Know what you're dealing with before work begins

A kitchen upgrade, roof repair or property purchase can raise the same question: could this material contain asbestos?

NZ Healthy Homes offers asbestos surveying, sampling and reporting to help you understand suspect materials and plan the appropriate next steps.

Tell Steve about the property and any planned work. A targeted sample, management survey and pre-refurbishment assessment answer different questions.

Agreeing the scope at the beginning helps avoid gaps later.

Where might asbestos be found?

Asbestos was used in a range of building materials in New Zealand.

For homes built before 1 January 2000, possible locations include:

• Cement roofing and cladding
• Soffits and exterior panels
• Textured ceilings and coatings
• Some vinyl flooring and backing materials
• Certain insulation and building products

A material's age, colour or appearance cannot confirm whether it contains asbestos.

Appropriate sampling and laboratory analysis can establish whether asbestos is present in the material tested.

Asbestos in sound material is a different situation from damaged material or material that is about to be disturbed.

Its condition, location and planned work all influence the appropriate management approach.

Which asbestos assessment do you need?

Targeted material sampling

If you are concerned about a particular ceiling coating, sheet, tile or other building material, a focused sampling visit may be appropriate.

The result relates to the material sampled. It does not establish that the entire property is asbestos-free.

Asbestos management surveys

A management survey helps identify and record asbestos-containing materials relevant to normal occupation and maintenance.

The findings can support an asbestos register and management planning where applicable.

Refurbishment or demolition surveys

Planning renovation or demolition? Tell Steve exactly what materials and areas will be disturbed.

This may require a more intrusive survey of the work area.

A limited visual inspection or single material sample is not a substitute for an appropriate refurbishment or demolition assessment.

For homeowners, landlords and property managers

Buying a home

An agreed pre-purchase asbestos assessment can help you understand suspect materials and their implications for future work.

Coordinate property access and sampling permission with the seller, and discuss purchase conditions with your lawyer.

Managing a rental property

Good asbestos records help landlords and property managers share relevant information with tradespeople and plan maintenance.

NZ Healthy Homes can discuss surveying and management planning appropriate to the property and applicable responsibilities.

Selling a property

A scoped survey or sample report can provide useful information about the areas assessed.

It does not replace disclosure advice or provide a blanket guarantee about inaccessible materials.

What happens during an asbestos assessment?

1. Share your property details. Provide the address, approximate construction date, previous reports and a description of your concern or planned work.
2. Agree the assessment scope. Steve confirms the assessment type, areas included, access requirements, sampling permissions, price and expected timing.
3. Inspection and sampling. The surveyor records relevant observations and collects samples where appropriate, using suitable controls.
4. Review the findings. Laboratory results, where samples are taken, are considered alongside survey observations and limitations.
5. Plan the next action. Discuss whether the findings call for management, further investigation or specialist removal arrangements.

Clear asbestos reporting helps you plan

Agree what you need from the report before the assessment.

Depending on the scope, reporting may include:

• Material locations and photographs
• Condition observations
• Sample references
• Laboratory findings
• Access limitations and exclusions
• Recommended next steps

Keep the report with your property records and provide relevant information to people planning work.

If the work scope changes, check whether further investigation is needed.

Understanding the limits of an asbestos survey

A report must be read in the context of the survey type, accessible areas and stated exclusions.

Concealed layers, cavities and areas outside the agreed scope may require further investigation before they are disturbed.

Material testing does not measure personal asbestos exposure or diagnose health effects.

A survey report is also different from air monitoring or clearance following asbestos removal.

Before renovation or demolition

Where a business is carrying out refurbishment work, New Zealand's Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 include requirements for identifying and, so far as reasonably practicable, removing asbestos likely to be disturbed before work begins.

WorkSafe distinguishes management surveys from intrusive refurbishment or demolition surveys.

Discuss your plans before stripping flooring, opening walls or disturbing suspect materials.

Identification and any necessary removal should be planned with appropriately competent specialists.

Surveying expertise, with a clear scope

NZ Healthy Homes identifies its asbestos surveyors as IP402 qualified.

Contact Steve to discuss the property and assessment required.

A surveying qualification is distinct from an asbestos removal licence or licensed asbestos assessor role.

If removal, air monitoring or clearance is required, confirm the appropriate specialist arrangements separately.

Before you book

Related reading

Thinking About Buying a Home? Asbestos in New Zealand

Buying a Home? What a Building Report May Not Tell You