Before you exchange
Home Buyers Asbestos Survey
Buying a pre-2000 home? A standard RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey does not assess asbestos — it flags a suspicion and defers to a specialist. We give you a written asbestos assessment before exchange, so you know what you're buying, what it will cost to manage, and whether it affects your renovation budget.
- Written report before you exchange
- Renovation-ready material register
- Independent — we don't quote for removals
- UKAS-accredited laboratory analysis
- Coordinated with your RICS surveyor
- Same-week appointments available
- UKAS ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory partners
- Independent — no removal contracts
- BOHS P402 senior surveyors
- Digital reports (PDF + Excel register)
- Fast turnaround — quote inside 1 hour
- Nationwide UK coverage
The risks you can't see from a building survey
Artex ceilings, vinyl floor tiles, cement corrugated garage roofs, textured coatings behind kitchen units, service duct panels and Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB) in airing cupboards and around boiler flues are all common in UK homes built or refurbished before 2000. A Level 2/3 building survey rarely samples any of them — the RICS surveyor will note a suspicion and recommend a specialist assessment. We are that specialist.
Why do it before you exchange
Because after exchange you own the problem. Once you know what's in the property you can (a) walk away, (b) renegotiate on price, or (c) proceed with a costed management plan. Sellers occasionally offer to contribute to remediation once a written report is on the table — we've seen five-figure adjustments negotiated off the back of a £395 survey.
Renovation planning
If you're planning to open up a kitchen, take up floors, dry-line walls, replace a boiler or convert a loft, works will disturb any ACMs present. A refurbishment survey is required before disturbance — but for pre-exchange due diligence we recommend a management survey now, upgrading to a refurbishment scope once your plans are firm. It's a fraction of the cost of stopping a project mid-strip-out.
Budgeting for what we find
The report gives each material a material assessment score (HSG264) and a written recommendation — 'manage in situ', 'encapsulate', 'remove by licensed contractor' or 'remove by trained non-licensed contractor'. Removal costs vary widely (a garage roof is a few hundred pounds; boiler-flue AIB can be several thousand). We give indicative removal ranges as a courtesy so you can factor them into your offer.
How it works
A five-step process, no surprises.
1. Book
Send us the address, the estate agent's contact and your ideal exchange date. Quote by email within an hour.
2. Access
We arrange access via the vendor or agent — evenings and weekends included so we don't slow your chain.
3. Survey
A senior surveyor spends 60–120 minutes on site, samples suspected materials and photographs each location.
4. Report
Within 72 hours you receive a plain-English report, an HSG264 register and indicative remediation cost ranges — everything your conveyancer needs.
5. Advice
We stay on the phone for free while you negotiate. Vendor pushback? We'll explain the findings to their surveyor at no extra cost.
Areas covered
Nationwide coverage, local surveyors.
We survey properties across England, Wales and Scotland through a regional rota of BOHS P402 senior surveyors. Same fixed-price approach whether the property is in Kent, Cumbria or Cardiff.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Isn't asbestos covered by my RICS Level 3 survey?+
No. RICS Level 2 and Level 3 surveys explicitly flag suspected asbestos and recommend a specialist assessment — they do not sample, test or produce an HSG264-compliant register. That's what a specialist asbestos survey does.
Should I do the survey before or after making an offer?+
Most buyers commission the survey after an offer is accepted but before exchange — usually alongside their RICS Level 3. That way you're not paying for a survey on a property you don't get, but you still have leverage to renegotiate or withdraw before you're contractually committed.
How much does a pre-purchase asbestos survey cost?+
It depends on the property size and access, but a typical 3-bed pre-1980s house is a fixed price. The quote covers surveying, sampling, UKAS laboratory analysis, reporting and VAT.
How quickly can you get to a property?+
Standard turnaround is 3–5 working days from a confirmed booking. If your exchange is imminent, we run a same-week fast-track — call 0208 036 1099.
Will the vendor let you in?+
In our experience, yes — vendors and agents understand a pre-purchase survey. We handle the access request ourselves once you give the agent's details.
Can you also survey the garage / outbuildings?+
Yes, and we recommend it. Detached garages and outbuildings often contain the largest single asbestos item on a domestic plot (cement corrugated roof sheets). We include them at no extra charge on standard 3-bed instructions.
What if you find asbestos — can you remove it?+
No. We are independent asbestos consultants and do not carry out removals. That's a deliberate choice — it means our recommendations are not influenced by removal revenue. Where removal is warranted, we can put you in touch with licensed contractors.
Does the report affect my mortgage?+
A pre-purchase asbestos survey is between you and the vendor — it doesn't automatically go to your lender. If the mortgage valuer flags asbestos in the property, our report is exactly what they'll want to see.
Can you attend on a weekend?+
Yes — Saturday appointments run weekly and Sunday slots are available on request.
Related services
Continue your research.
If home buyers isn't the right fit, our surveyors also cover Leasehold Flat Asbestos Surveys, Management Survey (Duty to Manage), Refurbishment Asbestos Surveys, Asbestos Survey Cost Guide, Urgent & Same-Week Asbestos Surveys and Asbestos Sampling & Testing. Every survey uses the same HSG264 methodology, UKAS ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory partners and BOHS P402 senior surveyors.
Ready when you are
Book a Pre-Purchase Survey.
Fixed-price quote within one working hour. Senior surveyor on site within the working week. Report inside 72 hours of the visit.