Asbestos Survey London from £239.99
from£239.99
UKAS Accredited · London & M25 · Report in 5–7 Days
Entry price
from £239.99
Report
5–7 working days
Laboratory
UKAS accredited
Regulation
CAR 2012
Do you need an asbestos survey?
Asbestos was used extensively in UK building materials until it was banned in 1999. Any property built or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) — and in London, where much of the housing stock dates from the Victorian era through to the 1980s, this is a significant proportion of the rental market.
Common locations for ACMs include: artex textured coatings on ceilings and walls, floor tiles and the adhesive beneath them, pipe lagging on older central heating systems, asbestos insulating board (AIB) panels in airing cupboards and around heating equipment, roof sheets and soffits on older extensions, and loose-fill insulation in loft spaces.
Undisturbed, well-bonded asbestos poses little immediate risk — but any renovation, maintenance work, or refurbishment that could disturb ACMs requires you to know what you're dealing with first. Our management survey identifies and characterises all suspect materials, so you can plan works safely.
Legal requirement: The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012) require the duty holder of any non-domestic premises to actively manage any asbestos in the building. For residential landlords, a management survey is strongly recommended before any renovation or maintenance work in properties built before 2000. Regulation 4 of CAR 2012 makes failure to manage asbestos a criminal offence.
Pricing
Priced by number of samples submitted for UKAS-accredited laboratory analysis. Includes on-site survey and written report.
Asbestos Management Survey
| Description | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 SampleCheapest | £239.99 |
| 2 Samples | £279.99 |
| 3 Samples | £299.99 |
| 4 Samples | £339.99 |
| 5 Samples | £379.99 |
| 6 Samples | £405.99 |
Additional charges may apply: Congestion Zone +£20 · Parking restrictions +£10
Refurbishment and demolition surveys (Type 3) and large commercial properties — call us on 020 3996 1070 for a tailored quote.
What's included from £239.99
- ✓Full visual inspection of accessible areas
- ✓Sample collection with appropriate PPE
- ✓UKAS-accredited laboratory analysis
- ✓Asbestos type and fibre identification
- ✓Condition and risk assessment per ACM
- ✓Management action recommendation
- ✓Written report with photographs
- ✓Asbestos register for planning or licensing use
How it works
Book online or call us
Tell us the property address, approximate age, and whether you have any specific concerns about suspect materials. We'll confirm the survey date and likely number of samples.
Surveyor visits and takes samples
Our trained surveyor visits the property, carries out a full visual inspection, and collects samples from any suspect materials using appropriate protective equipment. The process causes minimal disturbance.
Laboratory analysis and written report
Samples are dispatched to a UKAS-accredited laboratory. Your written report — including photographs, condition assessment, and management recommendations — is emailed within 5–7 working days.
The three types of asbestos in UK buildings
Not all asbestos is the same. UK buildings built before 2000 may contain one or more of three regulated asbestos types, each with different fibre structures, risk levels, and typical locations. Your survey report will identify exactly which type was found.
Chrysotile
Banned: 1999
Curly, serpentine fibres
Lower relative risk
Roof sheets, floor tiles, cement products, pipe insulation
Amosite
Banned: 1986
Straight, brittle fibres
High risk
Asbestos insulating board (AIB), ceiling tiles, pipe lagging
Crocidolite
Banned: 1985
Fine, needle-like fibres
Highest risk
Pipe lagging, spray coatings, boiler insulation
Important: You cannot identify asbestos type by looking at it — brown, blue, and white asbestos are not reliably distinguished by colour in building materials. Only UKAS-accredited laboratory analysis of a collected sample confirms the type. Never disturb suspect materials before surveying.
Where asbestos hides in London properties
London's housing stock is disproportionately old — around 38% of homes were built before 1944, and a further 30% between 1945 and 1980. This means the vast majority of the city's private rented sector falls within the pre-2000 risk window. These are the locations our surveyors check first:
- ✓
Artex and textured coatings
Applied to ceilings and walls until the 1990s. Chrysotile was commonly added to improve adhesion. Sanding, scraping, or drilling through artex releases fibres.
- ✓
Floor tiles and adhesive
Vinyl floor tiles from the 1960s–80s often contain chrysotile. The black bitumen adhesive beneath them frequently contains amosite. Both must be tested before removal.
- ✓
Pipe lagging
Older central heating systems used amosite or crocidolite insulation around pipes. Damaged lagging is among the highest-risk ACMs in residential properties.
- ✓
Asbestos insulating board (AIB)
Used as panels in airing cupboards, around boilers, and as fire protection around structural steelwork. Typically amosite — high risk if disturbed.
- ✓
Roof sheets and soffits
Older extensions and garages often used corrugated asbestos cement sheets. Chrysotile content is lower risk when intact, but degrades with weathering.
- ✓
Loose-fill loft insulation
A small number of 1960s–70s properties had loose amosite or crocidolite fibre blown into loft spaces. Rare but extremely hazardous — do not enter the loft if suspected.
- ✓
Behind electrical panels
Asbestos millboard was used as heat insulation behind fuse boxes and electrical panels in older properties. Electrical upgrades can disturb this without warning.
Which type of asbestos survey do you need?
CAR 2012 defines two main survey types with different legal triggers and scope. Commissioning the wrong type is not just an administrative error — it can lead to prosecution and invalidate your insurance.
Management Survey
Type 2 — for occupied buildings
- Purpose
- To locate and assess the condition of ACMs likely to be disturbed during normal occupation and low-risk maintenance.
- When needed
- Recommended before any planned maintenance or renovation in a pre-2000 building. Required for non-domestic duty holders under CAR 2012 Regulation 4.
- What it involves
- Full visual inspection of accessible areas. Minor disturbance of finishes where safe. Sample collection from suspect materials.
- Limitations
- Does not access concealed or hidden areas. Cannot be used to clear a building before major refurbishment or demolition.
Refurbishment & Demolition Survey
Type 3 — before structural works
- Purpose
- To locate ALL ACMs — including those in concealed, hidden, or inaccessible areas — before a building or part of it is refurbished or demolished.
- When needed
- Legally required under CAR 2012 before major refurbishment or demolition. Must be completed before principal contractor is appointed.
- What it involves
- Fully intrusive inspection. Opening up cavities, removing finishes, accessing roof voids and structural elements. Higher PPE and containment requirements.
- Limitations
- The building or affected area must be unoccupied during the survey. Causes significant disturbance.
Critical rule: Starting refurbishment or demolition on a pre-2000 building without a Refurbishment & Demolition Survey in place is a criminal offence under CAR 2012 Regulation 5. The Health & Safety Executive actively prosecutes principal contractors and building owners. A management survey does not satisfy this requirement.
How to read your asbestos survey report
Your written report includes an Asbestos Register — a structured table of every suspect material identified during the survey. Here is what each column means:
| Column | What it means |
|---|---|
| Reference number | A unique ID (e.g. S01, S02) linking the table row to the corresponding photograph and location diagram in the report. |
| Location | The room, floor, and specific position where the material was found or sampled (e.g. 'Ground floor kitchen — ceiling above boiler'). |
| Material description | What the material is — e.g. 'Textured coating (artex)', 'Vinyl floor tile', 'Pipe lagging', 'Insulating board panel'. |
| Asbestos type | The fibre type confirmed by laboratory analysis: Chrysotile (white), Amosite (brown), Crocidolite (blue), or 'No asbestos detected (NAD)'. |
| Condition rating (1–4) | 1 = Good / undamaged. 2 = Low damage, small area affected. 3 = Medium damage, significant deterioration. 4 = High damage, material friable or releasing fibres. |
| Risk score (1–4) | Combines condition, accessibility, and likelihood of disturbance. 1 = Very low risk. 2 = Low risk. 3 = Medium risk. 4 = High risk — immediate action recommended. |
| Recommended action | One of: Monitor in place (re-inspect in 12 months) · Repair / re-encapsulate · Encapsulate (seal surface) · Remove by licensed contractor. |
Any material with a risk score of 3 or 4 requires prompt action before further works. Our surveyors are available to discuss report findings and recommend accredited removal contractors where removal is required.
Related services
Types of asbestos survey
CAR 2012 and the HSE guidance document HSG264 define three distinct survey types, each with a different purpose, scope, and legal trigger. Commissioning the right survey from the outset is essential — a management survey cannot substitute for a refurbishment and demolition survey, and using the wrong type can expose landlords, duty holders, and contractors to serious legal liability.
Management survey (formerly Type 2)
For occupied buildings — the standard survey for most residential landlords
A management survey is the standard inspection for properties that are occupied or in normal use. Its purpose is to locate all ACMs in accessible areas, assess their condition, and determine the risk they pose to occupants and maintenance workers during normal building use. The surveyor carries out a full visual inspection, makes minor surface intrusions where safe to do so, and collects samples from any suspect materials. Properties are returned to normal use on the day of the survey. For residential landlords, a management survey is the appropriate first step before any planned maintenance, refurbishment, or if you have recently acquired a pre-2000 property and want to understand its asbestos status.
Refurbishment and demolition survey (formerly Type 3)
Required by law before major works — fully intrusive
A refurbishment and demolition (R&D) survey is legally required under CAR 2012 Regulation 5 before any major refurbishment, structural alteration, or demolition of a pre-2000 building or part thereof. Unlike a management survey, an R&D survey is fully intrusive — the affected area must be unoccupied, and the surveyor will open up cavities, remove finishes, access roof voids, and inspect all structural elements to locate every ACM regardless of accessibility. The survey must be completed and its findings acted upon before a principal contractor is appointed. Failure to commission an R&D survey before major works begin is a criminal offence under CAR 2012. We do not carry out R&D surveys directly but can refer you to specialist partners — call us for a referral.
Reinspection survey (periodic review)
For properties where ACMs have already been identified and left in place
A reinspection survey is carried out on properties where a previous management survey identified asbestos-containing materials assessed as safe to leave in place and manage. Over time, ACMs can deteriorate — through ageing, accidental damage during minor maintenance, water ingress, or vibration from nearby works. A reinspection re-examines all previously recorded ACMs, updates the condition rating, and revises the management action recommendation where necessary. For non-domestic duty holders under CAR 2012, reinspection is a statutory obligation: the asbestos management plan must be reviewed and kept current. For residential landlords, reinspection is not legally required, but is strongly recommended every 12 months for any in-situ ACMs rated condition 2 or above, and every 1–3 years for stable, low-risk materials.
Key rule: A management survey is the appropriate starting point for most landlords. If you are planning significant building works — removing walls, replacing a kitchen or bathroom, converting a loft, or any project involving cavity access — you will need an R&D survey instead. Call us on 020 3996 1070 if you are unsure which survey applies to your situation.
Where asbestos is commonly found in London properties
London's private rented sector is one of the oldest in Europe. Large swathes of Victorian and Edwardian terraces across Hackney, Lewisham, Newham, and Southwark were built between 1880 and 1914, while the interwar and post-war expansion into Outer London boroughs such as Barnet, Bromley, and Croydon added millions of properties built through the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s — the decades when asbestos use in UK construction peaked. Asbestos was added to building materials for its fire resistance, insulating properties, and low cost, which means it appears in a wider range of locations than most landlords expect.
If your rental property was built before 1985 — when crocidolite (blue asbestos) and amosite (brown asbestos) were banned — the risk of encountering high-hazard materials is significantly elevated. Properties built between 1985 and 1999 may still contain chrysotile (white asbestos), which was the last regulated type to be banned. These are the eight locations our surveyors investigate most frequently in London properties:
Textured coatings (Artex ceilings and walls)
Artex and similar textured decorative coatings were applied to ceilings and walls across the UK from the 1950s until the late 1990s. Chrysotile fibres were routinely added to the mix to improve adhesion and reduce cracking. Sanding, drilling, or scraping an artex ceiling without prior testing can release respirable fibres. This is one of the most common ACMs found in London rental flats and terraced houses.
Floor tiles and adhesive beneath them
Vinyl floor tiles manufactured between the 1950s and 1980s frequently contain chrysotile. The black bitumen-based adhesive used to fix them to the subfloor often contains amosite. Both materials must be tested before any floor removal or renovation. The tiles themselves present lower risk when intact and undamaged, but the adhesive beneath them is typically friable.
Pipe lagging and boiler insulation
Older central heating systems — particularly gravity-fed systems with large pipes in airing cupboards — used amosite or crocidolite insulation wrapped around hot water pipes. Damaged or fraying lagging around boilers, cylinders, and radiator pipes is among the highest-risk ACMs found in residential properties. Any work involving pipe removal, boiler replacement, or heating upgrades in a pre-1986 property should be preceded by testing.
Roof soffits, fascias, and flat roof sections
Asbestos cement was widely used for soffits, fascias, rainwater guttering, and flat roof insulation boards on extensions added before 2000. The material looks similar to modern cement board but degrades significantly with weathering, releasing fibres. Any external maintenance on older extensions or outbuildings should be assessed before work begins.
Garage and outbuilding roofing
Corrugated asbestos cement sheeting was the standard material for garage and shed roofs across the UK from the 1950s through to the 1990s. Chrysotile content is typically 10–15%. Intact sheets are relatively lower risk, but drilling, sawing, or pressure washing releases fibres. Garage conversions into habitable space require an R&D survey before any structural works.
Behind fuse boxes and electrical heater cupboards
Asbestos millboard was used as heat-resistant backing behind consumer units (fuse boxes) and inside storage heater cupboards as fire insulation. Electrical upgrades — including consumer unit replacements required by EICR remedials — can disturb millboard without the installer being aware. This is an increasingly common issue as ageing electrical systems across London's older housing stock are updated.
Toilet cisterns, flue pipes, and soil stacks
Older sanitary ware — particularly high-level WC cisterns — was manufactured using asbestos cement. Soil stacks and flue pipes on properties built before 1980 may also contain asbestos cement. These components carry lower risk when undisturbed, but bathroom and kitchen refurbishments frequently involve removing or cutting these elements.
Window putty and glazing compounds in older frames
Some glazing putties used in steel-framed windows from the 1950s to 1980s contained chrysotile as a filler and binder. This is less commonly encountered than other ACMs but has been found in original Crittall steel windows and similar frames common in interwar and post-war London housing. Window replacement or reglazing in properties with original steel-framed windows should include asbestos assessment.
Pre-2000 risk window: If your property was built or last substantially refurbished before January 2000, treat any suspect building material as potentially containing asbestos until tested. The locations listed above are the most common, but asbestos was used in dozens of building products — including rope seals, gaskets, insulating blocks, and decorative textiles. Our management survey covers all accessible areas of the property.
Asbestos survey legal requirements
Asbestos management in the UK is governed by the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012), which came into force in April 2012 and implement EU Directive 2009/148/EC. The regulations impose specific duties depending on the nature of the premises and the type of work being carried out. Understanding these duties is essential for any landlord managing pre-2000 property in London.
CAR 2012 — the core duty
Regulation 4 of CAR 2012 imposes a duty to manage asbestos on the person in control of non-domestic premises. This includes the common parts of residential buildings — corridors, stairwells, plant rooms, and external areas. The duty holder must find out whether ACMs are present, assess their condition, prepare an asbestos management plan, and ensure it is implemented and reviewed regularly.
Who is the duty holder?
For a residential rental property, the duty holder for the common parts is the landlord or property management company responsible for those areas. For a single-let property with no communal areas, there is no formal regulatory duty under CAR 2012 Regulation 4 — but a management survey is strongly recommended before any works and may be required by your mortgage lender or buildings insurer.
Regulation 5 — refurbishment and demolition
Before any refurbishment or demolition of a pre-2000 building, Regulation 5 requires the duty holder to ensure that a refurbishment and demolition survey has been carried out of the area affected. Instructing a contractor to begin major works without this survey in place is a criminal offence, regardless of whether asbestos is actually found.
Penalties and HSE enforcement
Failure to comply with CAR 2012 is a criminal offence under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) actively enforces asbestos regulations and can issue improvement notices, prohibition notices, and prosecute duty holders. Conviction on indictment carries an unlimited fine and up to two years' imprisonment for the most serious breaches.
Licensing and notifiable work
Certain notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW) — such as short-duration work on lower-risk ACMs — can be carried out without a licence but must be notified to the HSE and supported by a written risk assessment. Licensable asbestos removal (including pipe lagging and AIB panel removal) must only be carried out by a contractor holding a current HSE asbestos removal licence.
HMO note: Many London local authorities require evidence of asbestos management as part of HMO licence conditions — particularly for properties built before 1985. Check your licence conditions or contact your local authority's private housing team. An asbestos management survey from My Landlord Certificate provides the documentation you need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Book your asbestos survey
Fixed price from £239.99. UKAS-accredited laboratory analysis. Written report within 5–7 working days. Same-week appointments across London.