Flats, conversions and blocks
London's flats are rarely straightforward: a conversion inside a Victorian house, a purpose-built block with shared risers, or an ex-local-authority flat with decades of communal works behind it. The right survey depends on the building and on what you're planning to do.
Two flats on the same street can present entirely differently depending on when the building was altered and what was used at the time. We survey the flat in front of us rather than working from assumptions about tenure, age or the likelihood of asbestos being present.
Flats formed inside older houses often carry the alterations of several decades: later ceilings, boxing to service runs, replaced floor coverings and cupboards built around old pipework. The building's original date says little about the materials actually present — the later alterations usually matter more.
Post-war and mid-century blocks were built with a consistent palette of products across every flat, plus shared risers, ducts and plant areas. Where the block is consistent, work in one flat frequently raises the same questions for the rest of it.
Former council flats often combine original construction with programmes of communal upgrade work. Records may exist with the freeholder or managing agent — it is worth asking before commissioning anything.
Larger period blocks bring long corridors, service risers between floors, basements and roof spaces into the picture, and maisonettes cross floors in ways that affect the scope of intrusive work.
Kitchen and bathroom replacements, rewires, wall removal and new flooring all cut into the fabric. The survey should follow the works rather than the flat as a whole, which usually keeps the scope — and the cost — proportionate.
Surveys before building workContractors need asbestos information for the areas they are about to disturb before they can plan the job. Tell us the scope of works and the start date and we'll confirm what's appropriate.
For builders and contractorsCorridors, stairwells, risers, bin stores, plant rooms, basements and roof spaces are not domestic premises for the purposes of the duty to manage, so the responsible person needs to know what is present and keep that information current.
Communal area surveysA ceiling finish, a floor tile or a panel in a cupboard can often be resolved by sampling and laboratory analysis rather than a full survey.
Asbestos sampling and testingSolicitors and lenders sometimes raise asbestos during a leasehold sale. A survey of the demised flat answers questions about the dwelling itself; the shared parts sit with the freeholder or their agent.
Leasehold flat surveysWhere a block, a portfolio or a programme of works is involved, we quote and schedule across multiple properties and keep the reporting consistent.
For managing agentsA domestic dwelling is not subject to the duty to manage under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, but the common parts of a block are treated as non-domestic premises, and the person responsible for their repair and maintenance carries that duty. In practice that means a leaseholder generally arranges a survey for their own flat, and the freeholder or managing agent arranges the survey and register covering corridors, stairwells, risers, plant areas, bin stores, basements and roof spaces.
Where a leaseholder's works extend into shared structure — a riser opened for new services, for example — it's worth agreeing with the freeholder in advance who is commissioning what.
Looking for a specific area of London? See asbestos surveys in London, or the borough pages for Westminster, Camden, Southwark and Tower Hamlets.
Get a quote
Tell us the address, the type of flat and whether the enquiry relates to works, a sale or the communal areas. We'll confirm the scope and the price.
Send a photo on WhatsApp
If you've uncovered a material you're concerned about, send us a photograph and some basic information about the property. We can advise whether sampling or a survey may be appropriate, and what it would cost.
A photograph cannot confirm whether a material contains asbestos. Appearance can sometimes indicate whether professional sampling or further investigation is sensible, but only laboratory analysis of a sample can confirm asbestos content.
Do not disturb, break or sweep up a material you suspect contains asbestos.
Not automatically. A survey of the demised flat covers the dwelling. Corridors, stairwells, risers, plant areas and other shared parts are the responsibility of the freeholder or managing agent, who holds the duty to manage for those areas. We can survey either, or both, if the parties instruct it.
Asbestos-containing materials were banned in the UK in 1999. In a building constructed after that date, and with no earlier fabric retained, asbestos is not expected. Where a newer flat sits inside an older building, or the block has been refurbished with older materials in place, the picture is less clear-cut.
It may. Refurbishment works often generate survey reports and removal records held by the freeholder or agent. Ask for them before commissioning anything — they can narrow the scope of what we need to look at.
Usually a Refurbishment & Demolition Survey scoped to the rooms and services being worked on. If only one material is in question, sampling may be enough. The survey selector will point you to the likely answer in a couple of minutes.
Yes. We work across Greater London, including central boroughs and the outer suburbs, alongside our Essex and East Anglia coverage.
Management surveys start from £250 and refurbishment surveys from £400, with the final price depending on the size of the flat and the extent of the works. Our cost page sets out guide prices for each survey type.
Tell us the access arrangements when you enquire and we'll agree a time that fits. Access to every area within the agreed scope is what determines how complete the report can be.
No. We are an independent consultancy and do not sell removal work, so the report's recommendations are not tied to selling a follow-on job. Where removal or management is appropriate, the report explains what is needed so you can appoint a licensed contractor.
