Why do high-rise blocks contain so much asbestos?

System-built towers of the 1960s–70s used asbestos everywhere: AIB in riser cupboards, ceiling panels and party wall linings, sprayed coatings on structure, floor tiles, and lagged services running the height of the building.

Who is responsible for asbestos in a block of flats?

The freeholder or managing agent holds the duty to manage for common parts — lobbies, risers, stairwells and plant rooms — which means a current survey, register and management plan. Inside a leaseholder’s flat the practical duty shifts to the flat owner.

Can asbestos be removed while a block is occupied?

Yes — riser-by-riser and floor-by-floor, with sealed enclosures, resident notice and air testing before each area reopens. Whole-block programmes are planned around residents rather than decanting them where possible.

Asbestos in High-Rise Flats & Tower Blocks

Where it sits

Service risers and lift shafts, AIB ceiling and wall panels, textured coatings, soffits to walkways and balconies, flue systems and boiler rooms, and asbestos boards within older cladding build-ups.

Working in occupied blocks

Surveys and removal are phased flat-by-flat and riser-by-riser with tenants in place, protected routes, sealed work zones and clear communication. We work with housing associations and managing agents on exactly this.

Refurb and recladding

Any recladding, rewiring or fire-safety programme needs refurbishment survey information first, finding AIB behind a riser door mid-programme is the classic budget-breaker.

Surveys & sampling → Asbestos removal → Costs & calculator → Sampling & testing → Find your local team →

Not sure what you have?

Send a photo for initial advice. Straightforward enquiries can usually be quoted within 24 hours. More technical works may require a site visit and assessment before we finalise the quotation.

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Projects on this material

AIB in occupied building, Liverpool Rd →

Multi-floor AIB, Jarvis Building →

All projects →

Where asbestos sits in high-rise blocks

System-built and high-rise housing from the 1950s–70s used asbestos throughout: AIB in riser cupboards, ceiling panels and party-wall linings, textured coatings on ceilings, floor tiles and bitumen in kitchens and communal areas, gaskets and rope in the district heating plant, and asbestos cement in bin chutes, tank rooms and balcony panels. The common parts fall squarely under the duty to manage — every landlord or managing agent needs a current register and management plan for them.

Occupied blocks: how the work is done

Almost all high-rise asbestos work happens around residents. That shapes everything: riser and cupboard AIB is removed floor-by-floor in small enclosures with strict waste routes; communal redecorations are preceded by targeted sampling; flat refurbishments and void turnarounds get quick-turnaround surveys so kitchens and bathrooms are stripped safely between tenancies. Clear resident communication — what the work is, why the corridor is sealed, when it reopens — is part of the method statement, not an afterthought.

Cladding, refurbishment and building safety

Building-safety remediation has put high-rise fabric under the microscope: cladding strips, fire-stopping upgrades and compartmentation surveys all disturb exactly the panels and linings where AIB hides. An up-to-date refurbishment survey scoped to the remediation design keeps those programmes off the front page. We work for councils, housing associations and managing agents across Manchester, Salford and Liverpool, with costs framed in our cost guide.

HSE-licensed asbestos removal and environmental contractor. Surveys, removal, demolition, remediation and hazardous waste — one team, one responsibility. North West based, working UK-wide.