Asbestos Inspections and Testing
Finding out what is actually there, before anything is disturbed
Identification and sampling of suspected asbestos before demolition or renovation. Samples are analysed by an accredited laboratory, and the result is what turns a guess about the scope into a quantity somebody can price and plan around.
Removal by licensed asbestos removalists. Max holds demolition licence AD214737
Before anything starts
Six things have to be settled first, and not all of them are ours
Most jobs that run late run late on this list rather than on the work itself. Each line says who owns it.
- 01
Decide what is being disturbed
Who You, with your builder or us
The survey covers what the work will touch. A scope that changes later means a survey that has to be extended.
- 02
Access to every area
Who You
Subfloor, roof space, wet areas and behind linings. An area that cannot be reached is an area that has to be presumed to contain asbestos.
- 03
Sampling by a competent person
Who Max, through the accredited laboratory
Samples taken under controlled conditions. Taking your own sample disturbs the material you were trying to assess.
- 04
Laboratory analysis
Who Accredited laboratory
The analysis is what makes the result usable. A visual opinion is not a result.
- 05
Written report
Who The laboratory and the assessor
Material, location, type and condition. This is what the removalist quotes from and what the demolisher plans around.
- 06
Decision on scope
Who You, with the report in hand
What gets removed, in what order, and under which licence class.
Scope
What the quote does and does not cover
Stated side by side so there is nothing to discover later. Anything in the right hand column can be added, it is simply priced separately.
Included as standard
| Item | What that means |
|---|---|
| Walk through and visual assessment | Every area within the agreed scope |
| Sampling | Of each suspected material type, under controlled conditions |
| Laboratory analysis | By an accredited laboratory |
| Written report | Material, location, type and condition, with photographs |
| Scope advice | What the result means for the demolition or renovation programme |
| Quotation for removal | Based on the result rather than on an assumption |
Quoted separately
| Item | Why it is separate |
|---|---|
| Removal | A separate scope, carried out by licensed asbestos removalists |
| Clearance certificate | Issued after removal by an independent licensed assessor |
| Areas that cannot be accessed | Presumed rather than tested, and noted as such |
| Soil sampling | A different sampling method and a different classification process |
| Opening up walls and floors | Builder work where the survey needs destructive access |
| Management plans for occupied buildings | An ongoing obligation rather than a pre demolition survey |
The detail
Why the survey is the cheapest step on the job
- It converts a range into a number. Without it, every removal quote carries a contingency, and you pay for that contingency whether the asbestos is there or not.
- It sets the licence class. Bonded and friable are different licences, different controls and very different costs. Which one you need is a laboratory answer.
- It protects the programme. Asbestos found after demolition has started stops the job. That is the single most common reason a knockdown runs late.
- It protects the ground. Material broken up before it was identified contaminates the soil you were about to build on, and soil remediation costs far more than a survey.
- It is required before the work, not after. Anything built before 1990 is presumed to contain asbestos until testing shows otherwise.
- It stays useful. The report is what the removalist quotes from, what the demolisher plans around, and what you hand over at the end.
What we need to quote it
- The address
- So we can look at access and what is around it
- Photographs
- One from the street and one of the work itself
- Any reports you hold
- Hazardous materials, structural, survey or levels
- Your dates
- What has to be finished by when, and what is waiting on it
We attend the site before quoting anything substantial.
If it was built before 1990, assume it is there
Eaves, fibro sheeting, wet area linings, vinyl floor tiles, roof sheets and fencing are all common in Australian housing stock of that age. Testing is what tells you which of them apply to your property.
Before you book
What people ask about this one
Can I take my own sample?
How long does the result take?
What if an area cannot be accessed?
Does a clear result mean the whole property is clear?
Do I need this if I am only renovating?
Get a quote
Send a photograph and the age of the building
A picture of the material and roughly when the building went up is usually enough to tell you whether it needs testing. We will tell you honestly either way.
- Sampling under controlled conditions, analysed by an accredited laboratory
- A written report you can hand to a removalist or a demolisher
- Removal quoted from the result rather than from an assumption
Special demolition offer
Get your free demolition quote
Demolition and removal services from $15,999*. Tell us about your project and we'll help you understand the costs.
*Starting price applies to eligible demolition and removal projects only. Final pricing depends on structure size, materials, site access, location, waste disposal requirements, hazardous materials and any necessary approvals. A final quote will be provided following project assessment.