Asbestos Surveys

Get an Asbestos Survey Quote from Qualified Surveyors

Tell us about the building and we'll match you with qualified asbestos surveyors. Compare no-obligation quotes in about a minute for a management survey, a refurbishment or demolition survey, or a re-inspection.

✓ Qualified asbestos surveyors ✓ Duty to manage compliant ✓ Free, no-obligation quotes

Pre-2000Buildings most likely affected

Reg 4The duty to manage

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In short

Do you need an asbestos survey?

If you own, manage or are responsible for maintenance of a non-domestic building built or refurbished before 2000, you have a legal duty to manage asbestos, and the first step is finding out whether asbestos-containing materials are present. That means a management survey, an asbestos register and a management plan. Before any refurbishment or demolition, a more intrusive survey is required.

Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 places a duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises on the person responsible for maintenance or repair, as HSE’s duty-to-manage guidance explains.
Asbestos was used widely in UK buildings until it was banned in 1999, so any building built or refurbished before 2000 should be presumed to contain it until a survey shows otherwise.
HSE guidance HSG264 sets out the two survey types: a management survey for normal occupation, and a refurbishment and demolition survey before intrusive works.
The survey feeds an asbestos register and management plan that must be kept up to date and shared with anyone who may disturb the fabric of the building.

Maintained by the ComSurv team and checked against UK government, HSE and professional-body sources. ComSurv is a matching service, not a firm of surveyors or contractors. General information, not legal advice.

Why it matters

What an asbestos survey is

An inspection of the building to locate, sample and assess asbestos-containing materials, so they can be managed safely in place or removed before works. The survey type depends on what you are doing with the building.

Management survey

Locates and assesses asbestos for day-to-day occupation, feeding the register and plan.

Refurbishment and demolition survey

Fully intrusive, required before any works that could disturb the fabric.

Re-inspection

Periodic checks on known asbestos to confirm its condition has not deteriorated.

Register and management plan

The living record the duty holder must keep and share.

How it works

Matched with the right surveyors in three steps.

Tell us what you need

Answer a few quick questions about the property, what you need and your timeline.

We match you with surveyors

We shortlist qualified asbestos surveyors who cover your area and property type.

Receive quotes and book

Compare no-obligation quotes and book the provider that's right for you.

What's involved

What an asbestos survey involves

A qualified surveyor inspects the building, samples suspect materials for laboratory analysis, and assesses the condition and risk of anything found. You receive a report with locations, material types, condition and risk scores, photographs and a plan of the building, which becomes your asbestos register and the basis of your management plan.

What it delivers

A survey report with locations, types and condition
Laboratory analysis of samples
Risk assessments and priority scores
An asbestos register and management plan
Advice on managing in place or removal

Who needs it

Owners and landlords of pre-2000 commercial buildings
Facilities and property managers
Buyers and tenants doing due diligence
Anyone planning refurbishment or demolition

Why it matters

Asbestos is still the biggest workplace killer in the UK
The duty to manage is a legal requirement
Works without a survey can expose people and stop a project
A register protects contractors and your business

Presume, then prove

In a pre-2000 building, assume asbestos until a survey says otherwise.

Ceiling tiles, floor tiles, pipe lagging, textured coatings and insulation boards: asbestos hides in ordinary materials and is harmless until it is disturbed. The survey turns a vague worry into a managed register, and it is the one thing a contractor will ask for before touching the fabric of your building.

Get survey quotes

Interior of an older UK commercial building with suspended ceiling tiles and original fittings

Qualified & accredited

Qualified, accountable and vetted.

The surveyors we match you with are qualified asbestos surveyors, many working for UKAS-accredited organisations. ComSurv is a matching service and is not itself a regulated firm.

Accreditations & memberships

Questions

Asbestos Survey FAQs

How much does an asbestos survey cost?+

It depends on the size and age of the building and the survey type. As a broad guide, a management survey of a small unit can start from around £200 to £400, with larger buildings and refurbishment surveys running to £1,000 or more, plus sample analysis. You’ll get no-obligation quotes to compare.

Is an asbestos survey a legal requirement?+

The duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises is a legal requirement under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, and a survey is the recognised first step for any building built or refurbished before 2000.

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

A management survey locates and assesses asbestos for normal occupation and is minimally intrusive. A refurbishment and demolition survey is fully intrusive and is required before any works that could disturb the building fabric.

My building was built after 2000. Do I still need one?+

Asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999, so post-2000 buildings are very unlikely to contain it. If the building, or parts of it, pre-date 2000 or you are unsure, a survey is the safe way to confirm.

Do I have to remove asbestos if it is found?+

Not necessarily. Asbestos in good condition that will not be disturbed can usually be managed safely in place, recorded in the register and re-inspected. Removal is needed where it is damaged or will be disturbed by works.

Who carries out an asbestos survey?+

A qualified asbestos surveyor, ideally working for a UKAS-accredited organisation. We match you with surveyors who cover your area and building type.

Also required on this property

One property, several obligations. Sort them together.

Most commercial premises carry more than one compliance duty. These are the ones that usually sit alongside this service, or run our compliance check to see everything your property needs in one go.