Before works begin
Refurbishment Asbestos Surveys
Before work that may disturb asbestos, CAR 2012 Regulation 5 requires suitable steps to identify it. For pre-2000 buildings, an appropriately scoped intrusive refurbishment survey is normally used to obtain that information. We work Principal-Designer-side, mobilise inside your CDM programme, and issue a register your Principal Contractor can trust.
- Reg 5 CAR 2012 compliant
- Intrusive & fully sampled
- Scoped to your works package
- PC / Principal Designer coordination
- Mobilises inside your CDM programme
- Independent — no removal contracts
- UKAS-accredited laboratory analysis
- Independent — no removal contracts
- BOHS P402 qualified surveyors
- Digital reports (PDF + Excel register)
- Fast turnaround — quote inside 1 hour
- London, Essex & Kent covered in full
What 'intrusive' actually means
A refurbishment survey inspects behind, under and inside things a management survey doesn't touch: dry-lining is opened up, floorboards are lifted, ceiling tiles are dropped, service risers are entered, plaster is sampled at ~1m² per 5m², boiler cupboards are dismantled, and any concealed lagging or AIB is exposed. We reinstate as we go with matched sealant and hoardings; if the area is due to be stripped anyway we leave openings visible for the contractor.
Planning refurbishment — get the survey in early
The best time to commission a refurbishment survey is at RIBA Stage 2/3 — early enough to fold findings into cost plans, late enough to know which fabric is being touched. Late refurbishment surveys are the single biggest cause of contract-programme slippage on pre-2000 refurbishments. Reports are typically issued within 48–72 hours; large or unusually complex projects may require a longer reporting period, which is confirmed when the scope is agreed.
Builder & Principal Contractor requirements
Under CDM 2015, the Principal Contractor may refuse to start works without a compliant refurbishment survey — and the HSE will back them. Our report is signed by a BOHS P402 surveyor, formatted to HSG264 Appendix 6, and issued in PDF plus a downloadable Excel register for the pre-construction information pack. Where our findings change the works scope, we speak directly to the PC and Principal Designer at no extra charge.
Occupied refurbishments (fit-outs, RM works)
For refurbishments in occupied buildings — Cat B fit-outs, tenant CoW works, live retail parades — we survey out-of-hours and issue a phased register so the PC can strip out one zone while the next is being surveyed. This is standard on major fit-outs and adds no time to the overall programme.
How it works
A five-step process, no surprises.
1. Scope
Send us drawings and the works package. We scope the survey tightly to what will actually be disturbed.
2. Book
Fixed quote by return, mobilisation date agreed with your PC/PD.
3. Survey
Intrusive on-site work, sampling reinstated as we go, contractor briefed on what to expect during strip-out.
4. Report
HSG264-format report and Excel register typically issued within 48–72 hours of sampling. Findings flagged verbally to the PC as we go.
5. Site support
Included: telephone support during strip-out, unforeseen-finds response within 4 hours, register re-issue after removal works.
Areas covered
London, Essex and Kent in full — plus the wider South East.
We survey properties across all of London, all of Essex and all of Kent, and also attend Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex, using BOHS P402 qualified surveyors. Same fixed-price approach throughout.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Is a refurbishment survey a legal requirement?+
Regulation 5 CAR 2012 requires suitable steps to determine whether asbestos is present before work that may disturb it. For pre-2000 buildings, an appropriately scoped intrusive survey to HSG264 is normally used to obtain that information and is what a Principal Contractor and Principal Designer will expect.
What's the difference between a management and a refurbishment survey?+
A management survey is non-intrusive and looks at accessible materials, so it's fine for day-to-day occupation. A refurbishment survey is intrusive — it looks behind, under and inside the fabric — and is required before any disturbance.
How much damage will the surveyor cause?+
Only what your works will cause anyway, scoped to the specific package. If you're stripping a kitchen, we open behind kitchen units; we don't open living-room walls that aren't in scope.
Do I need a refurbishment survey for a boiler replacement?+
Yes if it's a pre-2000 building — the boiler flue, hearth, and pipe lagging within the works zone must be assessed and sampled where suspect. Cost is low, disruption minimal, and it prevents Gas Safe engineers stopping mid-swap.
Can you scope the survey to save cost?+
Yes — that's the point of a refurbishment survey. We survey what will be disturbed, nothing else. If the works package expands later, we add a re-scope visit rather than re-survey the whole building.
How long does the survey and report take?+
Survey time depends on scope — a domestic kitchen strip-out is a half-day; a whole-floor commercial fit-out is 1–3 days. Reports are typically issued within 48–72 hours; large or unusually complex projects may require a longer reporting period, confirmed when the scope is agreed.
What happens if you find something during strip-out?+
Call us and we will advise on next steps. If a genuinely unforeseen ACM is exposed we can be back on site within 24 hours for a supplementary survey.
Do you work for architects and PCs directly?+
Yes — most of our refurbishment work is either PC-side or PD/architect-side. Terms are agreed up-front and we invoice whichever party you nominate.
Can you attend a pre-start meeting?+
Yes — attendance at pre-start / CDM meetings is included in the fee for jobs above a modest threshold. Ask when you book.
Related services
Continue your research.
If refurbishment isn't the right fit, our surveyors also cover Demolition Asbestos Surveys, Refurbishment & Demolition Survey, Management Survey (Duty to Manage), Commercial Property Asbestos Surveys, Church Asbestos Surveys and Listed Building Asbestos Surveys. Every survey uses the same HSG264 methodology, UKAS ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory analysis and BOHS P402 qualified surveyors.
Refurbishment only, or demolition too?
This page covers refurbishment-only work: an intrusive survey of the areas your renovation will disturb. If the project includes full or partial demolition, or is a combined contractor-led scheme, you need our Refurbishment & Demolition asbestos survey instead. Reports are typically issued within 48–72 hours by BOHS P402 qualified surveyors, with samples analysed in a UKAS accredited laboratory.
In your area
Refurbishment asbestos surveys in your area
The same intrusive HSG264 survey, scoped and quoted locally. Start with the page for your area for local pricing, access arrangements and typical property types.
Refurbishment asbestos surveys in Colchester
Kitchen and bathroom refits, extensions, rewiring and commercial fit-outs across Colchester.
Refurbishment asbestos surveys across Essex
Chelmsford, Braintree, Basildon, Harlow, Southend and the wider county.
Refurbishment asbestos surveys in London
Strip-outs, Cat A/Cat B fit-outs and structural alterations across the 32 boroughs.
Refurbishment asbestos surveys in Kent
Medway, Maidstone, Dartford, Canterbury and the Kent coastal towns.
Related services
Refurbishing a specialist building?
Listed buildings, churches and single-material questions are scoped differently. These pages explain how we handle them.
- Listed building asbestos surveyNon-destructive, consent-aware inspection for listed and heritage properties, scoped around conservation constraints.Read more
- Church asbestos surveysManagement and refurbishment surveys for churches and religious buildings, worked around services and volunteer access.Read more
- Professional asbestos samplingAsbestos sample collection with UKAS-accredited laboratory analysis when only one or two materials are in question.Read more
Where we survey
Looking for an asbestos survey locally? See asbestos surveys in Colchester, asbestos survey services across Essex and London asbestos surveying for local guide prices, survey types and turnaround times.
Independent asbestos surveying and testing — no asbestos removal sales
We survey and advise — we do not sell the removal work.
Elements Surveying Group specialises in asbestos surveying, sampling and independent advice. We do not sell asbestos removal services, so our survey recommendations remain focused on the condition, risk and appropriate management of the material identified.
Where removal or remedial work is genuinely required, we explain what that normally involves and what a licensed contractor would need — then leave you free to appoint whoever you choose.
How we workReady when you are
Book a Refurbishment Survey.
Fixed-price quote. Contact us to discuss surveyor availability.