Do You Need an Asbestos Survey on a House?
Not if you own your home and live in it: the law doesn't make you get one. Before building work on a house built before 2000, you'll usually want one, because any firm doing the work has to check for asbestos first or treat the job as if it's there. A survey of a whole house starts from £165, plus VAT.
When is an asbestos survey needed for a house?
It depends on why you're asking. Find the one that fits you:
Your home survey mentioned asbestos
A Level 2 or Level 3 home survey doesn't test for asbestos. The surveyor should flag anything they see that might be asbestos, so "suspected" doesn't mean it is.
What to do
Have a sample tested for a clear yes or no. If you're buying, ask the seller's agent for access first.
You're buying a house
You don't legally need an asbestos survey to buy a home you'll live in, and your home survey won't test for it. If the house is older than 2000 and you plan work, a survey before you buy tells you what you're taking on.
What to do
A survey of the whole house, or a refurbishment survey if you already know the work you want done.
You live there, no work planned
There's no legal duty on you. Asbestos in good condition that nobody is disturbing is often best left alone.
What to do
Nothing to do now. Tell any tradesperson about asbestos you know of before they start.
Building work is planned
This is when you need to know. Before work that breaks into walls, ceilings or floors, the asbestos has to be found first, or the job is treated as if it's there.
What to do
A refurbishment survey before work starts, so the job is planned and priced around it, not stopped halfway.
You rent out a house or flat
The legal duty to manage asbestos doesn't cover the inside of a single rented home. You do still have to keep tenants safe from work done in their home.
What to do
A survey before any work, or to give tenants and contractors something in writing.
You live in a flat
The shared parts of a block, or of a house split into flats, are covered by the duty to manage: hallways, stairs, lifts, roof spaces and garages. Your own flat isn't.
What to do
Ask the landlord or managing agent for the asbestos information on the shared parts.
Is an asbestos survey a legal requirement for a house?
Not if you own the house and live in it. The legal duty to manage asbestos covers businesses, public buildings and the shared parts of blocks of flats. It doesn't cover the inside of a private home.
Building work is different. Any firm or tradesperson doing the work has to find out if there's asbestos before they start, or work as if there is. For work that breaks into walls, ceilings or floors, that often means a survey first.
Before major building work or demolition, any asbestos found has to come out first, as far as it reasonably can. Your contractor will plan the job around this.
If you live in a flat
The shared parts of a block, or of a house split into flats, are covered: hallways, stairs, lifts, roof spaces, gardens and garages. Whoever looks after the building, such as the landlord or managing agent, is responsible for those. Your own flat isn't covered, and nor are rooms shared in an ordinary house, like a shared kitchen.
If you rent out a house or flat
The duty to manage asbestos doesn't cover the inside of a single rented home. You do still have to keep tenants safe from any work done in their home.
In England, asbestos is also one of the hazards in the housing safety rating system councils use, and landlords must keep homes free of the most serious hazards. More in asbestos for landlords.
Does a house survey (Level 2 or 3) check for asbestos?
No. On a Level 2 or Level 3 home survey, the surveyor doesn't test for asbestos. RICS, which sets the rules for these surveys, says so itself.
What the surveyor should do is point out anything they see that might be asbestos. That's why so many reports say "suspected asbestos" and leave it there. Suspected isn't confirmed.
Your survey says "suspected asbestos"? A sample tested by a lab tells you yes or no. A sample taken and tested by a visiting surveyor starts from £75, plus VAT. Most cost £95 to £165. Get a free quote.
Which asbestos survey does a house need?
There are two kinds, and both usually involve taking small samples.
- A management survey checks the whole house for asbestos you could disturb in everyday life, like drilling a wall or fitting a new boiler. It's what people usually mean by a domestic or residential asbestos survey, and it suits buyers and owners who want to know what's there.
- A refurbishment survey is for building work. The surveyor opens up walls, floors and ceilings, so nobody can use that area while it's done.
Use a surveyor accredited by UKAS. It isn't a legal requirement, but it's the best check that they know what they're doing. More detail in types of asbestos survey explained.
Can I do my own asbestos survey?
We wouldn't. Taking a sample can release a lot of fibres from some materials, which is why HSE says sampling should be done by someone trained. Every sample also has to be tested by an accredited lab.
Don't break into anything to have a look. Asbestos in good condition is often best left alone until it's been checked.
Is it worth getting an asbestos survey?
If your house was built before 2000 and you're planning work, yes. Asbestos was used in homes until then, so it's safest to assume an older house has some.
That's most homes. About 22.1 million of the 27.4 million homes in England and Wales were built before 2000, 80.6% of them.
A survey before you buy or start work means the job is planned and priced around it, not stopped halfway. If you're not planning any work, there's usually no need to disturb anything.
Typical asbestos survey prices for a house
An asbestos management survey for a house starts from £165, plus VAT. Most cost £220 to £400.
Asbestos management survey for a house
From £165
plus VAT
Most cost £220 to £400
The size of the property and the number of samples taken affect the price.
Refurbishment or demolition survey for a house
From £280
plus VAT
Most cost £350 to £500
This survey is intrusive, so the size of the property and the areas being opened up affect the price.
A sample taken and tested by a visiting surveyor
From £75
plus VAT
Most cost £95 to £165
The number of samples and how quickly you need the result affect the price.
For your own price, tell us on the form why you need it, roughly when the house was built, and what work is planned. Your price depends on the job. Every quote is free. Prices are shown before VAT unless they say otherwise. How we work out these prices.
We arrange asbestos surveys for houses and flats across the UK. Get a free quote.
Key takeaways
- Own your home and live in it? The law doesn't make you get an asbestos survey.
- Planning building work on a house built before 2000? Get one first.
- A Level 2 or Level 3 home survey doesn't test for asbestos. A lab test on a sample does.
- In a block of flats, the shared parts are covered by the duty to manage. Your own flat isn't.
Primary Sources & Further Reading
- HSE: Managing and working with asbestos (duty to manage)
- HSE: Check if you have a duty to manage asbestos
- HSE: Find out if asbestos is present
- HSE: Arrange an asbestos survey
- HSE: Asbestos FAQs
- HSE: Relevant law for asbestos
- HSE: Who is responsible for asbestos
- HSE: Asbestos information for workers
- HSE: Sourcing professional advice and services on asbestos issues
- HSE: Asbestos: The survey guide (HSG264)
- HSE: Asbestos essentials, introduction (a0)
- HSE: CDM 2015, domestic clients
- Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, regulation 4
- Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, regulation 5
- RICS: Description of the RICS Home Survey, Level 2
- RICS: Description of the RICS Home Survey, Level 3
- GOV.UK: HHSRS tenant guide (England)
- GOV.UK: HHSRS landlord and agent guide (England)
Photo: Mario T. Icari / U.S. Navy (NAVFAC), CC BY 2.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), via Wikimedia Commons.