DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
It does look like cement.To me that chimney doesn't look like brick that has just been painted. I can't tell what it's covered with but it looks like more than peeling paint. If the roof is flat, putting a ladder against the chimney is safe enough. Not saying I would diy anything if I had a painter handy, especially anything that didn't exactly match the new siding.
Agree the place is looking great O.![]()

In fairness, it was noted as a "if you ever decide to use that roof deck, you should get a railing for safety reasons," and not "you need one per code." Per my conversations with the inspection company, they "don't inspect for code," because codes change all the time and differ so much from town to town, so they instead only inspect for structural/safety. 
