Established 1986 - P402 Qualified Surveyors - HSE Licensed
47A Strand St, Sandwich, Kent CT139EU - - 29 St Lawrence Ave Ramsgate CT110HZ
Offices: 01304 614647 / 614453 (24hr) 01843 592243 - For a Prompt Service First Call Direct - 07712068424
Email for quote or specific help: asbestossurveys-kent@yahoo.co.uk
Asbestos Surveys - Asbestos Management
"Our insurance company was impressed with the survey"
"Money well spent if you ask me"
Asbestos Survey Costs
Survey Pricing
Our prices are always kept to a minimum to develop a large and varied client base and to gain additional survey work through recommendations, check out our client list to see the results of this successful strategy.
I usually quote a price range e.g. £120 - £160, £260 - £320, £420 - £480 etc etc, for surveys because some are more involved than others, we a take into account age, size, use of the building etc, the time spent on site reflects the time required to formulate the reports.
The cost of asbestos surveys can vary hugely, from £100 (from an ex-builder) to £20,000 (from an 'environmental' specialist), we are in the lower price range but with a higher quality product (Envacs), in other words, we represent true value for money.
If you are driven purely by cost then download our sample survey and compare it to the one you end up with, see the difference.
If you are a commercial or industrial client and need a survey because your insurance company/mortgage lender/solicitor/leaseholder etc has asked for it or perhaps your safety officer/representative has pointed out that the regulations requiring one actually came into force a couple of years ago, then you need to make an informed decision on who will give you value for money and provide a professional service that fulfils your exact criteria.
Varying survey costs
Domestic and Communal Areas
Domestic surveys, single sampling and communal area surveys are priced accordingly and reflect the time spent of site rather than the size of the building like most other surveys. These types of survey are usually of short duration, inexpensive and can be turned around quite promptly.
Commercial
Commercial surveys (shops, offices, care homes, etc) require moderate planning and should be aimed at causing the least disruption and inconvenience to the client, in some cases in may be advisable to carry out the survey during out of hours working or during the least busy period. The cost of these surveys vary according to the clients requirements and accessibility.
Industrial
Industrial surveys require more planning and must take into account any risks associated with the clients operations and building requirements, a surveyor's method statement and risk assessment is always provided to accompany any client permit systems in operation. The cost of these surveys vary according to the amount of preplanning, any site restrictions, required control measures and PPE, general accessibility.
Sample Analysis
I charge separately for samples sent for UKAS independent analysis because, until you start surveying you don't know how many 'suspect' materials you are going to find. Beware of surveyors that quote an 'all-in' price or use 'in house' analysts, you will either end up with 50 samples of plaster board or they don't take enough samples to form an accurate report. I only sample materials historically known to contain asbestos and where there is a lot of the same material I only take a couple of 'representative' samples.
Type 3 Surveys
Type 3 surveys require the most planning, all the materials in the building are going to be disturbed and therefore any asbestos materials must be found. All type 3 surveys are carried out by 2 surveyors working methodically through the building. All materials in the building must be checked, walls and ceilings must be penetrated to ensure over-cladding hasn't occurred. The number of samples taken will be greater than a type 2 survey and the amount of material to be checked is also much greater. The price of a type 3 survey reflects this extra work.
What information should be included in a survey
In order to properly manage the risks from asbestos materials you need to know the right information about it, not just "it's asbestos" but where it is, what type of asbestos, what type of material, the condition of the material, the amount, the specific use of the material, the surface treatment, the density and friability, the occupation level of the area, the likelihood of disturbance by general use of the area or by maintenance. Photos of the materials, marked drawings and analysis certificates should also be supplied as standard.
A wide range of clients
Clients for our surveys come from various different sectors, some are employees responsible for safety or buildings within a large company and need a survey to enable their company to comply with the law, some own their own medium sized company and have been asked for a survey by their landlord or insurance company, some are small businesses who also need to comply or have been asked for a survey.
Whatever your level of knowledge or your particular requirement for asbestos surveys and management, we can help in many ways and we will tailor our services to suit all. from a standard Envacs report to multi property/building databases for network accessing.
If you already have a survey compare it to the sample one located in these pages and to the list of required material algorithms in the MHS100, unless it is Envacs or similar you will probably notice a big difference. The better the survey the easier your asbestos management will be, see for yourself.
Asbestos Survey Re-inspections and upgrades
Asbestos Re-inspection (type 4) asbestos surveys are a fraction of the cost of a full survey and have the benefit of being updated to a legally compliant standard (material assessment information) at the same time via the Envacs software.
Call Jerry for a quote 01304 614647 - 07712068424
Download a sample survey report (PDF)
The following information is repeated in these pages because of its importance in surveys
The range of information that should be included in every asbestos survey/re inspection is:
Asbestos type, likely content, material type, material use, surface treatment (sealed), general condition (damage), material amount, material location, occupation level of area, occupation frequency of area, occupation duration of area, size of area, likely disturbance through normal use of area, likely disturbance through maintenance of item/plant/area, photos, drawings, register, analysis certificates (should be from independent UKAS laboratory only and not carried out 'in-house').
All these are given a score and used to calculate the risk and priority (priority of remediation not removal) of the material. The scores help to determine which are high priority and which are lower priority (see the Envacs page).
Upgrading / re inspecting to this level of information should seriously be considered.
Ticking the box
Much of the time its simply a question of getting the report in order to comply with the law, by simply having one, even if you don't have much or any asbestos materials in your buildings, you will get a 'no suspect materials found' report or a short almost empty report, both charged at the basic minimum rate. When you get asked by the insurance company, the HSE or other interested parties if you have an asbestos survey you can answer yes, I have an Envacs survey.
Don't Assume!
But do get the building checked out by a qualified expert, its not good enough to assume you don't have any asbestos just because there is none obvious, that is a potentially dangerous path to follow!.
Type 1 Surveys
A type 1 'presumptive' survey is something that should ideally be carried out in-house and was designed only as a stop-gap measure until a proper survey can be carried out, you simply assume everything in the building is asbestos by default and treat it accordingly (don't disturb it).
An 'asbestos surveyor' carrying out a type 1 asbestos survey can also just stand at the door of your property/office/factory and declare everything is asbestos, that's all he has to do and charge you for doing so!.
It means you cannot carry out any work on the premises without having the material you are going to disturb sampled and sent for analysis. You can see the obvious problems with this approach.
We do not carry out type 1 asbestos surveys! Its a waste of our time and your money.
Envacs Bonus
The Envacs people spent a long time developing this software (it includes all the material algorithm parameters detailed in the MDHS100 surveyors handbook) it was designed to do a specific job, asbestos surveys, it was designed for people like us (HSE licensed contractors/surveyors) to produce an informed report that fits in exactly with what the asbestos regulations require us all to do, find, report, manage.
It really is the right tool for the right job.
Backup and Support
You will also get a full backup and support service after the survey is complete, any questions or information regarding how to use the survey or the formation of the Asbestos Management Plan we will pleased to help you.
Revisit/Re-Inspection/Upgrade Surveys
These surveys cost a lot less than the original surveys and will keep the asbestos register up to date and inform you of any further action that may be required since the last survey. If you already have a survey and its not very clear or does not contain all the legally required information about the materials (see sample report) the best solution is to have it upgraded to the Envacs standard, it really is that good.
It is not enough to simply have a survey carried out and then forget about it, unless you have no asbestos materials, you will need to re-inspect at suitable time periods, this is usually annually and should be no longer than that because of the potential for damage and deterioration of the material. Re-Inspections are usually quick, painless and inexpensive.
Discretion
As well as safety we operate a policy of 'applied discretion' especially when dealing with asbestos, we realise that asbestos is an emotive subject and can lead to unwarranted levels of anxiety. We try to reduce these fears with practical and honest advise regarding the actual risks from asbestos, explaining that, in most cases, the risks are actually quite low.
Copies
The asbestos survey price includes two hard copies of the survey (one for keeping on site and one for head office, insurance, landlord, buyer, mortgage company etc.)
We also provide a PDF version via CD or email, for emailing and/or archiving (which includes drawings and analysis certificates)
We do not supply surveys that consist of typed lists of materials that have been sampled which require cross referencing with the analysis certificates which need to be cross referenced with the material assessment scores, with Envacs all the information about each sample is on one clear sheet with clear explanations of each section.
Ours surveys are cost effective and 'user friendly'
See for yourself in the samples and then contact us for a quote or more info
Call Jerry for a quote 01304 614647 - 07712068424