Medway · England
Asbestos Survey in Rochester
Asbestos survey in Rochester and across Medway: asbestos surveys before work, sale or management, with written paperwork.
- Shared halls, stairs and plant rooms
- Buying a property built before 2000
- Workplaces built before 2000
Asbestos survey near Rochester
What it costs
What drives the price:
- Travel and parking
- Lofts, voids and outbuildings to include
- The type of material and its condition
- The quantity or area
Our quotes are clear about VAT.
Photos that help
When you send photos, these help most:
- Street parking nearby
- Approximate dimensions
- Labels, if any
- A photo of the whole area
If you have a survey or test result, include it when you call 07833 053 749 or use our quote form.
Asbestos survey near Rochester
Planning building work in Rochester? Before refurbishment or demolition, HSE’s guidance is that the areas affected need a refurbishment and demolition survey, so any asbestos can be dealt with before the builders arrive. People often contact us about checks on rental property and common parts of flats and HMOs, including garage roofs, soffits and boiler cupboard panels.
In a town like Rochester, surveys are often for homes before renovation, rented property and local businesses, where earlier alterations may contain asbestos. Every job comes with paperwork, which is useful when you sell, let or build.
How we work
Samples are bagged, labelled and logged against their location, then sent to an accredited laboratory. At the end, we tell you what was done and what happens next.
- Start by telling us about the property and your plans
- We agree the type of survey and the areas it covers, and send a quote
- Our surveyor inspects and takes small samples of suspect materials
- Samples go to an accredited laboratory for analysis
- We send the report with results and recommendations
Before we arrive
- Mention any parking restrictions
- Tell us about anything that is already damaged
- Dig out previous surveys
Get a quote
Not sure what you need? Use our quote form or call 07833 053 749 and describe the problem, and we will advise.
Related guides
Surveying buildings in Rochester
Rochester is about 27 miles east of London, in Medway. If your survey is in Rochester, let us know about access. Rochester is one of 68 towns and villages in Medway where we work. You can also see our page for Canterbury, about 26 miles away.
If you manage lettings around Rochester station, asbestos information should be ready for contractors before maintenance. Planning work on an older building in Rochester, whether near Church of St Nicholas or elsewhere? Survey the areas you’re working on before work starts.
Here we cover the ME2, ME1, ME3 and ME4 postcode area. From High Street, Gundolph Square and Station Road or a nearby road, the process is the same. You will find Rochester on the A2 and A226, which makes it simple to get to. Close by, we cover Strood (1 mile west), Borstal (1 mile south-west), Cuxton (2 miles south-west), Lower Bush (3 miles west) and North Halling (3 miles south-west). We also cover nearby towns such as Gillingham (4 miles east), Chatham (3 miles south-east), Rainham (5 miles south-east), Park Wood (5 miles south-east), Lordswood (4 miles south-east) and Twydall (4 miles east). As one of the bigger places in Medway, Rochester has buildings from every era.
Nearby you will also find Huguenot Museum (within half a mile east) and French Hospital (within half a mile south-east). Green spaces nearby include Gad's Hill and Rede Common.
- Nearby schools include Fort Pitt Grammar School (1 mile south-east) and Temple School (1.2 miles north)
- Pubs nearby include Royal Crown Hotel (within half a mile east)
- Other local spots include City of Rochester-upon-Medway (under half a mile north) and Former Ordnance Store At Chatham Gun Wharf (1.2 miles east)
Materials we deal with
Textured coatings
Textured ceilings are sampled where they’re in scope, before plasterers or electricians start.
Roofing felt and bitumen
Felt on flat roofs and outbuildings is sampled where it’s in scope.
Good to know
Before booking, note that:
- Areas we can’t safely reach are listed in the report, and must be treated as containing asbestos until checked
- A survey reflects the building on the day; condition can change, so recheck it
- A management survey is only minimally intrusive, so it won’t do before building work
If you are unsure, describe the job and send photos, and we’ll advise.
Materials in Rochester
- Floor tiles and adhesive
- Pipe lagging
- Cement sheets and cladding
- Water tanks and flues
- Ceiling tiles
- Roofing felt and bitumen
- Garage and shed roofs
- Artex and textured coatings
- Boiler cupboards and panels
- Soffits and porch canopies
Nearby places to Rochester
More for properties in Rochester
Rochester: your questions answered
Could my house in Rochester contain asbestos?
Any home in Rochester built or refurbished before 2000 can contain asbestos, but only a test can confirm it. Garage roofs, Artex, floor tiles, soffits and flues are typical examples.
Do you work near Rochester station?
Yes, we cover Rochester, including the streets around Rochester station.
What if the weather’s bad?
It depends on the job: indoor work carries on, while outdoor roof work may be postponed in strong wind or heavy rain.
Will the survey damage the property?
Sampling leaves small, sealed sample points. A refurbishment and demolition survey is intrusive by design, because it has to look inside the fabric of the building.
Do I need a test or a survey?
A test answers the question for the materials sampled; a survey inspects the whole building or work area and records everything it finds.
Can you survey offices and warehouses?
Yes, commercial and community buildings as well as homes. Send us the details of the building.
What if my house is newer?
Homes built after 2000 shouldn’t contain asbestos, as it was banned in 1999, though older parts, reused materials or earlier outbuildings can.
What will I get after the survey?
Locations, results, condition, photos and what we recommend for each material. Areas not accessed are listed too.
After the job
Where planned work would disturb asbestos, the report says what has to come out first, and whether that work is licensed, notifiable non-licensed or non-licensed.
Once we’re done:
- Let us know about locked rooms or unsafe areas
- Ensure we can get into the loft, garage and cupboards
- Keep children and pets away from the areas being surveyed
- Make sure you can pass the report to your builder
Don’ts
Plan the survey early, before booking builders, so there’s time to deal with anything it finds.
Please do not break off pieces for us to look at: sampling is part of the survey, done with controls to keep dust down.
Typical surveys in Rochester
Asbestos materials often look exactly like ones without asbestos. Only laboratory analysis of a sample gives a reliable answer.
People normally contact us about one of these:
- Demolition projects
- Common parts of flats and HMOs
- Planned refurbishment work
- Public and community buildings
Public buildings around Rochester, such as leisure centres and halls, are non-domestic premises, so their owners must manage any asbestos.
Questions to ask before booking
- Which areas are covered, and which aren’t
- Whether they’re insured for asbestos work
- The report contents
- Survey methods in line with HSG264
Doing it yourself?
Power tools, sanding and jet-washing release the most fibres.
Working on a fragile asbestos cement roof is dangerous in itself, quite apart from the asbestos, so stay off it.
Weighing up your options
A management survey or a refurbishment and demolition survey? The first is for a building in normal use and involves minor intrusion; the second is fully intrusive and needed before work. Our guide explains which you need. Dealing with asbestos before building work is normally cheaper than finding it mid-job, when the whole project can be held up.
Why choose us
- Across London and the South East
- Lab analysis by an accredited laboratory
- Houses, flats and business premises
- Honest advice, even when the answer is to leave it
See how we quote and the cost guide.
- 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
- Everything in writing: quotes, reports, results and waste notes
- Legal disposal at a permitted site, with a consignment note