Greater London · England
Asbestos Survey for Catford
Worried about asbestos in Catford? We provide management, refurbishment and demolition, and pre-purchase asbestos surveys, explained in plain English.
- Buying a property built before 2000
- Kitchen, bathroom and rewiring projects
- Demolition of garages, extensions and buildings
Need an asbestos survey in Catford?
Doing it yourself?
Power tools, sanding and jet-washing release the most fibres, so avoid them completely.
HSE’s advice to the public is not to try to repair or remove asbestos yourself. Licensed materials are strictly for licensed contractors.
Asbestos survey in Catford
There are two main types of survey, set out in HSE’s guide HSG264. A management survey is for a building in normal use; a refurbishment and demolition survey is for before building work. We’ll help you choose the right one for your survey in Catford. Typical materials include floor tiles, water tanks and flues, and people typically contact us about pre-purchase checks on older properties and demolition of garages, extensions and buildings.
In towns and villages like Catford, many surveys are for flats, conversions and buildings with shops below, so it matters who is responsible for which parts. Every job ends with paperwork: a report, results or a consignment note, for your records.
- Area
- Catford (SE6, BR1)
- Region
- Greater London
- What we do
- Asbestos surveys with lab-analysed samples
- Afterwards
- A written report with lab results
- Price
- Written quote for your job
- Phone
- 07833 053 749
- Last updated
- 26 October 2026
Landlords, managing agents and employers
Between tenancies is a good time to deal with asbestos, when rooms are empty and work can be done without disruption.
Letting agents often ask about asbestos before maintenance work. A test or a survey gives everyone a clear answer.
Where asbestos turns up
Asbestos went into roofing, boards, coatings, tiles, insulation and more, so they can turn up almost anywhere in an older building, which is why surveys are systematic.
Buildings from before 2000 can hide asbestos in many places. Common situations include:
- Contractors’ requests for an asbestos report
- The communal parts of blocks of flats
- Workplaces built before 2000
- Refurbishment, rewiring and new kitchens or bathrooms
Schools such as Holy Cross Catholic Primary School are non-domestic premises, so whoever runs them has a duty to manage asbestos and keep a register.
Questions to ask before you book
- Which laboratory analyses samples
- Suitable insurance for the work
- Survey methods in line with HSG264
- Areas included and excluded
Limits to be aware of
Here’s what an asbestos survey covers, and what it doesn’t:
- The rooms in a refurbishment survey need to be cleared, so plan it around the building’s use
- A survey reflects the building on the day; materials can deteriorate, so condition should be checked again over time
- The survey tells you what’s there; removal is a separate job
If in doubt, ask: we’ll recommend a test, a survey or removal.
Materials in Catford
- Ceiling tiles
- Boiler cupboards and panels
- Soffits and porch canopies
- Garage and shed roofs
- Artex and textured coatings
- Floor tiles and adhesive
- Pipe lagging
- Cement sheets and cladding
- Water tanks and flues
- Roofing felt and bitumen
What it might be made of
Insulating board
Insulating board turns up in panels, ceilings, soffits and boiler cupboards. Most work on it is licensed, so it’s important to know if it’s there.
Asbestos cement
Cement roofs, flues, gutters and tanks are among the most common finds. It contains a relatively low proportion of fibres bound in cement, but it releases fibres when broken, cut or abraded.
What happens next
If it finds asbestos that work would disturb, the report explains what needs removing before work starts, and what kind of work that is.
Some practical advice:
- For flats, ask the managing agent for the asbestos register for the common parts
- Tell us about any areas that are locked or unsafe
- Clear access to lofts, garages, cupboards and outbuildings
- Keep children and pets away from the areas being surveyed
Don’ts
If a material is damaged before the survey, keep people away from it and tell us, rather than cleaning it up.
Tell the surveyor everything you’re planning, so the survey covers every area that will be disturbed.
Step by step
Each sample is sealed, labelled and recorded with its location, before going to an accredited laboratory. If anything unexpected turns up, we stop and talk to you before carrying on.
- Call or message us with the address and what’s prompting the survey
- We check whether a management, refurbishment and demolition or pre-purchase survey fits, and confirm the areas
- The surveyor visits, inspects and takes small samples with controls
- Each sample is analysed by an accredited laboratory
- You receive the report, with results and what to do next
Before we arrive
- Move things out of the way carefully
- Don’t disturb the material before we get there
- Tell neighbours if the work is close to their property
Getting a price
Unsure whether you need a test, a survey or removal? Send photos through our quote form, or phone 07833 053 749, and we will advise.
Read more
Options to consider in Catford
An old survey may not be enough. A management survey does not open up walls, floors or ceilings, so refurbishment needs a fresh, intrusive survey of the work areas. Identifying asbestos early is cheaper than stopping work later, when everything has to stop.
Why people choose us
- Clear written quotes
- Accredited laboratory results
- Inaccessible areas listed clearly
- Each material’s condition recorded
See our prices page and published price ranges.
Common questions in Catford
Do you work near Catford Bridge station?
Yes, we cover Catford and the area towards Catford Bridge station, about 0.5 miles north-west.
Can you work in Catford with London’s parking rules?
Yes, we work across London. Tell us about parking, permits and access so we can plan; all of Greater London is inside the ULEZ.
Is a survey needed before building work in Catford?
HSE’s guidance is that a refurbishment and demolition survey is needed before refurbishment or demolition work, for the areas affected.
Is damaged asbestos an emergency?
First, keep people away from the damaged material: shut the door if you can and do not sweep it up. Then get in touch and we’ll advise.
What should I do if I’ve disturbed asbestos?
Leave the area, keep others out and close the door if you can. Don’t try to clean up the debris yourself, then contact a professional.
What paperwork will I get?
That depends on the job: a report for a survey, a lab result for a test, or waste paperwork for removal.
What does the survey report include?
The materials found, their locations, the laboratory results, their condition, photographs and recommendations. Any areas we couldn’t access are listed.
What does licensed work mean?
Higher-risk materials need an HSE-licensed contractor. Most asbestos cement and textured coatings are non-licensed or notifiable non-licensed.
Catford buildings and asbestos surveys
Catford is about 5 miles east of Streatham, in Greater London. We cover Catford as part of Greater London, whatever the size of the job. Catford is one of 764 places in Greater London we cover.
Public buildings around Catford, such as leisure centres and halls, are non-domestic premises, so their owners must manage any asbestos. Altering an older house in Catford, wherever it is? A refurbishment and demolition survey of the areas affected should come first.
We cover surveys across SE6 and BR1 and the streets around it. Whether your property is on Bargery Road, Penerley Road and Inchmery Road or anywhere nearby, we can help. For properties just outside Catford, we cover Bellingham (1 mile south-west), Southend (1 mile south-west), Ladywell (1 mile north), Hither Green (1 mile north-east) and Bell Green (1 mile south-west). Within a short drive, we also work in London (5 miles north-west), City of Westminster (8 miles north-west), Marylebone (8 miles north-west), Kensington (9 miles north-west), St Pancras (7 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (6 miles north-west).
As a London location, Catford is inside the ULEZ, and parking and loading need planning: let us know about parking and access when you get in touch.
A little further out are Prefab Museum (0.7 miles south-east) and Lewisham Shopping Centre (1.4 miles north). The countryside around Catford includes Downham Woodland Walk and Knight's Hill.
- Local schools include Conisborough College (0.5 miles south) and Trinity Church of England School (1.4 miles north-east)
- Nearby, you will find The London & Rye pub (within half a mile north)
- Other local spots include Nunhead (2.5 miles north-west)
Nearby places to Catford
Other services in Catford
- Survey or test first when it isn’t clear what a material is
- Done to the regulations: HSE guidance and CAR 2012
- Everything in writing: quotes, reports, results and waste notes
- Waste sealed and labelled, then taken to a permitted site