Oxfordshire · London and the South East
West Hanney Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys around West Hanney, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
West Hanney: your questions answered
Do you carry out roof surveys in West Hanney?
Yes. We work right across London and South East England, and West Hanney is part of that. You can call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and some details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Is West Hanney within the area you cover?
Yes, West Hanney is covered. We work right across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not always. Some roofs are too steep or fragile to walk on safely. Safe viewpoints, the loft and a drone where applicable let us see the rest.
How experienced are you?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have completed over 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
What do you check on a chimney?
The whole stack, as far as it can be seen safely: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and flashings. We also note leaning, redundant stacks and damp inside.
What should I do with a chimney I do not use?
An unused stack still needs to stay weathertight and ventilated. Capping without airflow can lead to damp. We check how it is capped and its condition, so you can decide with a builder what to do.
What happens next?
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, so you can talk the findings through.
Chimney survey in West Hanney
Many terraced and semi-detached homes share their chimney stacks with a neighbour. We check what can safely be seen and what the owner gives us access to. If a defect appears to be on the neighbour’s side, we note it and you can then discuss it with them. Everything is written up with photos and what we recommend. Typical surveys look at mortar washing out of the joints and unused flues sealed without airflow, across shared and party-wall stacks, chimney breasts and chimney pots and cowls.
Some older homes in villages like West Hanney are listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Older materials such as clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
It is not only a list of defects. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend.
- Place
- West Hanney (OX12)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
West Hanney homes and their roofs
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. Longworth House, about 4.2 miles north, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around West Hanney. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
For an older house near a landmark such as Church of St James, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
West Hanney is about 3 miles north of Wantage, in Oxfordshire. West Hanney is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area across London and South East England. We cover towns and villages across Oxfordshire, from the larger towns to small villages. Oxford is in our area too.
Here we cover the OX12 postcode area for chimney surveys. Local streets include Main Street, The Croft and School Road, all of which we cover. Nearby, we also carry out chimney surveys in Lyford (1 mile north-west), Denchworth (2 miles south-west), Grove (2 miles south), Charney Bassett (2 miles north-west) and Kingston Bagpuize (3 miles north). Larger places within reach include Oxford (11 miles north-east), Didcot (7 miles east), Abingdon-on-Thames (6 miles north-east), Witney (11 miles north), Carterton (12 miles north-west) and Wantage (3 miles south).
What’s near West Hanney
We work in homes and buildings around The Black Horse pub, among other places. Well-known places in the area include Abingdon Community Hospital (5.4 miles north-east) and Hinton Waldrist Castle (4.3 miles north-west). The countryside around West Hanney includes Chain Hill and Letcombe Valley.
When you need someone else
In fairness, a roof survey has limits:
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- Parts of the stack that cannot be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we can’t access
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will point you to the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Flaunching
- Lead flashings
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
Before and after the survey
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner:
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Photograph damp patches with the date
You can send the report to roofers or builders for quotes. With the same list in front of each contractor, comparing quotes is simpler.
Check fixings on the stack are sound and taken off if they’re no longer needed. Less load on the stack means less strain in wind.
Towns and villages near West Hanney
More services for West Hanney
Checking the roof from the ground
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we check the roof.
How the survey works
On the day, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you’d like to know. After that, we check everything we can see safely. The survey usually takes roughly 1–2 hours at a typical home, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. Older roofs in small places like West Hanney can have low, tight loft spaces, so tell us about the loft hatch and any ladder. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- First you let us know about the chimneys, any damp on the chimney breasts and any worries.
- The stacks are looked at from the ground, from windows and from other safe vantage points.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach them.
- You get a report with photographs and our recommendations.
How to prepare
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Booking a survey
Booking is simple: just call 07833 053749 or email us, let us know about the property and we will explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Read more
How we price chimney surveys
To price your survey, we look at:
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- How big the roof is
- House, block, shop or office
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before you book.
Booking your survey
Here’s what helps us most when you get in touch:
- Anything about access we should know
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
- What made you get in touch
When you are ready to go ahead, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day.
Do you need a chimney survey in West Hanney?
Removing a chimney breast inside can leave questions about how the stack is supported. We record what we can see in the loft and outside, and recommend a structural engineer where support is in question.
Most people get in touch after spotting something like this:
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
- Worn or missing pointing
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as St James Church of England Primary School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- What happens after the report arrives
- What the survey won’t cover
- How soon the report will arrive
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price