Asbestos removal and surveys in London

Asbestos services in London

We survey buildings, test suspect materials and remove asbestos across London and the surrounding area. Most jobs start with a question: is this asbestos, and what should I do about it? If nobody knows, we identify the material first, by sampling it or surveying the building, and then explain the options in plain English, including leaving it alone when that’s the sensible choice.

Asbestos was used in British buildings until it was fully banned in 1999, so any home, flat, school, shop, office or outbuilding built or refurbished before 2000 can contain it. In good condition and left undisturbed, it often isn’t a problem. The risk comes when it’s damaged or disturbed by building work, drilling, sanding or demolition.

Terraces, mansion blocks, estates and offices

London’s buildings span every era in which asbestos was used: Victorian and Edwardian terraces altered many times over, inter-war suburbs with garages and outbuildings, post-war council estates and tower blocks, and offices, shops, schools and warehouses built or refitted between the 1950s and 1990s. Any building built or refurbished before 2000 can contain asbestos, so the question in London is usually not whether a building is old enough, but what work is planned and what it might disturb.

In flats and converted houses, shared halls, stairs, plant rooms and service risers are common parts, which fall under the duty to manage. Ask your managing agent for the asbestos register before work. In houses, typical finds include textured coatings, floor tiles, flue pipes, boiler cupboard panels and garage or shed roofs.

All of Greater London is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and central London has the Congestion Charge, controlled parking and loading restrictions. Tell us about parking and access when you ask for a quote, so it’s planned in.

Prices in London

Every job is quoted individually, because the cost depends on the material, the amount, its condition, access and the waste. A survey is priced on the type of survey, the size of the building and the number of samples. Read how we quote, or our guides to survey costs and garage roof removal costs.

Licensed, notifiable or non-licensed?

Read the difference explained, with links to HSE guidance.

Before work starts in London

• Planning building work? Get a refurbishment and demolition survey of the areas affected before the builders start.
• Landlord or managing agent? Check the asbestos register for shared areas before contractors work there.
• Buying an older property? A pre-purchase survey tells you what’s there before you exchange.
• Found something during DIY? Stop, keep people away, don’t sweep or vacuum it up, and ask for advice.

Around London

Schools near the centre include Charles Dickens Primary School, Ark Globe Academy and London School of Musical Theatre. Schools are non-domestic buildings, so whoever runs them has a duty to manage any asbestos and to keep a register. Larger public buildings nearby include County of London (1.1 miles north), Gabriel's Wharf (0.8 miles north-west) and Surrey Dispensary (less than half a mile south-east), the kind of non-domestic premises where asbestos management plans apply. Older buildings close to the centre include St George the Martyr and St Mary-at-Hill; historic buildings that were altered or extended in the 20th century can contain asbestos in later additions. The nearest railway station is Elephant & Castle station.