You may be aware that an asbestos survey needs to be completed on your commercial building. Asbestos is found in many parts of a building, including sprayed coatings on ceilings and walls, cement, cisterns, insulation, guttering systems and more. The reason for this is that asbestos was widely used as an additive to building materials. It provided a number of excellent properties such as increased heat, water and chemical resistance, and strength and it was cheap and easily accessible.
Not good news
Asbestos, while a naturally occurring material, poses a danger when it ages or degrades. It releases microscopic fibres into the air when disturbed. These fibres are needle like and cannot be seen by the naked eye. They are also very strong and sharp. A person inhaling or swallowing these fibres, unknowingly, is likely to develop incurable diseases and cancers that only manifest later in life.
The microscopic fibres embed in the lining of the lungs and cause illness such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, pleural thickening and asbestos-related cancers. All these diseases and cancer are incurable. Unfortunately, when the diagnosis is made, the disease is advanced.
As a result of exposure in the past, asbestos causes a large number of deaths in the UK every year.
Use of asbestos banned
The use of asbestos in construction and building materials as finally banned in 1997. However, due to its widespread use in the past, a huge number of buildings still have asbestos-containing materials in their structure. In fact, any building erected before 2000 is believed to have asbestos in some form.
Asbestos-containing materials are found in many different types of buildings. Schools, hospitals, warehouses, and homes are all thought to contain asbestos, particularly if they are older buildings.
Asbestos surveys
It has become mandatory to have an asbestos survey if the building a person owns or manages is an old building. This is the ‘Duty to Manage’ (Regulation 4) in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. There are two types of asbestos surveys that help identify the location, the extent and condition of any asbestos-containing materials in the building’s structure.
The most popular and the standard asbestos survey is the management survey. This survey serves to identify where the asbestos is, what its condition is and how much of it there is. The management survey is for old buildings where there are no plans in place to renovate or demolish it.
The second asbestos survey is the refurb/demo survey. This particular survey is essential if the building is scheduled for demolition or and renovation or building work. It is an intrusive, extensive survey. The reason for this survey is that any renovation work on the building can disturb the asbestos-containing materials within. The work is likely to create dust and release the asbestos fibres.
How much does an asbestos survey cost?
An asbestos survey can vary in price according to the size of the building and the type of asbestos survey required.
A small building with up to 1000 square feet of retail space may require a management survey. This survey could cost £300 to £400. However, if this space is to be demolished or refurbished, a refurb/demo survey is necessary. The price of this survey is the same as far the management survey – £300 to £400.
A building with up to 5000 square feet of retail space is a medium sized space. A management survey for a medium sized space would be £400 to £500. A refurb/demo survey for this size space increases to £450 to £550.
A large retail space of up to 10 000 square feet would be £450 to £650. £500 to £700 would be the price of a refurb/demo survey.
The table below indicates the further prices of the different asbestos surveys for the different types of buildings needing a survey.
| Building size | Management survey | Refurb/demo survey |
| Warehouse – 2000 sq ft | £300 to £500 | £400 to £550 |
| Warehouse– 2000+ sq ft with offices small | £300 to £500 | £700 to £900 |
| Warehouse– 2000+ sq ft with offices large | £650 to £700 | £700 to £900 |
| Up to 2000 sq ft office complex small | £400 to £550 | £500 to £700 |
| Up to 10000 sq ft office complex medium | £700 to £900 | £1000 to £2000 |
| Up to 50000 sq ft office complex large | £2000 to £4000 | £2500 to £5000 |
Speak to the professionals
The prices of asbestos surveys from our team are highly competitive. As a professional asbestos survey company, we can provide the right survey for your particular building, and at a competitive price.
Furthermore, if an asbestos survey indicates that there is loose asbestos-containing material that could pose a danger, we will recommend its removal. As such, we can refer you to a professional asbestos removal company to ensure a safe and smooth process.
Each member of our team has the right credentials and experience to ensure a safe, yet comprehensive and thorough asbestos survey for your building. All the surveys we undertake are in accordance to the guidelines as set out by the HSE.
Our experts can provide advice on how to manage any asbestos-containing materials that are present but not exposed. This information can form part of your management plan. In addition, our surveyors are available to assist with any queries you many have regarding the most suited asbestos survey for your building.
If you need an asbestos survey for your building and you would like to find out the cost thereof, contact ACS today. We’re happy to provide the information you need. Furthermore, we can schedule a date at a time that is convenient to you for your building’s asbestos survey.