Asbestos removal and surveys in Reading

Asbestos services in Reading

We survey buildings, test suspect materials and remove asbestos across Reading 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, business parks and depots

Reading has rows of Victorian terraced housing close to the centre, inter-war and post-war suburbs, and a large stock of offices, warehouses, depots and industrial units along the M4 corridor. Commercial and industrial buildings from before 2000 often have asbestos cement roofs and cladding, and their duty holders need an asbestos register.

Before a fit-out, strip-out or demolition of a commercial unit, a refurbishment and demolition survey of the areas affected is needed.

Tell us about parking and site access, especially for town-centre properties and secure business sites.

Prices in Reading

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 Reading

• 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 Reading

Schools near the centre include Coley Primary School, Kendrick School and Eurospeak Language School. 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 The Oracle (less than half a mile north-east), Royal Berkshire Hospital (0.8 miles east) and Berkshire Medical Heritage Centre Museum (0.8 miles east), the kind of non-domestic premises where asbestos management plans apply. Older buildings close to the centre include All Nations Christian Centre; historic buildings that were altered or extended in the 20th century can contain asbestos in later additions. The nearest railway station is Reading West station.