Chimneys and parapets
After a breast removal the neighbour's flue may still be in the stack. Has the survey worked out which flue is live?
No. The survey has not worked out which flue is live. After a breast removal the neighbour's flue may still be in the stack, and the inspection did not trace flues, did not smoke-test them, and did not decide which opening still serves a fire or a boiler next door. Removing a breast on this side can leave shared masonry and a live flue in what remains. The report notes the possibility. It has not mapped the flues or confirmed that any one of them is disused.
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?
Stacks often hold more than one flue, and a party wall can put a neighbour's flue in the masonry beside you. Taking a breast out does not extinguish a flue that starts in the house next door. The survey saw that a breast has gone. It did not open the stack, did not look down the pots with any test, and did not ask the neighbour which fireplace they use. A live flue left unsupported or pierced would be a safety matter. This visit has not established that either.
Ask your solicitor what paperwork exists for the breast removal, including any calculation or building-control note, and whether the neighbour's flues were considered. A chimney specialist can test which flues are live if you instruct that later. Do not tell a lender the stack is redundant because the breast on this side has gone. The survey has not identified a live flue and has not cleared one.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Did the survey smoke-test the flues after the breast removal?
- Has any neighbour's flue been identified as live or disused?
- Was the stack opened to see the flue layout?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat which flue is live as unknown.
- Ask the solicitor for the breast-removal papers.
- Do not describe the stack as redundant.
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 an empty hearth on this side close the neighbour's flue?
No. Your hearth can be empty while the neighbour still uses a flue in the same stack. The survey did not work out which flue is live and did not smoke-test anything. An empty opening is a local observation. It is not a map of the stack and not a statement about the house next door.
Was support for the remaining stack checked after the breast went?
Not as a structural proof. The survey notes that a breast has been removed and that a neighbour's flue may remain. It did not calculate support and did not expose the bearings left in the stack. Those are separate from the question of which flue is live, and neither question has been closed.