Choosing the correct asbestos survey is important because different surveys are designed for different situations. A management survey is generally used to help manage asbestos during normal occupation and routine maintenance, while a refurbishment and demolition survey is required before intrusive refurbishment or demolition work where hidden asbestos-containing materials may be disturbed.
For property owners, landlords, facilities managers and contractors in London, understanding the difference can prevent unsafe work, delays and unnecessary cost. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recognises two principal asbestos survey types: a management survey and a refurbishment or demolition survey.
What is an asbestos management survey?
A management survey is intended to help the dutyholder manage asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) during the normal occupation and use of a building. Its purpose is to provide information about the location, amount and condition of ACMs that could be disturbed during routine activities such as maintenance, cleaning or minor repairs.
The findings can be used to prepare or update an asbestos register and asbestos management plan. HSE guidance explains that a management survey should cover areas that may reasonably be accessed or disturbed during normal use and maintenance, including rooms, corridors, stairs, ceiling voids, service ducts, risers and external elements where appropriate.
Areas that cannot be inspected must be presumed to contain asbestos and managed accordingly until they can be inspected. The report should clearly identify these areas and any access restrictions. A restricted survey does not establish that uninspected areas are asbestos-free.
For more detail, see our Asbestos Management Surveys service page.
When is a management survey appropriate?
A management survey is typically appropriate when a building is being occupied and used normally and there are no plans for significant intrusive work. It may be relevant for offices, shops, warehouses, schools, communal areas of residential blocks and other non-domestic premises where the duty to manage asbestos applies.
The survey should provide enough information for the dutyholder to decide how identified or presumed ACMs will be managed. Depending on their condition and likelihood of disturbance, materials may be monitored, labelled, protected, repaired or removed.
What is a refurbishment and demolition survey?
A refurbishment and demolition survey is more intrusive. It is designed to identify ACMs that could be affected by planned refurbishment or demolition work, including materials hidden within the building fabric.
HSE guidance states that this type of survey should locate and identify asbestos-containing materials before structural work begins. Because access may be required behind walls, ceilings, floors, panels, partitions and other concealed areas, destructive inspection can be necessary.
This is fundamentally different from a management survey. A management survey is designed around normal occupation and foreseeable maintenance, while a refurbishment and demolition survey is targeted at the specific area and scope of planned building work.
See our dedicated pages for Asbestos Refurbishment Surveys in London and Asbestos Demolition Surveys in London.
Why a management survey is not enough before major refurbishment
A common mistake is to assume that an existing management survey automatically covers refurbishment work. It may not. Management surveys are not normally intended to expose every concealed area of the building structure.
Refurbishment can disturb materials behind wall linings, beneath floors, above suspended ceilings, inside ducts or within partitions. If the planned work will penetrate or remove building fabric, the survey scope needs to match that work.
HSE guidance makes clear that work which disturbs the fabric of a building where asbestos could be hidden requires a more intrusive survey before the work starts.
Management survey vs refurbishment and demolition survey
| Feature | Management Survey | Refurbishment / Demolition Survey |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Manage ACMs during normal occupation and routine maintenance | Identify ACMs that may be disturbed by refurbishment or demolition |
| Level of intrusion | Usually less intrusive | Intrusive and may involve destructive inspection |
| Building occupancy | Normally carried out while premises remain in use, subject to safe access | The survey area must be vacated during intrusive inspection; the surveyor must confirm it is fit for reoccupation afterwards |
| Hidden materials | May not identify all concealed ACMs | Designed to identify ACMs within the scope of the planned work, including concealed areas |
| Typical use | Ongoing asbestos management | Before refurbishment, structural alteration or demolition |
Who has the duty to manage asbestos?
Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, the duty to manage applies to non-domestic premises and to common parts of multi-occupancy domestic premises. Responsibility depends on who has control over maintenance and repair obligations.
The dutyholder must take reasonable steps to determine whether asbestos is present, assess its condition and the risk of exposure, keep an up-to-date record of known or presumed ACMs, prepare a management plan and provide relevant information to people who may disturb asbestos.
You can also read our guide to asbestos registers and our article on asbestos duties for landlords.
Does every building need an asbestos survey?
Not every property requires the same approach. The need for a survey depends on factors such as the building’s age, available records, planned work, the likelihood that asbestos-containing materials are present and the legal responsibilities of the person in control of the premises.
Where reliable information is unavailable and asbestos may be present, a competent assessment or survey may be needed. The survey type must match its purpose. A survey commissioned simply because “an asbestos survey is needed” without defining the reason can result in the wrong scope.
What should you tell the asbestos surveyor?
Before commissioning a survey, provide as much relevant information as possible. This should include the reason for the survey, building plans where available, previous asbestos records, known access restrictions and details of any proposed refurbishment or demolition work.
For refurbishment projects, the planned work should be clearly defined. The surveyor needs to know which rooms, walls, ceilings, floors, services or structural elements are likely to be affected so that the survey scope is appropriate.
What happens after the survey?
The next step depends on the survey type and findings. A management survey may lead to an asbestos register and management plan, with periodic monitoring of materials that remain in place. A refurbishment or demolition survey may identify ACMs that need to be removed or otherwise dealt with safely before the planned work proceeds.
An asbestos survey should not be treated as a simple certificate. It is information used to make risk-management decisions. Contractors and anyone who may disturb the building fabric should receive relevant asbestos information before starting work.
Choosing the right survey in London
If the property will remain in normal use and the objective is ongoing asbestos management, a management survey may be appropriate. If you are planning intrusive refurbishment, structural alteration or demolition, a refurbishment and demolition survey will generally be required for the area affected by the work.
The safest approach is to define the purpose of the survey before work begins and ensure the scope reflects the actual building and proposed activity.
For an assessment of the survey type appropriate to your property or project, contact Asbestos London Survey or request a quotation.
Quick survey decision checklist before you book
- Confirm whether the property will remain in normal occupation or whether intrusive work is planned.
- Define the exact rooms, services and building elements affected by any refurbishment or demolition.
- Check whether existing asbestos information covers those exact areas and whether any access limitations were recorded.
- Tell the surveyor about previous surveys, drawings, known asbestos information and access restrictions.
- If intrusive work is planned, make sure the survey scope is suitable for the affected area before work starts.
If planned work may disturb building fabric and the existing information does not cover the affected areas, do not assume a management survey is sufficient. The survey scope should be reviewed before work begins.
Official guidance
For authoritative guidance, refer to the Health and Safety Executive’s guidance on arranging an asbestos survey and HSG264, Asbestos: The Survey Guide.
This article provides general information and is not a substitute for project-specific professional or legal advice.
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