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Chimneys and parapets

What should you ask when a thatched house has a chimney, rather than treating them as one defect?

Ask about the stack and the thatch as separate elements. The junction where the chimney leaves the thatch is a common place for water and for a poor flashing, and the flue is a fire question the survey has not tested. A comment on the ridge of the thatch is not a comment on the flue, and Approved Document J is not a certificate the surveyor has issued.

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 and masonry move and wear differently. A surveyor can see a cracked flaunching, a leaning stack, or a gap at the thatch from the ground or from a ladder if that is safe and within the level you bought. They cannot certify the flue or the spark arrestor. RICS home surveys do not test combustion appliances.

If you are buying thatch, the roof guide and the chimney note should not be collapsed into one price. A thatcher and a chimney contractor answer different parts. The survey should say which part it could see. Do not light a fire to test the flue before you own the house. Costs vary widely with height and with the state of the thatch coat. Ask the person who will actually do that work.

What should you ask your surveyor?

  • Could you see the junction of stack and thatch, or only the pot?
  • Is the note about water, about the flue, or about both?
  • Was the appliance in use, and did you test it?

What are the typical next steps?

  1. Read the thatch comments and the chimney comments as two lists.
  2. Ask the seller for any chimney sweep or stove record. Do not treat silence as a pass.
  3. If the junction is rated poorly, ask a thatcher whether the coat must be opened.

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 thatched roof need a Level 3?

Often buyers choose Level 3 because the construction is unusual. The level is an instruction you agree, not a rule this page can impose. Read the Level 1 scope before you rely on a short report.

Is a chimney pot in thatch always a defect?

A pot is normal. The defect is movement, a failed junction, or a flue nobody has looked at.

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