Armco Asbestos Surveys
Contact us 0161 763 3727
Armco Asbestos Surveys
When you run a building, there is always something that needs doing. Maintenance, compliance, repairs. It is endless. So, when someone mentions asbestos surveys, it is easy to think “just another cost” and put it off until you absolutely must deal with it.
But here is the thing. Asbestos surveys are not just a legal requirement under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. Done at the right time, they can save you serious money. Let us look at how.
You are halfway through a refurbishment project. Maybe you are upgrading offices, installing new cabling, or sorting out that damp problem you have been ignoring. Work is going well. Then someone finds what looks like asbestos.
Everything stops. Immediately.
The contractors down tools because they cannot legally continue without knowing what they are dealing with. You need an emergency survey. Samples go off to the lab. Everyone waits. The project timeline goes out the window, and so does your budget, because contractors still need paying even when they are stood around doing nothing.
If you had done an asbestos refurbishment or demolition survey before the work started, as you are legally required to do, none of this would have happened. The survey would have identified the asbestos beforehand. You would have got it removed or managed safely, and the project would have carried on as planned.
Asbestos management surveys are not for when you are planning building work. They are for buildings in normal use. The survey identifies where asbestos is, what condition it is in, and what needs monitoring.
When asbestos containing materials start deteriorating, they become more dangerous because they release fibres into the air. If you catch deterioration early through regular monitoring, you can deal with it before it becomes a major health and safety issue.
Miss it, and you are looking at emergency removal, possible evacuation, HSE involvement, and costs that make the original survey look like pocket change. An asbestos management survey gives you an asbestos register that shows exactly where materials are and what state they are in. Update it regularly and you stay ahead of problems instead of reacting to them.
Let us say there is an asbestos incident at your building. Someone has been exposed to fibres. It is serious. Your insurance company starts asking questions.
“Did you have an up-to-date asbestos survey?” “Was the asbestos register accessible to contractors?” “Had you followed the management plan recommendations?”
If the answers are no, you have got a problem. Insurance policies often require you to comply with asbestos regulations. Without compliance, you might find yourself personally liable for costs that should have been covered.
An asbestos survey from experienced surveyors with over 20 years in the field gives you documentation that shows you took your legal responsibilities seriously. That matters when things go wrong.
There is a pattern with asbestos work. People leave it until they are forced to deal with it, usually when they are already under time pressure from other projects. That is when surveys and remedial work cost the most, because you need it done fast.
Do it during a quiet period and you have got time to shop around, compare quotes, and plan the work sensibly. You are not paying rush fees or accepting the first contractor who can fit you in next week.
That gives you time to update your asbestos register, arrange any remedial work if needed, and have everything sorted before spring when building work picks up.
Any building constructed or refurbished before the year 2000 could contain asbestos. That is not a guess; it is just how it was. Asbestos was used everywhere because of its fire resistance and strength. Ceiling tiles, insulation, pipe lagging, floor coverings, textured coatings, corrugated cement roofing. It is in places you would not think to check.
You cannot tell if something contains asbestos just by looking at it. Materials that look identical can be asbestos or asbestos free. That is why you need testing by a UKAS accredited lab.
Asbestos management survey is for buildings in normal use. Non-invasive, checks accessible areas, tells you what is there and what condition it is in. This is your baseline survey that feeds into your asbestos register.
Asbestos refurbishment or demolition survey is more invasive because it needs to check hidden areas before building work starts. Legally required before any refurbishment or demolition. More thorough, more disruptive, but essential for safe planning.
Get the right survey for what you are doing. A management survey will not cover you if you are planning building work. A refurbishment survey is overkill if you just need to manage a building in normal use.
Your asbestos survey report lists the type of asbestos found, exactly where it is in the building, how much there is, what condition it is in, and whether there is any surface treatment on it. You will also get recommendations for creating an asbestos management plan or advice on whether urgent work needs doing.
This information forms your asbestos register. The register can be paper or electronic, but it needs to be easy to access because any contractors or tradespeople working on your property must see a paper copy before they start work. That is not optional. It is how you stop them accidentally disturbing asbestos.
Surveyors with over 20 years’ experience working with everyone from blue chip companies to family businesses have seen every type of building and every kind of asbestos problem. They know where to look, what to test, and how to spot potential issues before they become emergencies.
That experience shows up in the quality of the report you get. A good surveyor does not just list materials, they give you actionable information that helps you manage your building safely and cost effectively.
Your asbestos register is not a one-time document. It is a living record that gets updated when asbestos gets removed, when new areas are surveyed, or when materials deteriorate. Keep it current and it becomes your main tool for preventing expensive surprises.
It tells contractors what they are dealing with before they start work. It shows the HSE you are managing risks correctly. It gives you the information you need to plan maintenance and refurbishment without hitting unexpected asbestos delays.
Sometimes you do not need a full survey. Maybe you have spotted something during routine maintenance and just want to know if it is asbestos. Sample testing is faster and cheaper than a full survey.
A surveyor takes samples and sends them to a UKAS accredited lab. Results usually come back within 24 to 48 hours. If it is asbestos, you can decide what to do next. If it is not, you have got peace of mind.
Not having an asbestos survey does not mean you do not have asbestos. It just means you do not know where it is or what condition it is in. That uncertainty costs money every time you need to do building work, because you either have to survey at the last minute or risk contractors finding it halfway through a project.
It costs money when materials deteriorate without you knowing, turning a small management issue into an emergency removal. It costs money if there is an incident and you cannot prove you followed regulations.
The survey itself? Three to four working days for a written report. Usually completed within 48 hours. One time cost that keeps paying back through better planning and avoided emergencies.
Buildings constructed before 2000 need this work doing. With the health risks asbestos poses, including lung cancer and mesothelioma from breathing in asbestos fibres, managing it correctly is not optional. Getting it done when you have got time means you are not scrambling when you are already under pressure from other projects.
The survey gives you control. You know what is there, where it is, what state it’s in. That is worth having before you need it.
Published Feb 27, 2026
