Non-standard construction
Is a concrete chimney breast, together with brick outer walls, any evidence on a sample, if you commission one, that must name the breast separately, or only a note of what was visible?
A concrete chimney breast, seen with brick outer walls, is only a note of what was visible. It is not a sample. If you commission a core test, that request must name the breast separately, because the brick walls are not the concrete element. The home survey does not drill cores or award Class A, B or C. RICS guidance on the mundic problem is for surveyors in the south west. Cornwall Council describes a core test and does not provide it. The breast has not been classed. The visit recorded two different materials and stopped there.
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?
Chimney breasts are sometimes rebuilt or lined in concrete while the outside of the house stays brick. A surveyor can see a concrete face in the room and brick on the elevation. That contrast is why a casual remark about the walls would miss the breast. Any later sampling, if you decide it is appropriate, has to say which element is to be cored. This report has not decided that a test is required. It has said the breast is a distinct visible element.
Ask the solicitor to keep the breast and the brick walls as separate descriptions from the survey. If a core test is commissioned, name the chimney breast in the instruction so it is not left out. Do not ask the home survey to award a class after the event. Cornwall Council describes a core test and does not provide it. The survey has not drilled anything. Visible notes are the whole of what this visit decided about those materials.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Where is the concrete breast, and where are the brick outer walls?
- Has any core already been taken from the breast?
- If a test is commissioned, will the instruction name the breast on its own?
What are the typical next steps?
- Keep the concrete breast separate from the brick walls in every note.
- Do not treat the home survey as a core test or a class.
- Name the breast expressly if you later commission sampling.
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
Did the home survey core the breast?
No. A home survey does not drill cores or award Class A, B or C. The concrete chimney breast was a visual note beside brick outer walls. Cornwall Council describes a core test and does not provide it. RICS guidance on the mundic problem is for surveyors in the south west. Nothing was classed.
Are the brick outer walls the same element as the breast?
No. The survey saw brick outside and a concrete breast inside. They are different materials. A sample, if you commission one, must name the breast separately so the brickwork is not mistaken for it. The visit itself only noted what was visible. It did not sample either element.