Chimneys and parapets
What should you ask if a chimney pot is cracked but still standing upright?
Ask about that pot, not about a pot that has gone. A crack in a pot that is still bedded lets rain and birds into the flue and can widen, but the pot has not fallen, which is different from a missing pot. From the ground a wide crack may show and a hairline may not, the survey does not sweep the flue, and a fire in use needs a combustion check that is separate from noting the crack.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Pots crack from frost, from a poorly fitted cowl and from movement in the bedding. An upright cracked pot can still look “all there” in a photograph taken from the street. The survey should say which pot, whether the crack is open, and whether the pot leans as well. A straight stance does not close the crack. Approved Document J is about combustion appliances and flues when work is done. It is not a certificate that this pot is sound, and the home survey is not a sweep.
Replacing one pot needs safe access and may disturb the bedding around it. There is no RICS price. Do not replace every pot because one is cracked, and do not ignore a crack because the pot has not fallen into the garden. If you will not use the flue, the rain path still matters. If you will use it, ask a competent installer about that appliance after the pot is described. The survey has not tested any stove or gas fire.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which pot is cracked, and is it still bedded?
- Could you see the crack from the ground, or only suspect it?
- Is any flue in use, and did you exclude an appliance test?
What are the typical next steps?
- Ask a chimney contractor to look at the cracked pot with proper access.
- Do not describe it as a missing pot.
- Keep any stove or gas fire on a separate instruction.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Does a hairline in the glaze count?
A craze in the glaze is not automatically a crack through the pot. Ask what was actually open.
Can a cowl hide the crack?
Yes. A cap can cover the lip the surveyor would have seen. Say if the top of the pot was hidden.