Asbestos in pre-2000 homes
A cement flue pipe runs through the roof space from an old boiler that has gone. Why should that pipe be left in place until someone competent has said what it is?
Because that cement flue pipe has not been identified, it should be left in place until someone competent has said what it is. The old boiler has gone, which removes the appliance and does not name the pipe. HSE includes cement goods, such as flues, among materials that can contain asbestos in pre-2000 buildings. The home survey can note a cement pipe in the roof space. It has not sampled it. Breaking it out because the boiler is missing is not identification.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Redundant flues are tempting to smash so a new tank or a storage deck will fit. Cement that is left intact is a different situation from cement that is broken up in the roof space. The surveyor's job was to see the pipe and say it is there, not to certificate the mix. 'The boiler has gone' is history of the appliance. The pipe is still a material. Until a competent person identifies it, the right step is to leave it where it is.
Point the competent person at the pipe as it stands: where it rises, whether it is broken already, and that you have not taken a piece away. Do not drop sections down through the hatch for them to look at later. HSE's warning is about disturbance, not about tidying a loft for photographs. The home survey has recorded a cement flue from a boiler that is no longer there. Removal waits on identification.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Did you see an intact cement flue, or one that is already broken?
- Does the missing boiler change what the pipe is made of, in your note?
- What should be left in place until it is identified?
What are the typical next steps?
- Leave the cement flue pipe in the roof space.
- Do not break it out because the old boiler has gone.
- Ask someone competent to identify it before any removal.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
If the pipe is above the hatch only, can you saw a corner off?
No. Sawing a corner is disturbance of a pipe that has not been identified. The cement flue should stay in place until someone competent has said what it is.
Does a metal liner inside the cement identify the cement?
No. A liner, if one is visible, is a different component from the cement pipe. It does not identify the cement around it, which should stay until someone competent has said what it is.