Age and type of house
The chimney stack sits on the party line of a Victorian terrace. Whose flue has the survey not inspected?
The neighbour's flue, and often the hidden parts of yours. A stack on the party line of a Victorian terrace can hold more than one flue, and this visit does not inspect the flue next door. The surveyor can see the stack from this side, the pots from a safe viewpoint, and the fireplace in this room. They do not sweep either flue. Flues are looked at visually, not safety-tested, and the neighbour's room was not part of the instruction.
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?
Party stacks are shared masonry. Pots can serve different fireplaces, some of them in the house you are buying and some of them next door. A surveyor standing in your rooms cannot see the neighbour's gather, the neighbour's throat or whether their flue is blocked. Even your own flue is only partly visible: the fireplace, sometimes a loft view past the stack, and the pot. No sweep, no smoke test and no camera is included in an ordinary home survey. Services and flues stay visual.
Do not accept a rating on the pots as a certificate that either flue is safe to use. If you plan a stove, that is a separate competent check. The stack itself, the flaunching and the flashings can still be rated from what was seen. A crack in the shared masonry is a condition comment, not a decision about who pays, and the surveyor does not serve notices or make an award. Ask your solicitor how repairs to party stacks are dealt with in this terrace. The unseen neighbour's flue should stay described as unseen.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which pots and which fireplaces in this house did you actually see?
- Did you enter the neighbour's house or only look at the shared stack from this side?
- Are the flues recorded as not swept and not tested?
What are the typical next steps?
- Do not light a fire on the strength of a visual note about the pots.
- Ask your solicitor about repair of the shared stack, without expecting the survey to divide the cost.
- Commission a sweep or a stove installer if you intend to use a flue.
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
If my fireplace looks clean, has the neighbour's flue been checked?
No. Their house was not inspected. A clean hearth on this side says nothing about their flue.
Does a straight stack mean the flues are lined?
No. Liners are only recorded where they could be seen. A visual visit is not a sweep and not a safety test.