Survey finding
Asbestos containing materials flagged in your survey
Asbestos findings are common in older homes and are not always a deal-breaker. What matters is whether the material is damaged, where it sits, and whether your plans would disturb it. This page explains how to follow up safely before exchange.
Last updated: 6 May 2026. Editorially reviewed: 20 May 2026.
Finding
Asbestos containing materials
What this usually means
Asbestos containing materials (ACMs) were used in many UK homes built or altered before 2000. They may appear in textured coatings, floor tiles, garage roofs, soffits, pipe lagging, insulation boards, and other materials. Asbestos is not always dangerous if intact and undisturbed, but it must be identified before works disturb it.
Why it matters
The risk is health, cost, and disruption. Some ACMs can be managed in place, while others require licensed removal before renovation. Buyers planning refurbishment need clarity before exchange because removal and disposal rules are strict.
Ask your surveyor
- Check:Which materials do you suspect may contain asbestos, and were they damaged or likely to be disturbed?
- Check:Would you recommend an asbestos survey before exchange or before any works?
Ask the seller
- Check:Do you have any asbestos survey, removal certificate, or management plan for the property?
- Check:Have any textured coatings, old floor tiles, garage roofs, or insulation boards been tested?
Next steps
- •Commission an asbestos survey if you plan works or if suspected ACMs are damaged.
- •Do not drill, sand, remove, or disturb suspect materials until tested.
Negotiation Pack
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- Estimated remediation range
- Suggested price reduction and script
- Full question list for your surveyor
- Negotiation script for the estate agent
- Specialist report needed? Yes/No with why
- Should you pull out? Direct assessment
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The Survey Decoder explains the wording. The full report adds address-specific flood, subsidence, EPC, crime, listed status, building age and price comparison data, so a single finding isn't judged in isolation.
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Flood, subsidence, EPC, crime, schools, transport, broadband, tenure, age, listed status and price checks where data is available.
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Asbestos in Artex ceilings , often sits near asbestos containing materials on a survey and is the next thing to check.
How MyPropertyScan produces this guide, and what it is not
Published by MyPropertyScan and written by Ziad Nasr, who is accountable for its accuracy. No page here is written or reviewed by a chartered surveyor, conveyancer or regulated adviser, and we do not claim otherwise.
This page is not:
- Chartered surveying — we do not inspect properties or produce RICS Home Survey reports
- Legal advice — we do not act as conveyancers or advise on title, tenure or contracts
- Mortgage or insurance advice — we are not regulated by the FCA and give no recommendations
Figures and process steps come from the published UK datasets and standards listed on this page, not from professional practice. Pages are updated when source coverage, survey cost assumptions, or lender and legal requirements materially change. Dataset limitations are set out on the methodology page.
Spotted something out of date or wrong? Email hello@mypropertyscan.com and we will correct it and change the update date.
Sources used
We use UK public and specialist sources where they are available. Public datasets can be incomplete, delayed, or missing for some addresses. Treat them as a starting point, not as a replacement for professional advice.
Source standard: preference goes to official government datasets, statutory bodies, professional standards, and primary dataset publishers. We cite the source family on the page and explain coverage limits rather than filling gaps with unsupported estimates.
- Professional standard: RICS Home Survey StandardRICS standard for condition-based residential surveys in the UK.
- Learn more from: RICS consumer guide to surveysConsumer-facing guide to survey types and when each level is appropriate.
- Official guidance: GOV.UK buying or selling your homeGovernment overview of the home buying and selling process.