Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Swinford
Wondering about the chimney stack at a property in Swinford? We carry out chimney surveys in Swinford and across Oxfordshire, with plain-English findings.
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
Tips from our surveys
There is plenty you can do without going near the roof. Here’s what helps most:
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
If the report recommends a structural engineer, a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer, it will say why. That helps you brief them.
Check fixings on the stack are sound and taken off if they’re no longer needed. Removing unused fixings takes strain off the brickwork.
Chimney survey in Swinford: what you get
Our survey covers the structure of the stack and its weathering details. It is not a flue inspection, a sweep or a gas safety check. For the flue itself, you will need a sweep or, for gas appliances, a Gas Safe registered engineer. We’ll tell you if we see anything that suggests they should take a look. If you’ve noticed eroded joints in the brickwork and frost-damaged brickwork on the stack, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
In a small place like Swinford, many roofs stand in the open, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
The report records the chimney stack as we found it on the day. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later.
- Location
- Swinford (OX29)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What a chimney survey does not cover
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- Hidden damage within the stack
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
- Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 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 Swinford
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
Landlord and commercial surveys in Swinford
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client, photos included.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, including offices, shops and units. Bigger roofs take more time, and they’re priced for the size.
How it works
When we arrive, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that is worrying you. After that, we look at everything we can see safely, from the ground, from windows, in the loft space and by drone where it applies. Most surveys take between one and two hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. In a hamlet or village like Swinford, a postcode does not always lead to the right gate, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We check every stack from wherever it can be seen safely.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there is access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
How to prepare
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Book a survey
Booking is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form, let us know about the property and we’ll explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.
Related advice
Local roofs in Swinford
With Appleton Manor about 4.4 miles south, Swinford sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Older buildings in west Oxfordshire often 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. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of St Leonard, old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs. Anyone responsible for a site like Eynsham Community Primary School will know that its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. If you own a rental within reach of Hanborough station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
Swinford is about 6 miles west of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. We survey roofs in Swinford and the rest of Oxfordshire. Swinford is one of the places in Oxfordshire where we work. Our Oxford page covers surveys nearby.
Chimney surveys in OX29 are booked the same way as anywhere else. We also cover Eynsham (1 mile north-west), Farmoor (1 mile south-east), Cassington (1 mile north-east), Filchampstead (2 miles south) and Wytham (2 miles east). Within a short drive, we also cover Oxford (6 miles east), Didcot (12 miles south-east), Bicester (12 miles north-east), Abingdon-on-Thames (7 miles south-east), Witney (6 miles west) and Carterton (10 miles west).
Landmarks near Swinford
In Swinford, that means homes and buildings near The Talbot Public House and Attached Stable and Bartholomew School, among other places. The nearest railway station is Hanborough station, about 3.6 miles north. Other landmarks nearby include Oxford Castle and earlier settlement remains (4.4 miles east) and Oxford Bus Museum (3.6 miles north). Open spaces near Swinford include Cumnor Hill and Hook Meadow and The Trap Grounds.
Places near Swinford
What else we do in Swinford
Swinford questions
Is my home in Swinford listed or in a conservation area?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Can a landlord with a rental near Hanborough station book a roof survey?
Yes, that’s a common request. We just need to know who will give access, and we can send the report to you or your agent.
What insurance do you have?
We are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
What happens after the survey?
The report comes by email, and what you do next is up to you: use it with a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent.
Do you cover Swinford?
Yes. We cover Swinford and the rest of Oxfordshire. To book, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Do you inspect the flue?
No. A flue inspection, sweep or gas safety check is a separate job. We check the structure and weathering of the stack and any damp, and we will say if anything suggests the flue needs checking.
Leave it or get it looked at?
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 Swinford, the right replacement materials aren’t always easy to find quickly. That’s one more reason to find defects before they become urgent.
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how it can be reached and seen safely. Prices start from £150, including VAT.
Why us?
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- Customer satisfaction of 98%
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- 20+ years’ experience
What you can safely check yourself
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it.
A lot can be seen from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.