An asbestos survey for a detached house costs from 119 € incl. VAT at AsbestiPro, depending on the city, and the price covers the site visit, all samples, the laboratory analysis, travel and the report. The price is fixed, so it does not depend on the floor area of the house or on how many samples are taken. If the whole house is being demolished, 100 € is added for a demolition project.
How much does an asbestos survey for a house cost?
An asbestos survey for a detached house is priced by city, not by floor area or number of samples. Once you know the price for your city, you know the cost of the whole survey in advance. The price includes:
- The site visit, during which the surveyor goes through the rooms and materials affected by the renovation.
- All samples needed from the property.
- Laboratory analysis of every sample.
- Travel to the property.
- The survey report, which you can hand to your contractor or asbestos removal contractor.
The only extra applies to demolition projects: when the whole building is torn down, the survey is more extensive and 100 € is added to the price. You can find the price for your city in the price list.
Why doesn't the price depend on square metres?
The survey focuses on the materials the renovation will affect. A bigger house does not automatically mean more to examine, and even a small house can hold many layers from different decades. A fixed price means the surveyor can take as many samples as the property needs without the bill going up.
What is not included?
The survey establishes where there is asbestos and where there is not. It does not include asbestos removal. If the report shows asbestos-containing materials, the removal is ordered separately from an authorised asbestos removal contractor, and the report serves as the basis for planning that work.
When does a detached house need an asbestos survey?
A survey is required before renovation and demolition work if the house was built before 1994 or if the materials being worked on date from before 1994. The requirement is based on Finland’s Asbestos Act (684/2015) and the Government Decree on the safety of asbestos work (798/2015), and it also applies when homeowners renovate their own house. Typical renovations in a detached house that call for a survey include:
- bathroom and sauna renovations
- kitchen renovations
- replacing floors, when old vinyl, parquet or tiles are lifted
- renewing pipes and the heating system
- replacing windows and doors
- roof and facade renovations
- work on chimneys and fireplaces
- demolishing the whole house
Simply replacing furniture or cabinet doors does not require a survey. As soon as old structures are demolished, drilled, sanded or chiselled, the survey should be done before the work starts.
The best time to order the survey is while you are planning the renovation, before asking contractors for quotes. With the report in hand, the contractor can factor any asbestos removal into the price and schedule. If you are renovating the house in stages, tell the surveyor about the later stages too, so all the materials can be examined in one visit.
Which materials are usually examined in a detached house?
The materials examined depend on the age of the house and on what has been renovated over the years. Broadly speaking:
- Houses from the 1940s and 1950s: the original structures usually contain less asbestos, but flooring, tiling, wall boards and pipe insulation from later renovations are examined. Read more about asbestos in post-war veterans’ houses.
- Houses from the 1960s and 1970s: vinyl flooring and its adhesive, tile adhesives and grout, wall and floor fillers, pipe insulation, and asbestos-cement roof and facade sheets.
- Houses from the 1980s and early 1990s: asbestos was used less, but it may still be found in fillers, adhesives and boards.
In detached houses the asbestos-containing layer is often hidden: new flooring has been laid over the old, or new filler spread over the old. That is why the surveyor examines the structure layer by layer. Outbuildings such as a garage, sauna or woodshed are included too if the renovation or demolition reaches them, as they may have the same boards and roofing materials as the main house. For a wider overview, see the article on asbestos in old houses.
What do the survey visit and report look like?
Before the visit it helps to gather a few details so the samples can be targeted correctly:
- Year of construction and any extensions.
- Renovation history: when the bathroom, kitchen, floors, roof or heating were renewed.
- Scope of the renovation: what you plan to remove, where you will drill and which surfaces will be replaced.
- Access: to the attic, basement, crawl space and technical rooms if the renovation reaches them.
During the visit the surveyor systematically goes through the rooms to be renovated and takes samples from materials that may contain asbestos. The material is wetted before sampling, each sample is sealed straight away in an airtight bag, and the sampling point is closed off.
The samples are analysed in the laboratory with a JEOL SEM-EDS electron microscope. The report is sent by email, usually within 1 working day of the visit. It shows:
- the materials examined and where each sample was taken
- the laboratory result for every sample
- recommendations for next steps
If asbestos is found, the asbestos-containing materials are removed by an authorised asbestos removal contractor before the rest of the renovation. If no asbestos is found, the renovation can go ahead as normal.
Where does the surveyor visit?
Site visits are carried out in Southern Finland: Uusimaa, Pirkanmaa, Southwest Finland, Kanta-Häme, Päijät-Häme and Kymenlaakso. Elsewhere in Finland, a single material can be tested with an asbestos sample sent by post.
Is a single asbestos sample enough?
If you only want to check one material, such as an old vinyl floor before deciding on a flooring renovation, you can take the sample yourself and send it by post. A sample costs 39,90 € + VAT. A self-taken sample is fine for your own peace of mind, but it does not replace a survey before a renovation: the surveyor also spots the materials you would not think to suspect, and the report covers every material the renovation affects.
Once the scope of the renovation is clear, order an asbestos survey for your house before any demolition begins.