Costs & Process
You cannot repair what you cannot see, and a chimney is the least visible part of most houses. A CCTV survey sends a camera up the flue and puts the internal condition on a screen, which changes the conversation from opinion to evidence.
What the camera finds
The survey covers the full flue route from appliance to terminal, and the recurring findings are consistent.
- Cracked, missing or eroded parging and mortar joints
- Partial blockages, fallen debris and nest remains on bends
- Tar glaze and the true extent of deposits
- Damaged, corroded or separated existing liners
- Flue gas leakage paths between adjoining flues in a shared stack
- Whether the flue is genuinely the size and route the homeowner believes it is
When it is worth the money
A camera survey earns its cost in specific situations rather than as routine. Before buying a period property with a chimney you intend to use, it is a small sum against an unknown. Before an installation into an existing chimney, it determines whether lining is needed and what size. After a suspected chimney fire, it establishes whether the flue is still safe. And when a flue is behaving strangely with no obvious cause, it settles the argument.
How it fits with sweeping
The flue must be swept before a survey, otherwise the camera is looking at soot rather than structure. In practice this means the two are done in the same visit: sweep first, then inspect, so the footage shows the actual condition of the flue wall.
What you get afterwards
You see the flue live during the survey, and we go through what is on screen as it happens rather than describing it afterwards. Where something needs remedying we explain how urgent it is and what the realistic options are — which sometimes is 'nothing, this is normal for a chimney of this age'.
Frequently asked questions
Is a CCTV survey non-invasive?
Yes. The camera goes up the existing flue on a rod system through the fireplace opening. Nothing is opened up, drilled or removed.
Do I need one before buying a house?
A standard home survey rarely assesses flue interiors in any depth. If the property has a chimney you intend to use, a camera survey is a cheap way to know whether you are buying a working flue or a lining job.
Will the survey tell me if I need a liner?
It is the main way of establishing it. Failed parging, an oversized flue relative to the intended appliance, or flue gas leakage between flues all point to lining, and the footage shows you why rather than asking you to take it on trust.
Book a sweep and camera survey
See the inside of your own chimney and get a straight assessment of its condition.