton?
Yes, Steeple Barton is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Only where it’s safe to do so. We inspect everything that’s safely in view: from the ground, from windows and vantage points, from the loft space, from the roof itself where safe and by drone where it applies. Anything we can’t see is noted in the report.
How much is a survey?
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The final figure depends on the roof and the package you choose, confirmed before anything is booked.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
Have it checked rather than leaving it. Leaning often comes from mortar breaking down unevenly. We record its condition with photos, and a structural engineer can assess whether it needs work.
Our stack is shared. Can you still survey it?
Yes. We inspect everything that’s safely in view and what you give us access to. Where a problem appears to be on next door’s side, we note it and you can raise it with them.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it is applicable and safe, yes. We fly a sub-250g drone and we are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where it applies.
What you can safely check yourself
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way. That’s where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Water spilling over the edge can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
What this survey can’t tell you
To be straight with you, there are limits to any roof survey:
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
- A structural engineer’s assessment
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll tell you. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
Landlords, agents and block managers in Steeple Barton
Shared roofs need a little more planning: we need access agreed with the building owner or managing agent. Mention it when you get in touch and we will plan the survey around it.
We survey roofs for letting agents and landlords as well as householders. A written report with photographs gives you a clear record of the chimney stack, useful for planning maintenance.
Chimney surveys around Steeple Barton
If your home is older, it’s worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before planning roof work. Changes that affect a listed building’s special interest need listed building consent, and councils can also use Article 4 directions to control changes in conservation areas. Older buildings in west Oxfordshire frequently 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 Heyford station may find that knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints. If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of St Mary, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look. Take a building like Middle Barton Primary School: its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Steeple Barton is about 8 miles west of Bicester, in Oxfordshire. If you are in Steeple Barton, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. Our Oxfordshire coverage includes Steeple Barton and the places around it. Our Oxford page covers surveys nearby.
All of OX25 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Middle Barton (1 mile north-west), Westcott Barton (1 mile west), Steeple Aston (2 miles east), Middle Aston (2 miles north-east) and Duns Tew (2 miles north). Further out, we also cover Oxford (13 miles south), Banbury (10 miles north), Bicester (8 miles east), Witney (11 miles south-west), Carterton (15 miles south-west) and Kidlington (8 miles south).
What’s near Steeple Barton
Around Steeple Barton, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Holt Hotel (Oxfordshire) and the streets around them. The closest station to Steeple Barton is Heyford station, about 2 miles east. Well-known places in the area include Deddington Castle (4.2 miles north).