Asbestos before works: is the report from your sale enough?
Before drilling, lifting a floor or renovating a room, check what the asbestos survey covers. An existing report may not cover the planned works.
Updated on · Metropolitan France
The survey must cover the proposed works
You have an asbestos report and plan to lift a floor. Check whether the materials your contractor will disturb were assessed as part of the right type of survey.
An asbestos report for a property sale and a pre-works asbestos survey serve different purposes. The latter covers the specific works and may require checks on hidden materials. Check whether an existing document covers the proposed work before relying on it.
Describe what the contractors will do in each room
‘Refurbish the bathroom’ gives too little detail to define the survey. List the items to be removed and the work proposed, and identify anything that still needs to be decided.
A survey for one project does not automatically cover a wider scope agreed after the visit. Report any changes to the planned works.
Before your visit
- Which floors, partitions, ceilings or ducts will be affected?
- What is planned: drilling, cutting, removal or demolition?
- Do you have drawings, reports or construction details?
- Who will carry out the work, when, and what areas can be accessed?
Arrange the survey before the works start
The party commissioning the works must arrange asbestos detection before any work that may expose workers to asbestos. Contractors use the results to assess risk and plan protective measures.
Give the surveyor your work programme and any available documents so they can define the scope and consider any special circumstances. The survey and any subsequent work on asbestos-containing materials are separate services.
Provide access without disturbing materials
Gather the documents and clear access routes. Leave suspect materials in place and refrain from taking samples yourself.
The official sources,
explained.
Ministry of Labour — Pre-works asbestos surveyingRead the official guidance (opens in a new tab)
What this coversHow to arrange an asbestos survey before building works.
What this coversHow to arrange an asbestos survey before building works.
For your project
Let’s plan your visit.
Tell us about your property and your plans so we can help.