What are the asbestos risks and costs in the event of fire?

Homekeur is your partner for conducting building inspections . Are you considering buying a home and want to know everything about its precise condition first? We can conduct a building inspection for you. Was the home built in or before 1993? Then it's wise to also have an asbestos inventory performed. Homekeur is a certified company for conducting asbestos inventories. We inspect where in the home asbestos may have been used and, if necessary, send samples of the material to a laboratory for analysis.

Asbestos is a material composed of tiny fibers. These fibers are invisible to the naked eye but can easily be inhaled. Asbestos can be found in many different materials, such as windowsills, ceiling tiles, chimneys, corrugated iron, window frame putty, floor coverings, and drain pipes. Asbestos is also found in loose products, such as old planters. It poses no risk when firmly attached to another material, but there is always the risk of fibers being released and inhaled. If a fire breaks out in a home containing asbestos, the fibers can spread throughout the surrounding area. An estimated 1,300 to 1,500 people in the Netherlands die each year from conditions caused by asbestos. It causes, among other things, peritoneal, pleural, and lung cancer.

Preventative asbestos removal is expensive, but always cheaper than the cost of asbestos abatement. Suppose a fire breaks out in a home containing asbestos, asbestos can spread over a large area. A large surface area would then need to be remediated, and these costs are very high. Insurers almost always pay insufficient compensation to cover all costs. Furthermore, no insurers cover the costs of preventative asbestos removal.

In the event of a fire, there is a high risk of asbestos spreading over a larger area. In this case, asbestos removal is necessary, and you will face remediation costs. These costs are made up of several factors, such as investigation fees, costs for the contamination of soil, surface water, and groundwater, salvage costs, and any removal and destruction costs. The maximum coverage is quickly reached, meaning that you will have to pay the majority of the asbestos removal costs yourself.

The cost of a building inspection (up to 250 m²) is only €489 including VAT. We'll conduct a comprehensive building inspection and you'll receive a building report. Do you have any questions? We're happy to help and can schedule an appointment with an expert inspector right away if you wish!