Removing brick chimney and fireplace

[dammit]

Looking for feedback on how big a job this is, and likely cost/implications.

House is weatherboard clad external, horizontal VJ board walls internal. Except it has 2 brick chimneys from fireplaces which are now redundant/never used.

Would these chimneys have a structural element to them? Like holding up other parts of the house? Do they need engineer clearance to demolish? I hope to demolish the 3 sides (front, and sides) but leave the rear which forms part of the exterior wall? I assume I will then need to re-sheet that part of the roof where the chimney is removed.

What is this likely to cost per fireplace/chimney?

They are never going to be used as fireplaces again, and could really use the space they take up, given space is at a real premium where I live. It will help improve furniture layout etc.


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[Fuzzie]

I'm not qualified to give advice so take what I say with due caution.

I've taken three brick chimneys out of different brick houses of different vintages. None were structural. The old mortar was quite weak and removing the bricks was easy. There are safety issues to consider starting the removal from up on the roof and working your way down. Suitable PPE required, you don't want to fall off the roof.

Aside from that a lot of dust and soot to contain, depending on what has gone down the chimney breast around the flue. One of mine was filled with old slates from a roof renewal. Removing the bricks was easy and done in hours. Weatherproofing the roof and making good inside took way, way, way longer. The hardest thing to make good actually turned out to be removing the hearth stone and patching the floor.

Oh, and I'm glad I took out each one!

[TermiMonster]

You won't be able to leave just one side of the existing chimney. You will need to remove it all, and patch in the weatherboard wall. This is because the chimney is an entity in itself (so to speak) and although it is seperate (structurally) from the rest of the house, each side of the chimney (so to speak) relies on the other parts (of the chimney) for support.
You will need to patch the roof, the ceiling, any internal wall, the sub-floor and floor, and any external wall.
It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it (better you than me.) You will be amazed at how much there is in a chimney.
TM

[Pagie]

What he said. A lot of work. Be careful.

[droog]

No online information can be 100%, you need someone qualified to inspect onsite to confirm.
Have removed a similar type fireplace in the past from an Edwardian house, i suspect yours is a similar age. While it is likely the roof and walls will not be using the fireplace for support it is very likely the subfloor will be tied into the base.
It is not a difficult job to remove them but needs to be approached with caution. Have you checked if there restrictions in place by the local council on this type of renovation ? There are quite a few councils that have processes around old houses and chimneys.