West Berkshire · England
Asbestos Surveys in Hermitage, West Berkshire
Asbestos survey for Hermitage: surveys that find, sample and record asbestos. Send us photos and we’ll tell you what you need.
- Refurbishment, rewiring and new kitchens or bathrooms
- Demolition of garages, extensions and buildings
- Rented homes between tenancies
Asbestos survey for Hermitage
Afterwards
If the survey finds asbestos in good condition, it can often be left and managed. The report tells you what to keep an eye on.
Some practical advice:
- Ask for the report in a format you can share with contractors
- Clear access to lofts, garages, cupboards and outbuildings
- In a block of flats, ask for the register of the shared areas
- Tell us exactly what work you’re planning, so the scope matches
Things not to do
Tell the surveyor everything you are planning, so the survey covers every area that will be disturbed.
Until the survey is done, don’t drill, sand, cut or break suspect materials, and keep trades away from them.
How asbestos survey works in Hermitage
Planning building work in Hermitage? Before refurbishment or demolition, HSE’s guidance is that the areas affected need a refurbishment and demolition survey, so nothing hidden is disturbed once work begins. People often contact us about demolition of garages, extensions and buildings and shared halls, stairs and plant rooms, involving soffits, water tanks and pipe lagging.
Rural homes near Hermitage have often been extended over generations, so a refurbishment survey before work checks every part being touched. Not sure what you need? Just ask: we will tell you honestly whether it’s a test, a survey or removal.
- Area
- Hermitage (RG18)
- Area hub
- West Berkshire
- Covers
- Surveys for homes, landlords and businesses
- You receive
- A written report with lab results
- Price
- A written quote before work starts
- Call
- 07833 053 749
- Last updated
- 26 October 2026
Other services in Hermitage
Materials, one by one
Floor tiles and adhesive
Vinyl and thermoplastic floor tiles and black bitumen adhesive can contain asbestos. They’re often found under carpet or laminate.
Asbestos cement
Asbestos cement turns up on roofs, flues and outbuildings. Its condition matters as much as its presence.
The process
Our surveyor inspects each area in scope and samples suspect materials, with each sample point damped and sealed afterwards. While we work, the area stays out of bounds, so arrange for pets and children to be elsewhere.
- Tell us about the building, its age and why you need a survey
- We recommend a survey type and quote for the agreed scope
- We inspect the areas in scope and sample suspect materials
- Each sample is analysed by an accredited laboratory
- You receive a written report with locations, results, condition and recommendations
Before we arrive
- Leave the suspect material alone until we arrive
- Dig out previous surveys
- Let neighbours know if the work is near them
How to get a quote
The quickest way to a quote is to send photos and the postcode: call 07833 053 749 or use our quote form.
Read more
Surveying buildings in Hermitage
Hermitage is about 4 miles north of Thatcham, in West Berkshire. Hermitage is part of the area we cover, on everything from houses and flats to workplaces and garages. Hermitage is one of 155 towns and villages in West Berkshire where we work. You can also see our page for Reading, about 13 miles away.
Altering an older house in Hermitage, wherever it is? Survey the areas you are working on before work starts. If you are a landlord near Newbury Racecourse station, a survey gives contractors the information they need. Hermitage is within about 6 miles of the North Wessex Downs National Landscape, where farm buildings, barns and stables with cement roofs are common.
This part of West Berkshire takes in RG18, and your survey can be anywhere in it. Your property could be on Newbury Road, Lipscomb Close and Marlston Road. Other places close to Hermitage we cover include Longlane (1 mile south-west), Little Hungerford (1 mile north-east), Oare (1 mile north), Wellhouse (1 mile east) and Curridge (1 mile south-west). We also cover nearby towns such as Newbury (4 miles south-west), Thatcham (4 miles south), Burghfield Common (10 miles east), Speenhamland (4 miles south-west), Hungerford (11 miles west) and Spencers Wood (14 miles east).
Nearby you’ll also find Hampstead Norris Castle (2.4 miles north-east) and West Berkshire Community Hospital (3.3 miles south). Open spaces near Hermitage include Snelsmore Common.
- Local pubs include The White Horse pub (within half a mile west)
Choosing the right option
A homebuyer report is not an asbestos survey. It might mention possible asbestos without testing anything, which is where a pre-purchase asbestos survey comes in. Every quote says whether VAT is included, so you can compare like with like.
Why us?
- Condition assessed for every material
- Records for your files
- Covering London and the South East
- Lab analysis by an accredited laboratory
Read our prices page or the cost guide.
Good to know
Here’s what an asbestos survey covers, and what it does not:
- A survey reflects the building on the day; condition can change, so recheck it
- A refurbishment and demolition survey needs the areas to be empty, so plan it around the building’s use
- Areas we cannot safely reach are listed in the report, and must be treated as containing asbestos until checked
Not sure what you need? Send us photos and we will tell you honestly before you book.
Common materials
- Floor tiles and adhesive
- Cement sheets and cladding
- Boiler cupboards and panels
- Pipe lagging
- Artex and textured coatings
- Garage and shed roofs
- Roofing felt and bitumen
- Ceiling tiles
- Water tanks and flues
- Soffits and porch canopies
Should you do it yourself?
Home testing kits exist, but you have to disturb the material to use one. HSE advises that samples are best taken by a competent person.
HSE advises the public not to repair or remove asbestos themselves. Licensed materials are strictly for licensed contractors.
Hermitage: your questions answered
Can you deal with asbestos on rural buildings in the North Wessex Downs National Landscape?
Yes, the same rules apply there, though access to rural buildings may need planning.
Do you cover Hermitage from London?
Hermitage is about 51 miles from central London, well within our area.
What if asbestos is found during building work?
The builder should stop and close off the area. We’ll identify it and advise on removal.
When can you start?
Dates are agreed once the quote is accepted. Notifiable jobs cannot start until they’ve been notified.
What if the weather’s bad?
Indoor jobs go ahead in any weather. Outdoor roof work can be delayed by strong wind or heavy rain.
Can you quote from photos?
Photos are often enough to give a quote, but larger or unclear jobs may need a visit.
Does a survey leave holes?
Very little, in a management survey: small samples are taken and the points sealed. A refurbishment and demolition survey opens up the areas being worked on, by design.
Do you give written quotes?
Yes, always.
Why people call us in Hermitage
Older buildings have often been altered many times, so asbestos may be in later alterations as much as the original structure, which is why surveys look everywhere in scope, not just at the obvious places.
Typical jobs in Hermitage include:
- Shops, offices and industrial units
- The communal parts of blocks of flats
- Refurbishment, rewiring and new kitchens or bathrooms
- Pre-work surveys for trades
Schools such as Hermitage Primary School are non-domestic premises, so whoever runs them has a duty to manage asbestos and keep a register; we survey non-domestic buildings by arrangement with the duty holder.
Questions to ask before booking
- The scope of the job, in writing
- What you will receive in writing
- The number of samples
- VAT, clearly stated
How we price an asbestos survey
Every quote reflects:
- How much there is
- Lofts, voids and outbuildings to include
- The type of survey you need
- The survey scope
Identifying asbestos early is cheaper than stopping work later, when the whole project can be held up.
What to photograph
What to photograph:
- Where we could park
- Cracks or breaks
- A rough size or measurement
- A closer photo of the material, without touching it
For a quote, send photos through our quote form, or phone 07833 053 749. Tell us the postcode, what the material is and where, and send photos if you can.
- Identify it first: we test or survey before planning removal
- Done to the regulations: HSE guidance and CAR 2012
- Paperwork for your records: reports, lab results and consignment notes
- Waste sealed and labelled, then taken to a permitted site