Five Costly Asbestos Removal Fails When Buying A Property

If you are buying a property in the United Kingdom that was built before 2001 you need to pay attention to this.

Asbestos was used extensively in houses and flats until asbestos was finally banned in 1999. Some stock was still around a few years after so its worth testing in properties built at least up to 2021.

Asbestos Soffit Boards (Asbestos Cement/ Asbestos Insulating Board)

Often overlooked as many will have been overclad in the past, asbestos soffits can be a costly mistake. Commonly two types of asbestos were used. Asbestos Cement (Bonded Asbestos) and Asbestos Insulating Board (Friable Asbestos). Asbestos cement removal is far less costly but will still be disruptive and in most cases a scaffold will be required. Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB) can only be removed by an Asbestos Licensed Contractor under fully controlled conditions. Full scaffolding will be required along with a full enclosure and the work is notifiable to the Health and Safety Executive. Depending on the type of asbestos, expect to pay £4-9k for an average 3 bed semi.

Asbestos Textured Coatings (AKA Artex) - Another Costly Asbestos Removal

Number One

Asbestos Bonded Textured Coatings area very common in the UK. often referred to as popcorn ceilings textured coatings can be located on ceilings and walls and are costly to remove. For an average 3 bed semi you would expect to pay up to £5-£8k for safe removal and disposal.

Asbestos Garage Ceilings (Asbestos Cement/ Asbestos Insulating Board)

Asbestos was used extensively as fire proofing so integral or attached garages are always an area of concern. Both Asbestos Cement and Asbestos Insulating Boards can be used so testing is essential prior to purchase. As a guide expect to pay £800-£1k for an Asbestos Cement Garage Ceiling and up to £4k for an Asbestos Insulating Board ceiling.

Asbestos Bonded Floor Tiles and Adhesive

Very common throughout the UK and almost always hidden beneath existing floorings on viewings unless the property is empty. Often referred to as low risk, which is true. However the financial burden comes when trying to find installers of flooring or underfloor heading that are trained to work with asbestos. Expect to pay between £1k-£2k for a typical semi detached house.

Asbestos Insulation

Rare within general housing stock but often found in older properties where used within local industry. Typically shipping, heavy industry, rail etc. This type of material is extremely hazardous and can come as loose fill loft insulation, pipe insulation and tank/ vessel insulation. If asbestos insulation is present it will always require removal by an Asbestos Licensed Contractor and will always be notifiable to the Health and Safety Executive. Expect to pay anything from £3k-6k for pipes and tanks up to £30k for loose fill.

My final advice would be to at a minimum have suspect asbestos materials tested before committing to purchase any property built before 1999. Not knowing what you are buying into could be a costly asbestos removal mistake.

Ryan Powell is an experienced Asbestos Building Inspector.

You can contact him directly to discuss any asbestos concerns

on 01384 505758