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Seller-side surveys

What should you do if a Home Report questionnaire mentions asbestos and the single survey says nothing about it?

Treat them as two documents that do not agree yet. mygov.scot says the questionnaire is where the seller reports past issues, including asbestos, and the single survey is the visual inspection. A seller’s yes is not a sample. A surveyor’s silence is not a clearance. The Level 3 description says the surveyor is not an asbestos inspector, and a ticked box does not change that.

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?

Ask the seller, through your solicitor, what they think is asbestos and where it is. Ask the surveyor whether they saw that material or did not comment. RICS says a purchaser can rely on the Home Report, which includes both parts. Reliance means you notice the gap. It does not turn a tick box into a laboratory result, and it does not let you drill the material.

If the house is in England, you will not have this questionnaire inside a Level 2. Do not invent one. There is no RICS sampling fee. Identification, if you need it before you disturb anything, is a competent person’s job. Do not bag the material because the seller mentioned it.

What should you ask your surveyor?

  • Did you see the material the questionnaire names?
  • If you did not mention it, is that because it was not seen, or because it was not there?
  • Are you sampling? You should not be.

What are the typical next steps?

  1. Ask the seller to identify the item they ticked.
  2. Do not disturb it while the answers conflict.
  3. If you will renovate, get a proper look at that item before the work starts.

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

What if the questionnaire says no and you can see a cement garage roof?

Believe neither as a sample. The roof still should not be smashed. Ask the surveyor what they called it.

Does the energy report settle asbestos?

No. The EPC is the third part. It does not identify materials.

Sources