Asbestos Survey London

Who needs an asbestos survey in London?

If you are responsible for maintaining a non-domestic building, or the common parts of a block of flats or converted house, you have a legal duty to manage asbestos. A survey is the standard way to find out where asbestos is, what condition it is in and how to manage it.

The duty comes from regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, often called the duty to manage. It applies to non-domestic premises, including the common parts of multi-occupancy residential buildings such as entrance halls, stairwells, landings, plant rooms, risers, meter cupboards and bin stores. The duty holder is usually the freeholder, a right to manage company, a managing agent acting for them, or a commercial landlord or tenant with repairing obligations.

Asbestos was fully banned in the UK in 1999, so any building built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it. In London that covers much of the housing and commercial stock: Victorian and Edwardian conversions refitted in the 1960s to 1980s, post-war council blocks, system-built towers and older office buildings.

Asbestos surveys are carried out by P402-qualified asbestos surveyors.

What is the difference between a management survey and a refurbishment and demolition survey?

HSE guidance HSG264 sets out two types of survey. A management survey is for a building in normal use. A refurbishment and demolition survey is needed before any work that disturbs the fabric of the building.

If you are planning work in only part of a building, such as replacing a communal ceiling or rewiring a riser, the refurbishment survey can be limited to that area while the rest of the building is covered by a management survey.

Where is asbestos usually found in London buildings?

Asbestos was used in a wide range of building products, many of which look ordinary. These are the places our surveyors check most carefully in London properties:

• Ceilings and walls: textured decorative coatings, asbestos insulating board in ceiling tiles, partitions, soffits and around doors.
• Floors: vinyl and thermoplastic tiles and the bitumen adhesive beneath them.
• Heating and plumbing: pipe lagging, boiler flues, old boiler casings and cement water tanks in lofts.
• Risers and service cupboards: fire breaks and panels in the vertical ducts that carry cables and pipes through blocks of flats.
• Electrical equipment: backing boards and flash guards in older fuse boards.
• External features: cement roof sheets on garages and bin stores, gutters, downpipes and soffits.

Riser cupboards and meter cupboards in post-war blocks deserve particular attention because contractors work in them regularly, often without knowing what is behind the panels. Old fuse boards are another common find, which is worth knowing before a consumer unit replacement in an older property.

How does the survey and sampling process work?

The surveyor inspects every accessible area, identifies materials that could contain asbestos, and takes small samples of them for laboratory analysis. Each sample point is sealed afterwards to prevent fibre release.

Every suspect material is recorded with its location, extent and photographs, then given a material assessment based on the type of product, its condition, any surface treatment and how easily it could release fibres. Where an area cannot be accessed, for example a locked flat or a sealed void, the report records it and the area is presumed to contain asbestos until it can be inspected.

The laboratory confirms whether each sample contains asbestos and, if so, which type. The report is issued once those results are back, and we confirm the expected timescale when you book.

What do you receive, and what do you do with it?

You receive a written report containing an asbestos register: a list of every material identified or presumed, with photos, locations, results, condition and recommended actions. That register is the foundation of your asbestos management plan.

• Keep the register on site or easily available, and share it with every contractor before they start work.
• Asbestos in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed is often best left in place, labelled and monitored.
• Re-inspect known materials regularly, and straight away after any damage. We suggest at least once a year.
• Where removal is recommended, use a competent contractor. Some higher-risk materials can only be removed by a contractor licensed by HSE.

For blocks of flats, the asbestos register sits alongside your fire risk assessment, because both cover the same common parts and contractors working on fire stopping or doors need to see it. If your building also needs a communal area fire risk assessment, booking both together keeps the information consistent.

Do you need an asbestos survey before renovating a house or flat?

Yes, if the property was built or refurbished before 2000 and the work will disturb the building fabric. The duty to manage does not apply inside a private home in the same way as in common parts, but builders, electricians and plumbers need to know what they are working on before they start.

A refurbishment survey before a kitchen refit, rewire, loft conversion or knocking through a wall protects you, your tenants and the trades. It also avoids work stopping halfway through when a suspect material is uncovered.

How much does an asbestos survey cost in London?

Our asbestos surveys start from £249 inc. VAT for the common parts of a one or two storey building, and £299 for a flat or house with up to two bedrooms. Larger buildings and commercial premises are quoted after we understand the layout. Use our quote form to tell us the building age, number of storeys and whether you are planning works. See HSE’s guidance on the duty to manage asbestos for more background.