Asbestos Management Survey Services

Why You Need an Asbestos Survey

Buildings constructed or refurbished before the UK asbestos ban may contain asbestos-containing materials in areas such as ceilings, floor tiles, textured coatings, pipe insulation, risers, plant rooms, service cupboards and communal areas.

An asbestos management survey can help identify visible or accessible suspected asbestos-containing materials, record their location and condition, and provide recommendations for management where applicable. The survey supports responsible property management, but it does not guarantee that every hidden asbestos-containing material has been found.

If refurbishment, demolition or intrusive work is planned, a management survey may not be enough. A refurbishment or demolition survey may be required for the affected areas before work starts.

Management Survey vs Refurbishment and Demolition Survey

A management survey is designed to help manage asbestos during normal occupation and routine maintenance. It is usually less intrusive and focuses on accessible areas.

A refurbishment or demolition survey is needed where building fabric will be disturbed by planned work. It is more intrusive and should cover the specific areas affected by the proposed work.

A management survey should not be used as a substitute for a refurbishment or demolition survey where intrusive work is planned.

Asbestos Survey Cost Factors

Asbestos survey cost depends on property type, building size, number of rooms or areas, survey type, access, sampling requirements, laboratory analysis, report detail, location, parking and whether re-attendance is needed.

A management survey for everyday occupation is usually less intrusive than a refurbishment or demolition survey. If planned works may disturb the building fabric, a more intrusive survey may be required in the affected areas.

When Is an Asbestos Survey Legally Required?

In the UK, asbestos duties depend on the property type, who controls maintenance or repair, and whether work may disturb asbestos-containing materials. The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 place a duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises and common parts of some domestic buildings.

Before refurbishment, demolition or intrusive maintenance work, the dutyholder or person planning the work should make sure asbestos risks have been properly assessed and that suitable information is available to those carrying out the work.

Survey time depends on property size, number of areas, access, survey type, sampling requirements and report detail. A small property may take a few hours on site, while larger or more complex buildings may require longer attendance and additional laboratory turnaround time where samples are taken.

Occupants may not need to leave during a management survey if the survey is non-intrusive and areas can be inspected safely. Access restrictions, sampling, damaged materials or higher-risk areas may require temporary access control or specific arrangements.

Yes, a management survey can often be carried out in an occupied building, subject to access, safety and survey scope. Refurbishment or demolition surveys may require more intrusive access and different arrangements.

Do not disturb the material. Follow the survey recommendations, update the asbestos register or management plan where required, inform relevant people and arrange monitoring, repair, encapsulation, removal or further specialist advice where needed.

Asbestos information should be reviewed and updated when materials deteriorate, are disturbed, removed, repaired, enclosed, or when refurbishment, demolition or maintenance work is planned. Review frequency depends on the property, ACM condition, management plan and dutyholder arrangements.

Not always. If work will disturb the building fabric, a refurbishment survey may be required for the affected areas. The correct survey type should be confirmed before work starts.

No. An asbestos survey identifies, samples, presumes or records suspected ACMs according to the survey scope. Removal, encapsulation, repair or disposal are separate works and should be confirmed separately.

No. A management survey only covers the areas included in the agreed scope at the time of inspection. Hidden or inaccessible asbestos may still be present, especially behind fixed finishes, sealed voids or areas not accessed.

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