Chimneys and parapets
What should you ask if a wood stove uses a chimney the survey calls unlined?
Ask whether anyone has seen a liner, and do not treat the survey as a stove certificate. An unlined flue can let tars into the brick and can be the wrong size for a modern stove. A home survey looks at the stack and the breast. It does not sweep the flue, camera it, or sign the installation off under Approved Document J.
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?
Approved Document J covers combustion appliances and how they are installed when building regulations apply. It is not a test the surveyor runs on the day. The visible clues are smoke staining, cracked plaster on the breast, no plate, or a stove pipe that disappears into an old opening. None of those is a liner inspection.
The person who can comment on the flue is a competent installer of that appliance, often after a sweep. RICS home surveys say services and flues are not tested. If you plan to use the stove, budget that visit separately. Do not deduct a flue-liner price from the purchase until someone has seen the flue. Costs vary with height and access.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Did you see a liner plate or only the stove in the room?
- Is the breast stained or cracked?
- Are you saying the stove is unsafe, or that the flue was not inspected?
What are the typical next steps?
- Do not light the stove to “see if it draws” during a viewing.
- Ask the seller for any installation or sweep record. A missing record is a gap, not a rating.
- If you will rely on the stove, get it checked by someone who installs them. The survey will not become that check.
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
Is a gas fire the same question?
No. Gas work belongs with Gas Safe. A stove fitter is not a gas engineer. The survey is neither.
Does a cowl prove there is a liner?
No. A cowl sits on the pot. The liner, if any, is inside the flue.