Summary of HSE guidance, not legal advice. Each point links to the HSE page or publication it comes from.
Demolition is the one time a whole building gets broken open at once. Asbestos that sat harmlessly behind a wall or above a ceiling for decades gets crushed with everything else, and the dust goes wherever the work goes. HSE says asbestos is responsible for over 5,000 deaths a year in Great Britain, and that symptoms can take 15 to 60 years to appear (HSE FAQ). A demolition survey is how you find it while it can still be taken out safely, before the machines arrive and before a find halfway through stops the job.
What is a demolition survey?
HSE's survey guide, HSG264, describes one survey type for this: the refurbishment and demolition survey. It is used to locate and describe, as far as reasonably practicable, all asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in the area where refurbishment will take place, or in the whole building if demolition is planned. It is fully intrusive and involves destructive inspection, as necessary, to reach all areas, including those that are difficult to reach (HSG264).
So a demolition survey is the same kind of survey as a refurbishment survey, but its scope is the entire structure rather than the rooms being worked on. HSG264 says these surveys are technically more challenging than management surveys, because buildings often have false floors, ceilings and walls, concealed areas and years of alterations that drawings don't show (HSG264, Appendix 1).
Why it has to come first
HSG264 explains that the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (regulation 7) require all ACMs to be removed, as far as reasonably practicable, before major refurbishment or final demolition. Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations, the survey information should be used in tendering for the asbestos removal, and the client should give the report to designers and contractors bidding for the work so the asbestos risks can be addressed (HSG264).
HSE's demolition guidance for clients is direct: as the client, you must give your contractor a refurbishment or demolition survey carried out by a competent surveyor, and before work starts you must provide pre-construction information about the structure, including the presence of asbestos (HSE: demolition). HSG264 adds that it is not acceptable to make general reference to hazards that may exist; site-specific surveys should be carried out in advance so the information is there for those who need it (HSG264).
If the building was built or refurbished before 2000, HSE's advice is to assume there is asbestos in it (HSE: is asbestos present?). Homeowners don't hold the duty to manage asbestos inside a private home, but the contractors you employ have duties to find out about asbestos before they start (HSE).
What happens during the survey
HSG264 describes it as disruptive and fully intrusive, and says it may need to penetrate all parts of the building structure (HSG264). Expect the surveyor to:
- lift carpets and tiles, break through walls, ceilings, cladding and partitions, and open up floors
- access structural areas, between floors and walls, and underground services
- put controls in place to stop debris, which may include asbestos, from spreading
- bring in help where needed, such as a joiner or builder to open up the fabric, or a structural engineer where concrete is to be sampled or brickwork removed
HSG264 says there should be no restrictions on access in a demolition survey unless the site is unsafe, for example fire-damaged, or access is physically impractical. Access arrangements should be discussed at the planning stage and form part of the contract. The survey should only be done in unoccupied areas, ideally with the building out of service and furnishings removed, and staff should never remain in rooms while intrusive sampling is done (HSG264).
Areas a demolition survey should examine
On top of everything a management survey covers, HSG264's appendix on refurbishment and demolition surveys lists specific areas to inspect, and notes the list is not exhaustive (HSG264, Appendix 1):
- suspended ceilings, roof voids and ducts
- partition walls, including plasterboard and asbestos insulating board (AIB) sandwich partitions
- cavity walls, and apertures such as doors and windows
- floors and cladding
- AIB used as packing and shuttering, and damp-proof courses
- sprayed coatings and overspray debris, thermal insulation and loose insulation
- debris in boiler room areas and underneath newer non-asbestos insulation
Many of these are materials we cover separately: ceiling tiles, asbestos cement sheets, soffits, flue pipes and floor tiles.
If the building is still in use
Sometimes a demolition survey has to happen while a building is occupied. HSG264 gives the example of schools and colleges surveyed in one holiday period with the work done in the next, and of surveys done to decide whether a building has an economic future at all. In those cases the survey needs extremely careful management: people and furnishings moved out and protected as it progresses, survey areas effectively isolated, and each area shown to be fit for reoccupation before anyone moves back in (HSG264).
What the report should tell you
Because the aim is removal rather than day-to-day management, HSG264 says a refurbishment or demolition survey report needs, for each material: the asbestos product type, its location, its extent or quantity, and the asbestos type. It does not normally assess condition, other than to show damage or debris. But if the demolition won't happen for a significant period after the survey, for example three months, the condition information a management survey collects should be obtained too, and the materials managed until they are removed (HSG264).
Two points worth knowing before you book:
- Areas not reached must be shown clearly. HSG264 says any area the surveyor couldn't access must be marked on the plans and in the report, so demolition can be progressive in those areas and any asbestos found can be removed at that point.
- No survey is perfect. HSE recognises that even with complete access, some asbestos may not be identified until demolition itself (HSG264). Build that into the programme and the contract rather than assuming the report is the final word.
HSE also suggests checking any survey report for caveats you didn't agree to, clear and accurate plans, every area accessed, and enough samples taken (HSE).
Textured coatings before demolition
HSG264 makes a specific point about textured coatings such as Artex. ACMs should only be removed before demolition if it is reasonably practicable. Often it isn't for a coating bonded directly to concrete or lath, because removal is time-consuming and brings other risks. Where the coating is on something that can be taken out whole, such as plasterboard sheets, removal may be reasonably practicable. The survey should identify what the coating is applied to (HSG264, Appendix 1).
Demolition, refurbishment or management survey?
| Management survey | Refurbishment survey | Demolition survey | |
|---|---|---|---|
| When | Building in normal use and routine maintenance | Before work that disturbs the building fabric | Before all or part of a building is demolished |
| Area covered | Accessible areas of the whole building | The area where the work will happen | The whole building |
| How intrusive | Largely non-destructive, usually with sampling | Fully intrusive in the work area | Fully intrusive throughout, including structure and underground services |
| Result | Asbestos register and management plan | ACMs identified for removal before the work | ACMs identified for removal before demolition |
(HSE; HSG264) See also survey types.
Who should do it?
HSG264 says surveyors doing these surveys need to be competent for all the work involved, have some knowledge of construction, be able to do the work safely, have the correct equipment and hold appropriate insurance (HSG264). HSE strongly recommends using accredited asbestos surveying organisations, says UKAS is currently the sole recognised accreditation body in Great Britain for asbestos inspection bodies, and says samples must be analysed by accredited analysts (HSE).
Planning a demolition: the order of things
- Book the survey at the planning stage. HSG264 says building it into planning avoids delays and disruption.
- Agree the scope and access with the surveyor in writing, and get the building vacated.
- Give the report to your designers and to every contractor bidding for the work.
- Have the asbestos removed before demolition, as far as reasonably practicable, using a licensed contractor where the work needs one (see licensed vs non-licensed work).
- Make sure asbestos waste goes with a registered waste carrier. You can check a carrier's registration on Check My Waste Carrier.
Taking down a small structure such as a shed or garage with an asbestos cement roof? HSE's Asbestos Essentials covers that separately: see asbestos garage roofs and asbestos cement sheets.
How much does it cost?
Whole-building demolition surveys are quoted on the size of the building, the number of floors, how it was built and access, so we don't publish a figure we can't verify. For homes, see our indicative survey costs. To get a real number quickly, tell the surveyor the building type, approximate floor area, number of floors, age, whether it is still occupied, and when demolition is planned.
Questions
What is an asbestos demolition survey?
It is the refurbishment and demolition survey described in HSE's survey guide, HSG264, applied to the whole building. HSG264 says it is used to locate and describe, as far as reasonably practicable, all asbestos-containing materials in the whole building if demolition is planned. It is fully intrusive and involves destructive inspection to reach all areas, including those that are difficult to reach.
Is a demolition survey a legal requirement?
HSG264 explains that the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (regulation 7) require all asbestos-containing materials to be removed, as far as reasonably practicable, before major refurbishment or final demolition. HSE's demolition guidance also says that, as the client, you must give your contractor a refurbishment or demolition survey carried out by a competent surveyor.
Is a demolition survey different from a refurbishment survey?
HSE treats them as one survey type. The difference is scope: a refurbishment survey covers the area where the work will take place, while a demolition survey covers the whole building. Both are fully intrusive, and both are there so asbestos can be removed before the work starts.
Can a building be occupied during a demolition survey?
HSG264 says these surveys should only be done in unoccupied areas, ideally with the building out of service and furnishings removed, and that staff should never remain in rooms where intrusive sampling is being done. Where a building is still in use, for example a school surveyed in the holidays, HSE says the survey needs very careful management, with areas isolated and shown fit for reoccupation before people return.
Will the survey find every piece of asbestos?
Not always. HSG264 says that even with complete access, some asbestos may not be identified until demolition itself. Any areas the surveyor could not reach must be clearly marked on the plans and in the report, so demolition can be progressive in those areas and any asbestos found can be removed at that point.
How much does an asbestos demolition survey cost?
Whole-building demolition surveys are quoted on the size of the building, the number of floors, how it was built and access, so we don't publish a figure we can't verify. For homes, see our indicative survey costs, and ask for a written quote that states which areas will be accessed.
Request a demolition survey quote Refurbishment survey guide
Related guides: Refurbishment surveys · Management surveys · Commercial surveys · Survey types · Licensed vs non-licensed work · Survey costs · Found asbestos?