Chimney & Fireplace

What kind of tradesman is best to perform a chimney breast inspection and issue a certificate?

Anonymous user 23/02/2024 - 3.10 PM

We are in the process of buying a house, and the survey we did has highlighted a number of possible issues for investigation. The most important issue to be checked before we exchange contracts seems to be the removal of chimney breasts. It was done 30 years ago when no regulations were in place, and the surveyor said it wouldn't pass today's standards. We were advised to get it checked and obtain a certificate. I'm not exactly sure how to approach this before signing the contract. Could you advise? Once i know what needs to be done, i can post a job on mybuilder. Who's best to perform such checks? How much (roughly) such a service costs? Can a tradesman issue a certificate, or is it something a building control body should do? Below is the relevant quote from survey: "The chimney breast within the front facing rear structure of the property in the loft appears to have been removed and the means of structural support for the remaining brickwork above cannot be ascertained as it is concealed within the construction, though there are no external indications to suggest structural instability. However it is imperative that the relevant documentation for this is requested to include Building Regulations approval. In the absence of such documentation we recommend that retrospective approval is obtained as this may affect resale. At best some opening up works will be required to confirm the adequacy of support. Although at worst some significant building works will subsequently be required to involve the installation of suitable steel structural support which will be messy and expensive. Whilst there is no sign of inadequacy, e.g. cracking, your Legal Adviser should ensure that Local Authority approval has been obtained for the alterations. ."