Refurbishment Asbestos Surveys Across the UK
Intrusive asbestos surveys before refurbishment, renovation, fit-out, alteration and upgrade works. ASM identifies asbestos-containing materials within the areas affected by the proposed works so designers, contractors and clients can plan the project safely before building fabric is disturbed.
What is a Refurbishment Asbestos Survey?
A Refurbishment Asbestos Survey is an intrusive inspection used before refurbishment or alteration work where the project may disturb walls, ceilings, floors, partitions, service risers, boxing, plant, insulation or other parts of a building.
Its purpose is to locate and identify asbestos-containing materials within the parts of the building that will be affected by the planned work, including materials concealed within the building fabric where reasonably practicable.
Unlike a Management Survey, which supports normal occupation and foreseeable maintenance, a Refurbishment Survey is deliberately more intrusive because the surveyor must investigate the proposed work area in sufficient detail for the project to proceed safely.
A generic survey of a building is not automatically sufficient for a refurbishment project. ASM should be provided with drawings, specifications or a clear description of exactly which walls, ceilings, floors, rooms, services and structural elements will be disturbed.
When is a Refurbishment Asbestos Survey required?
Where refurbishment, installation or alteration work will disturb building fabric in premises where asbestos could be present, sufficiently intrusive asbestos information should be obtained before the work starts.
Commercial refurbishment
Office refurbishments, workplace alterations, commercial redevelopment and landlord improvement projects.
Shop & hospitality fit-outs
Retail units, restaurants, hotels, leisure premises and other buildings where ceilings, partitions and services will be altered.
Kitchen & bathroom works
Removal of existing finishes, boxing, wall panels, ceilings, floor coverings and service routes.
M&E upgrades
Electrical rewiring, heating replacements, ventilation systems, pipework, cable routes and new service penetrations.
Schools & healthcare
Planned upgrades to occupied estates where project areas need to be assessed before contractors disturb the building fabric.
Residential renovation
Houses and flats undergoing extensions, structural alterations, room remodelling or substantial improvement works.
Work that may require a Refurbishment Asbestos Survey
Asbestos information before construction work starts
Refurbishment asbestos information forms an important part of pre-construction planning. Clients, designers, principal designers and contractors need reliable information about asbestos where their work could disturb existing building materials.
Identify the work
Define exactly what will be removed, penetrated, altered, upgraded or opened.
Obtain information
Review existing asbestos records and commission additional intrusive investigation where required.
Plan around findings
Incorporate asbestos information into design, sequencing, tendering and construction planning.
Control ACMs first
Appropriate asbestos removal, protection or other controls must be planned before affected materials are disturbed.
The Refurbishment Survey must match the proposed works
One of the biggest weaknesses in poorly scoped asbestos surveys is that the survey boundary does not match the actual construction work. ASM agrees the scope before attendance so the survey can target the building elements that contractors will disturb.
Information to provide before the survey
- Floor plans or marked-up drawings
- Refurbishment specification
- Schedule of works
- Areas being stripped out
- Walls being demolished or altered
- Ceilings or floors being removed
- Mechanical and electrical work routes
- Window or door replacement locations
- Roof or façade works
- Existing asbestos surveys and registers
Intrusive inspection can include
- Opening accessible boxing and enclosures
- Investigating ceiling voids
- Inspecting beneath selected floor finishes
- Investigating wall and partition construction
- Accessing service risers and ducts
- Inspecting concealed pipework and insulation
- Investigating plant and service areas
- Opening selected building elements where required
- Representative asbestos sampling
- Recording remaining survey limitations
A Refurbishment Survey can involve destructive inspection and local damage to finishes. Access arrangements should therefore be agreed before attendance, particularly in occupied homes, schools, healthcare buildings and operational commercial premises.
Management, Refurbishment or Demolition Survey?
Management Survey
For normal occupation, routine maintenance and ongoing asbestos management.
Management Asbestos Survey →Refurbishment Survey
For defined areas that will be altered, opened, upgraded, stripped out or otherwise disturbed.
You are viewing this survey typeDemolition Survey
For full or partial demolition where the demolition boundary requires a more extensive intrusive investigation.
Demolition Asbestos Survey →How an ASM Refurbishment Asbestos Survey works
Send the project details
Provide the site address, planned work, drawings, specification and existing asbestos information.
Agree the survey boundary
ASM confirms which rooms, elevations, floors, services and building elements need investigation.
Plan intrusive access
We establish access, occupation, isolation and any controlled opening-up requirements.
Complete the inspection
The surveyor investigates the defined work area and records suspect or concealed materials.
Analyse samples
Representative samples are analysed where appropriate to confirm whether suspect materials contain asbestos.
Issue the report
The finished report identifies findings, locations, photographs, sample results, limitations and required actions.
What should the Refurbishment Survey report contain?
The report should allow the project team to understand which ACMs are located within the refurbishment boundary and where additional action is necessary before construction work proceeds.
- Site and building details
- Reason for the survey
- Defined refurbishment scope
- Areas inspected
- Inspection methods
- ACM locations
- Material descriptions
- Photographs
- Sample identification and analytical results
- Approximate extent or quantity where applicable
- Remaining restrictions or exclusions
- Recommendations for the next stage
Share the report with the project team
Relevant asbestos information should be available to those planning or carrying out work that could disturb ACMs.
This can include the client, principal designer, designers, principal contractor, contractors, asbestos removal contractor and other relevant parties.
The report should also be checked against the final construction scope if the design changes after the survey.
UKAS-accredited asbestos inspection — No. 32982
Asbestos Surveying and Monitoring Ltd is UKAS accredited for defined asbestos inspection activities to ISO/IEC 17020 under accreditation number 32982.
ISO/IEC 17020
Defined asbestos inspection activities within ASM's current UKAS accreditation scope.
ISO/IEC 17025
Defined asbestos testing activities undertaken through ASM's UKAS-accredited Sunderland laboratory.
HSG264 approach
Survey planning, inspection and reporting structured around recognised HSE asbestos survey guidance.
How much does a Refurbishment Asbestos Survey cost?
Smaller straightforward Refurbishment Surveys commonly start from around £280 + VAT, with larger or more intrusive projects priced according to the actual scope of works.
| Project type | Typical pricing approach | Main cost factors |
|---|---|---|
| Small defined refurbishment area | From around £280 + VAT | Rooms, intrusive access and sample numbers |
| Kitchen / bathroom refurbishment | Project specific | Area being stripped, concealed layers and services |
| Domestic renovation | Project specific | Property size and extent of proposed alterations |
| Commercial fit-out | Written quotation | Floor area, occupation, ceilings, partitions and M&E scope |
| Large refurbishment project | Written project quotation | Scope, programme, access, survey days and complexity |
Prices are indicative and exclude VAT. The final quotation depends on the agreed refurbishment boundary, access arrangements, property location, sampling requirements and reporting requirements.
What happens if asbestos is found?
Finding asbestos does not necessarily mean the entire refurbishment project has to stop permanently. The project team should determine how the affected ACMs will be controlled before the refurbishment work reaches them.
Remove ACMs
Where asbestos will be disturbed by the planned works, controlled removal may be required before refurbishment proceeds.
Asbestos Removal →Change the design
In some projects the design or work method can be changed to avoid unnecessary disturbance of asbestos-containing materials.
Further investigation
If the design changes or previously excluded areas become part of the project, further intrusive survey work may be required.
Air monitoring
Appropriate asbestos projects may require background, leak, reassurance or clearance air testing depending on the work.
Air Monitoring →Sample a defined material
Separate targeted sampling may be appropriate where an additional suspect material is identified outside the original survey scope.
Asbestos Sampling →Unexpected suspect material
If contractors encounter a suspect material not covered by the information available, work in the affected area should stop until it has been properly assessed.
Unexpected asbestos guidance →Planning refurbishment or renovation work?
Do I need an asbestos survey before renovation?
A practical guide to deciding whether planned alteration or refurbishment work requires additional asbestos investigation.
Read the renovation guide →Management Asbestos Surveys
For buildings remaining in normal occupation where the objective is routine management rather than intrusive project work.
Management Survey UK →Demolition Asbestos Surveys
For full or partial demolition projects requiring intrusive investigation throughout the demolition boundary.
Demolition Survey UK →Asbestos Survey Costs
Compare guide prices for Management, Refurbishment, Demolition and Re-inspection Surveys.
View survey costs →Asbestos Removal Costs
Understand removal costs if ACMs identified by the refurbishment survey need to be removed before construction.
View removal costs →Asbestos Testing Near Me
Compare targeted asbestos testing with a properly scoped refurbishment asbestos survey.
Asbestos testing guidance →Refurbishment Asbestos Surveys near you
ASM delivers asbestos surveys for refurbishment projects throughout England, Scotland and Wales, with regional service pages supporting local searches and enquiries.
Refurbishment Asbestos Survey questions
What is a Refurbishment Asbestos Survey?
It is an intrusive asbestos survey carried out before defined refurbishment or alteration works. It investigates the parts of the building that the proposed works will disturb so asbestos within the project area can be identified before construction.
When do I need a Refurbishment Asbestos Survey?
It may be required where refurbishment, renovation, installation, repair or alteration work will disturb building fabric in which asbestos could be present.
Can I use my existing Management Survey?
A Management Survey is not automatically sufficient for intrusive refurbishment. It is designed primarily for normal occupation and foreseeable maintenance and may not investigate concealed areas that the refurbishment will disturb.
Is a Refurbishment Survey destructive?
It can be. The survey may require intrusive opening-up to inspect concealed parts of walls, ceilings, floors, boxing, service areas and other building elements within the defined work scope.
Can a Refurbishment Survey be completed in an occupied building?
It can sometimes be completed within isolated or controlled sections of an occupied building, but the intrusive nature of the survey means the affected areas may need to be vacant or restricted during the inspection.
Does the whole building have to be surveyed?
Not necessarily. A Refurbishment Survey can be restricted to a clearly defined refurbishment area, provided the scope fully covers every building element likely to be disturbed by the planned works.
Do you need drawings before carrying out the survey?
Drawings are strongly recommended for larger projects. Marked-up plans, specifications and schedules of works help ensure that the survey boundary matches the construction scope.
What happens if asbestos is identified?
The findings should be assessed against the proposed work. Appropriate asbestos removal, protection, design changes or other controls may need to be completed before the affected building material is disturbed.
What if the refurbishment design changes after the survey?
The asbestos information should be reviewed against the revised design. Additional survey work may be required if new areas or building elements will now be disturbed.
How much does a Refurbishment Asbestos Survey cost?
Small defined surveys can start from around £280 plus VAT. Larger commercial, industrial or highly intrusive surveys are priced according to property size, work scope, access, sampling requirements and survey complexity.
Are ASM refurbishment surveys UKAS accredited?
Asbestos Surveying and Monitoring Ltd is UKAS accredited under number 32982 for defined asbestos inspection activities to ISO/IEC 17020. The current UKAS schedule defines the precise accredited scope and locations.
Request a Refurbishment Asbestos Survey quotation
For the most accurate scope and quotation, send ASM the site address, refurbishment drawings, scope of works, existing asbestos information, access restrictions and required survey/report date.
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