Oxfordshire · England
Asbestos Surveys in Lower Shiplake, Oxfordshire
Found something that might be asbestos in Lower Shiplake? We provide management, refurbishment and demolition, and pre-purchase asbestos surveys, explained in plain English.
- Purchases of older homes and buildings
- Contractors’ requests for an asbestos report
- Demolition projects
Get a quote for Lower Shiplake
About our asbestos survey in Lower Shiplake
HSE’s guidance describes two main survey types. A management survey covers a building in everyday use, while a refurbishment and demolition survey is needed before work starts. We’ll help you choose the right one for your survey in Lower Shiplake. Common materials are garage roofs, pipe lagging and textured ceilings, and people normally contact us about shared halls, stairs and plant rooms and pre-purchase checks on older properties.
Village properties around Lower Shiplake often come with outbuildings, which a survey can include, since cement sheeting was common on outbuildings. Clear answers come first: is it asbestos, and what should you do about it.
- Location
- Lower Shiplake (RG9)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- What we do
- Management, refurbishment and demolition, and pre-purchase surveys
- Paperwork
- A written report with lab results
- Quotes
- Quoted individually, in writing
- Phone
- 07833 053 749
- Page updated
- 26 October 2026
Responsibilities for owners
If you are responsible for a non-domestic building or the common parts of flats in Lower Shiplake, you have a duty to manage asbestos under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. In practice: find it, assess it, record it and manage it.
Schools, halls and community buildings are non-domestic premises, so the duty to manage applies.
Can I do it myself?
HSE’s advice to the public is not to try to repair or remove asbestos yourself. Licensed materials are strictly for licensed contractors.
Working on a fragile asbestos cement roof is dangerous in itself, quite apart from the asbestos, so never climb onto one.
Choosing the right option
A survey or a sample test? A test answers the question for one or two specific materials; a survey looks at the whole building or work area and finds materials you might not have noticed. Access makes a big difference to cost, so photos of the area and the way in help us quote accurately.
What you get
- Condition assessed for every material
- Work planned to HSE guidance and the regulations
- London, Kent, Surrey, Sussex and beyond
- The right survey for your plans
See how we price jobs or the cost guide.
What happens
Our surveyor inspects each area in scope and samples suspect materials, with each sample point damped and sealed afterwards. It helps if we can park nearby.
- Send us the address and what you need the survey for
- We confirm whether you need a management, refurbishment and demolition or pre-purchase survey
- On the agreed day, the surveyor inspects, photographs and samples
- Each sample is analysed by an accredited laboratory
- The report sets out what was found and what to do next
Getting ready
- Have any previous surveys or test results ready
- Leave the suspect material alone until we arrive
- Tell neighbours if the work is close to their property
Surveys around Lower Shiplake
Lower Shiplake is about 4 miles north of Woodley, in Oxfordshire. We cover Lower Shiplake as part of Oxfordshire, whatever the size of the job. Lower Shiplake is one of 443 towns and villages in Oxfordshire where we work. You can also see our page for Reading, about 6 miles away.
If you let flats or houses near Shiplake station, share asbestos information with trades before work. If you have an older property in Lower Shiplake, near Church of St Mary or anywhere else, get the work areas surveyed before anything is opened up.
Anywhere in RG9, we can help with an asbestos survey. Local streets include Station Road, Oaks Road and Quarry Lane; we cover every one. With the A4155 close by, Lower Shiplake is easy for us to reach. If your property is just outside Lower Shiplake, we also cover Wargrave (1 mile south-east), Cockpole Green (2 miles north-east), Remenham Hill (2 miles north), Bowsey Hill (2 miles east) and Remenham (3 miles north). Further out, we also cover Benson (12 miles north-west), Chinnor (13 miles north), Tilehurst (7 miles south-west), Wallingford (12 miles north-west), Little Heath (8 miles south-west) and Oakley (13 miles north).
Other landmarks nearby include Frazer Nash Archives (1.3 miles north) and Royal Berkshire Hospital (5.2 miles south-west). The countryside around Lower Shiplake includes South Lake and Sonning Hill.
- Nearby schools include Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School (1.6 miles south-east)
- Pubs nearby include The Baskerville pub (less than half a mile east)
Your questions about an asbestos survey in Lower Shiplake
How far is Lower Shiplake from London?
Lower Shiplake is about 34 miles from central London, well within our area.
Do you survey schools and community buildings around Lower Shiplake?
Yes, by arrangement with the duty holder. Non-domestic buildings should have an asbestos register and management plan.
Can you come if the asbestos is damaged?
Make the area safe first: close it off and do not clean it up yourself. Then get in touch and we’ll advise.
How do I get a quote?
Send us the details: the postcode, what you’ve found and where it is, with photos if possible. To do that, call 07833 053 749 or use our quote form.
Can you quote from photos?
Many jobs can be quoted from photos, but larger or unclear jobs may need a visit.
Does someone need to be there?
Someone has to let us into all the areas in the job, and it helps if you’re around to answer questions.
What does licensed work mean?
It covers the higher-risk materials: pipe lagging, sprayed coatings and most insulating board. It needs a contractor with an HSE licence.
What if my house is newer?
Homes built after 2000 shouldn’t contain asbestos, as it was banned in 1999.
Materials we deal with
Insulating board
It’s easy to mistake insulating board for other boards, so a lab result is essential.
Pipe lagging
Lagging found in a survey is flagged clearly, and it shouldn’t be disturbed.
Nearby places to Lower Shiplake
Also in Lower Shiplake
Prices and what affects them
The price of an asbestos survey depends mainly on:
- How much sampling is needed
- The quantity or area
- Material and condition
- Access to the area
What you pay depends on the job itself: the materials involved, how much there is, access and paperwork. We quote each job individually.
Helping us quote
Photo tips:
- How we’d reach it
- An overall view
- Where we could park
- A rough size or measurement
Tell us about the material, its location and your plans. Then ring 07833 053 749, or send the details through our contact page.
Common reasons for surveys in Lower Shiplake
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.
These are some of the things we deal with in Lower Shiplake:
- Refurbishment, rewiring and new kitchens or bathrooms
- Buying a property built before 2000
- Public and community buildings
- Demolition projects
A school such as Shiplake Church of England School counts as non-domestic premises, where the law requires asbestos to be managed; we survey non-domestic buildings by arrangement with the duty holder.
Before you book anyone
- What you’ll receive in writing
- Whether they’re insured for asbestos work
- Which areas and materials are covered
- Laboratory analysis by an accredited lab
Good to know
Every job has limits; these are the usual ones:
- The rooms in a refurbishment survey need to be cleared, so timing needs planning
- The report describes the building when surveyed; condition can change, so recheck it
- A management survey is only minimally intrusive, so it will not do before building work
If in doubt, ask: we will recommend a test, a survey or removal before you book.
Materials we see
- Water tanks and flues
- Boiler cupboards and panels
- Artex and textured coatings
- Cement sheets and cladding
- Soffits and porch canopies
- Pipe lagging
- Roofing felt and bitumen
- Garage and shed roofs
- Ceiling tiles
- Floor tiles and adhesive
- Survey or test first when it isn’t clear what a material is
- Work planned to the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and HSE guidance
- Written paperwork: reports, results and waste consignment notes
- Waste sealed and labelled, then taken to a permitted site