Getting full-fibre broadband in an older property? Call us for a free, no-obligation quote.
BOHS qualified surveyors covering Yorkshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and the wider North of England.
Asbestos surveys before broadband installation, carried out by HSG Surveys
Buildings Surveys & Assessment of ACMs
Management of Asbestos in Buildings
In the asbestos industry since the early 1990s
Just the entry point and cable route
If you’re having full-fibre or a new broadband line installed in a building built before 2000, an asbestos survey before installation ensures the engineer can drill and route the cable without surprises. We carry out quick, targeted surveys for homeowners, landlords, managing agents and businesses, covering just the entry point and cable route, so your installation goes ahead on the day it’s booked.
Why Broadband Installations Disturb Asbestos
A full-fibre connection usually needs a brand-new entry point. The engineer drills through an external wall, soffit or window frame, then routes the cable inside along skirting boards, through ceilings or floors, or up through the loft to reach the router.
In commercial buildings and blocks of flats, the cable often has to travel through risers, ceiling voids, service ducts and comms cupboards. In older buildings, all of these are common places for asbestos. If an engineer suspects it, the job is normally stopped and rebooked until the material has been checked.
Where Asbestos Is Found Along Broadband Cable Routes
Based on the surveys we carry out ahead of broadband and full-fibre installs, asbestos-containing materials most often turn up in these areas:
- Asbestos insulating board (AIB) and asbestos cement soffits and fascias
- Textured coatings (Artex) on walls and ceilings along the cable route
- Asbestos cement panels on garages, porches and extensions
- Ceiling tiles in suspended ceilings in offices and shops
- Pipe lagging and boards inside risers, ducts and plant rooms
- Vinyl floor tiles and bitumen adhesive where cables run under floors
- Old electrical meter boards and backing boards where cables are routed past
Asbestos Survey Services Before Broadband Installation
Targeted Refurbishment Surveys
Under the HSE’s survey guidance (HSG264), a refurbishment survey only needs to cover the areas affected by the work. For a broadband install that means the entry point, the cable route and the router position. A targeted asbestos survey before broadband installation is quick to arrange and cost-effective. See our detailed breakdown of this survey type.
Asbestos Sampling & Testing
If the engineer has flagged one material – usually a soffit board or a textured ceiling – we can take a bulk sample for analysis at a UKAS-accredited laboratory, with results usually back within a few working days. For a single suspect item, sampling is often all you need to get the installation rebooked. Find out more about sampling and testing.
Checking an Existing Management Survey
Businesses and managing agents often already hold a management survey. Because that survey is non-intrusive, it may not cover the risers, voids and wall cores a fibre installation will open up. We can review what you have and survey only the gaps. Read our full guide to how management surveys work.
Engineer flagged possible asbestos?
Call us with your installation date and we’ll get the material checked as quickly as possible – no sales pressure, just straightforward guidance.
Landlords, Managing Agents and Businesses
Full-fibre rollouts in blocks of flats, offices and multi-let buildings usually mean cables running through common parts. Those areas are covered by the duty to manage asbestos under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, and the provider’s installers will expect to see asbestos information before they start. The HSE’s asbestos guidance sets out what dutyholders need to do. We can survey the routes across a whole building in one visit, so every flat or unit can be connected without repeated delays.
Areas We Cover
We carry out asbestos surveys before broadband installations across the North of England, including West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside and Lincolnshire. We’re based in West Yorkshire, so we can usually reach most of the region within a few days. Not sure if we cover your area? Give us a call.
Asbestos Surveys Before Broadband Installation – Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an asbestos survey before broadband is installed?
If the property was built before 2000 and the engineer will need to drill through a wall, soffit, ceiling or floor, it is worth having the cable route checked first. Full-fibre installs nearly always need a new entry point into the building, and older homes and commercial premises often have asbestos in exactly the places the cable passes through.
Will the engineer refuse to install if they suspect asbestos?
Often, yes. Engineers are trained to stop if they come across a material they think could be asbestos, and many will not drill into textured coatings, old soffit boards or cement panels without confirmation. That usually means the appointment is cancelled and rebooked, which can push your connection back by weeks.
Does the whole property need surveying?
No. Under HSG264 a refurbishment survey can be limited to the areas the installation will disturb: the entry point, the route the cable will follow and the position of the router. For most homes that is a short visit.
Our block of flats is getting full fibre. What does the managing agent need to do?
Providers usually need to run cable through risers, ceiling voids, service ducts and other common parts, which are non-domestic areas covered by the duty to manage asbestos. The freeholder or managing agent should share the asbestos register for those areas, and if it does not cover the cable routes, an asbestos survey before broadband installation of the risers and voids will fill the gap.
Can the survey be done before my installation date?
Yes. We can usually arrange a visit within a few days, and a targeted asbestos survey before broadband installation is quick to complete on site. Book as soon as you have an installation date so there is time to deal with anything that is found.
Is my soffit board asbestos?
It might be. Soffits and fascias on houses built or refitted before 2000 were often made from asbestos insulating board or asbestos cement, and they are a favourite entry point for broadband cables. An asbestos survey before broadband installation, or a single bulk sample, will tell you for certain before anyone drills into it.