Asbestos Surveying & Monitoring Ltd (ASM)
The demolition drawing says “remove all redundant services”. The asbestos report says “no access to east riser”. One bidder prices an empty shaft. Another allows for a shutdown, an inspection and a return visit. Both have priced the words in front of them, but the client is comparing two different jobs.
Before inviting prices, put the proposed works drawing beside the survey plan. Trace everything the first trade will disturb, including the route it needs to reach the work. Wherever the two documents stop agreeing, raise a tender query. The checklist below helps clients, quantity surveyors and principal contractors in Great Britain record the answer and assign the next action.
Download the pre-demolition asbestos survey checklist (PDF)
How to review the asbestos survey at tender stage
- Describe the disturbance. Mark the rooms and service routes on the current drawing. Specify the depth in each area. For example, does “remove flooring” end at the visible finish, the adhesive or the screed?
- Check what the surveyor was commissioned to inspect. Read the survey type, brief and limitations alongside the plans. A management survey supports normal occupation and routine maintenance. Ask a competent asbestos surveyor to identify the appropriate refurbishment or demolition survey scope for intrusive work. HSE guidance on arranging an asbestos survey
- Trace the evidence. Match each relevant finding or sample to its room, material and layer. Mark areas that were excluded or inaccessible, and retain the surveyor’s wording where asbestos is presumed.
- Read the survey company’s standard caveats in the report’s small print. Check whether any limitation applies to the work you are pricing. For example, the plan may show a room as surveyed while the small print excludes inspection beneath fixed floor finishes. If the tender includes stripping that floor back to the slab, record the room number and caveat, then ask the surveyor to confirm in writing which layers were inspected and whether further investigation is needed.
- Send specific questions back to the surveyor. For the east riser, give the drawing and report references and ask which sections were accessible and what additional investigation is needed. Record the written answer or supplementary report. Keep unanswered questions visible in the tender pack.
The checklist records the review of asbestos survey information. Completing it does not confirm that an area is asbestos-free or authorise opening up or demolition.
What can an asbestos survey miss before soft strip?
Start with three questions. Was this area in the survey brief? Could the surveyor access it? Has the strip-out design changed since the inspection? Each can explain why there is no finding for an item the contractor now intends to disturb. An inaccessible area must be presumed to contain asbestos until inspected. A negative sample applies to the material it represents. It cannot establish what lies behind the panel or beneath the next layer. HSE survey guidance
Consider a report that records a sample from a vinyl floor tile in Room 12. The revised specification requires stripping back to the slab. Check whether the report also covers the adhesive and any earlier floor finish. If it ends at the tile, mark the deeper work as unresolved and arrange competent investigation before anyone disturbs those layers.
Where should the team take care when opening up?
- Above suspended ceilings. A modern grid can conceal an earlier ceiling, fire protection on steelwork or debris in the void. Check which ceiling level and void the surveyor actually inspected.
- Within risers, ducts and pipe boxing. Older pipe insulation, insulating board or debris may remain behind later boxing. Confirm the survey covered the relevant length and every affected level. Identify shared live services and arrange access with the building operator.
- Under floors and behind wall linings. Later finishes can cover older tiles, bituminous adhesive or concealed boards. A sample from one room or layer may leave adjoining phases of construction unresolved.
- Around columns, partitions and plant. Casings can hide fire protection. Plant can contain seals or gaskets beyond the scope of a room inspection. Where the purpose of a wall, casing or connection is uncertain, obtain competent advice before authorising disturbance. HSE survey guide, Appendix 1
These locations belong on the surveyor’s brief. If the strip-out crew encounters unexpected suspect material, stop work immediately, prevent entry and report it to the person in charge. If it has been disturbed, follow the site’s accidental-release procedure. Leave sampling and assessment to competent specialists. Resume affected work only once the risk has been assessed, the required controls are in place and the responsible person has released the area. HSE guidance on discovery or accidental disturbance
How combined demolition, asbestos and inspection services can save time and money
Return to the east riser. At tender stage, the demolition supervisor can identify the exact section of pipework that must come out. The surveyor can show where the inspection ended. The building operator can identify when the shared services may be isolated. With those three answers, the project manager can arrange access and investigation before booking the strip-out crew and plant.
If the inspection identifies asbestos that the works would disturb, the removal specialist can plan the appropriate method, resources and notification. The client can arrange an independent accredited analyst where clearance is required. A common drawing and a named contact let each party see which area is restricted, what evidence is outstanding and who can hand it back. HSE guidance on removal and independent clearance
That coordination can avoid a second mobilisation, idle hired plant and follow-on trades arriving before an area is ready. If an unexpected issue arises on site, the same team can locate it against the drawing and assess it promptly. The principal contractor can consider moving crews to a genuinely unaffected area once safe separation is confirmed. Required notification periods, removal controls and clearance still determine when the affected work can restart.
Before you issue the tender
Give each outstanding item a drawing reference, a named owner and a due date. Carry unresolved restrictions into the pre-start briefing so the supervisor knows exactly where work must pause. For a review with ASM, send the latest drawings, existing survey, proposed strip-out depth and target start date. Discuss a pre-demolition asbestos survey with ASM.
Back to the checklist download
Frequently asked questions
Is a management survey enough for a demolition tender?
A management survey focuses on normal occupation and routine maintenance. For demolition, check that a pre-demolition asbestos survey covers the affected parts of the building or structure. For a partial soft strip, give a competent surveyor the drawings and the depth of disturbance so they can advise on the refurbishment survey scope.
What if the survey drawing shows the room but the small print excludes part of it?
Match the proposed work to the precise limitation. If a room was inspected but the survey excluded layers beneath a fixed floor finish, flag the room, drawing revision and caveat. Ask the surveyor what was examined and what further inspection is needed before those layers are disturbed.
Does a negative sample result cover the whole floor or ceiling?
A result applies to the material it represents. A negative result for a floor tile does not establish what is in the adhesive or an earlier finish. Check the sample reference against the room, material and layer that the tender requires the team to disturb.
How should a no-access riser be recorded in a tender?
Mark the riser on the works drawing, quote the survey restriction and record who will arrange access and follow-up inspection. Presume asbestos is present until the area can be inspected. Give every bidder the same information and keep the restriction visible while the query is open.
What should the team do if suspect material appears during soft strip?
Stop work immediately, keep people away and inform the person in charge. If material has been disturbed, follow the site’s accidental-release procedure. Refer the finding to a competent specialist before work resumes in the affected area.
What should I send ASM for a survey scope review?
Send the existing asbestos survey, current works drawings, proposed strip-out depth and target start date to info@asbestosSM.co.uk. Identify any rooms, voids or layers where the report is unclear. You can also call 0330 433 9680.
