Chimneys and parapets
A flue passes through thatch and no lining paper is in the pack. Has the inside of that flue been inspected?
No. The inside of that flue has not been inspected. A flue passing through thatch was noted from what could be seen outside the flue, and no lining paper is in the pack. The survey does not travel the inside of a flue, does not sweep it, and does not confirm a lining that no certificate supports. Thatch around a flue is a separation question the papers would need to answer. Their absence leaves the lining unverified. Seeing the thatch and the stack is not an internal inspection of the flue.
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?
Thatch is a thick combustible covering. A flue that punches through it needs a lining and a detail that keep heat away from the straw, and those details live in workmanship and in paperwork as much as in a view from the garden. The survey can see the chimney, the thatch surface and, from the loft if access allowed, the underside around the stack. It cannot see the bore of the flue. No paper means the lining is a claim nobody has produced, not a finding the survey has made.
Ask the solicitor for any lining certificate, sweep record or thatch specification, and keep the absence of those papers as a gap. A chimney sweep or a thatch specialist is the next trade if the flue must be inspected inside. This visit has not done that job. Do not tell a lender the flue is lined because the stack looks traditional. Traditional appearance is not a certificate. The survey recorded the route and the missing paper.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Was the bore of the flue inspected, or only the outside route?
- Is a lining paper present in the pack?
- Does a view of the thatch confirm the lining?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the flue interior and the lining as unverified.
- Ask the solicitor for any lining or sweep papers.
- Do not describe the stack's appearance as a certificate.
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 the survey decide whether the thatch itself is insurable?
No. Insurance questions are for the insurer and the broker. The survey can describe the thatch it could see and the flue passing through it. It has not set a premium and has not inspected the inside of the flue. Pass the missing lining paper to the solicitor and to whoever asks about insurance. The condition note is not a policy.
Could the lining exist even though the paper is missing?
It could. Missing paper is a missing record, not proof that no liner was ever fitted. The survey has not seen the inside of the flue, so it cannot confirm a liner either way. Ask the seller, through the solicitor, where the certificate is. Until the bore is inspected or the paper appears, the lining stays unverified.