Asbestos surveys: which type do you need?

Management survey

A management survey identifies asbestos-containing materials in a building that will continue to be used as-is. It is non-intrusive: the surveyor inspects what is visible and accessible, but does not open up walls, lift floors, or access concealed spaces beyond removing reasonable covers (e.g. a ceiling-tile drop).

When it is used. For ongoing management of a non-domestic older building where employees or contractors may encounter asbestos. It helps an employer assess and control workplace risk. For domestic owner-occupiers, a management survey can be useful before work is planned, but the required information and survey scope depend on who will do the work and what it will disturb.

What it produces. A schedule of identified materials with location, type, condition, sample results, and a recommended management action: typically monitor, label, encapsulate, or remove.

Cost: ask the surveyor for a written quote against the property.

Refurbishment / demolition asbestos survey (RDAS)

An RDAS is intrusive: the surveyor opens up wall cavities, lifts floor coverings, accesses ceiling voids and behind boxing, and samples concealed materials. The aim is to identify all asbestos-containing materials that will be disturbed by the planned works.

When it is used. Before intrusive refurbishment or demolition, scoped to the areas the planned work will disturb. Under the 2025 amendments, an employer beginning demolition, maintenance or renovation in premises built before 31 December 2004 must establish whether asbestos is present. If adequate information is unavailable, the employer must arrange a suitable survey by a competent person; the law does not name RDAS as the required survey in every case. Croí Cónaithe applicants should ask their local authority what survey evidence it requires for the application.

What it produces. A scoped report covering only the area to be disturbed, with a complete inventory of materials present, sample results, and removal recommendations. The RDAS is the foundation document for the removal Plan of Work and for the HSA permit application.

Cost: ask the surveyor for a written quote against the property and the planned works.

Re-inspection survey

A re-inspection survey is the periodic update to materials previously identified in a management survey. It checks condition, confirms whether previously-identified materials remain in place, and updates the management plan.

When it is used. Periodically where previously identified materials remain in place and their condition needs to be checked. The appropriate interval follows the risk assessment and management plan; this page does not treat annual re-inspection as a standalone statutory requirement for every Irish non-domestic building.

What it produces. A short update report referencing the original survey, with current condition assessments and any changes in material status.

Cost: ask the surveyor. Pricing depends on the original survey scope and the building size.

Which one do you need?

For most residential scenarios, the decision tree is:

• Buying a pre-2000 property? A management survey gives a baseline; an RDAS makes more sense if you have firm renovation plans.
• Planning to renovate a pre-2000 property? Ask for a survey scoped to every area the work will disturb; this is often an RDAS for intrusive work.
• Planning to demolish a pre-2000 outbuilding? Ask for a demolition survey scoped to the structure.
• Solar PV install on a pre-2000 roof? Establish the roof material before work and ask the installer or surveyor what evidence is needed.
• Croí Cónaithe application on a derelict property? Ask the local authority what survey evidence it requires.
• Continuing to occupy without works? Management survey is sufficient.

Frequently asked questions

Is a management survey enough before renovation?

Usually not for intrusive work. A management survey is non-intrusive and identifies accessible materials, so it may not cover wall cavities, floor build-ups or ceiling voids that refurbishment will disturb. Before relevant work starts in premises built before the end of 2004, the employer must establish whether asbestos is present and arrange a suitable survey if adequate information is unavailable. For intrusive refurbishment, that normally means a work-scoped refurbishment/demolition asbestos survey (RDAS).

How long is a survey valid for?

An asbestos survey does not have a formal expiry date in Irish regulations, but its usefulness can degrade over time, after building works, or when a material’s condition changes. The risk assessment and management plan should set an appropriate review and re-inspection interval for materials left in place. An RDAS is specific to a defined scope of works and should be reviewed if that scope or the building changes. For a property purchase or grant application, ask the relevant professional or local authority whether the available report is sufficiently current and suitably scoped.

Who counts as a competent person to carry out an asbestos survey?

Under the Irish regulations and the 2025 Code of Practice, competence depends on the training, knowledge, experience and resources needed to survey safely and produce a fit-for-purpose report. BOHS P402 or an equivalent qualification can be useful evidence, but is not itself an Irish statutory approval. Ask about survey experience, insurance, quality procedures and use of a laboratory accredited for asbestos analysis.