What is asbestos?
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fibre that was used for decades in the construction industry due to its heat resistance, strength and insulating properties. In Austria, asbestos was present in more than 3,000 building products until the 1990 ban — from roof sheets to tile adhesives.
The problem: when asbestos-containing materials are damaged, worked or removed, they release microscopically small fibres. These fibres are carcinogenic and can cause lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis — often only 20 to 40 years after exposure.
Where is asbestos found in Austrian buildings?
In buildings constructed before 1990, asbestos can be found almost anywhere. The most common locations:
- Roof and facade: Fibre-cement sheets (Eternit) — the best-known asbestos product
- Tile adhesives and fillers: Particularly in bathrooms and kitchens from the 1960s–1980s
- Plasters and coatings: Sprayed asbestos as fire protection, asbestos-containing textured plasters
- Floor coverings: Vinyl-asbestos tiles, cushion vinyl with asbestos backing
- Pipe lagging: Heating and water pipes with asbestos insulation
- Night storage heaters: Older appliances with asbestos-containing insulation
- Fire doors and dampers: Asbestos-containing inserts
- Gaskets and ropes: On heating systems and stoves
Health risk and limit values
Asbestos is a confirmed human carcinogen (IARC Group 1). There is no safe threshold — every fibre exposure increases cancer risk. In Austria:
- TRGS 519 is a German technical rule governing asbestos handling during renovation and demolition. Austria has no equivalent of its own; in practice, TRGS 519 is the procedural standard that Austrian specialist firms also work to
- Bonded asbestos (e.g. intact fibre-cement sheets) may be left in place as long as no fibres are released
- Loosely bound asbestos (sprayed asbestos, lightweight panels) generally has to be removed immediately
- Renovation work on asbestos-containing materials may only be carried out by certified specialist firms
How we test for asbestos
Asbestos can only be reliably identified in the laboratory — a visual inspection is not sufficient. Our process:
1. Site inspection and sampling
We come in person and identify suspect materials based on building age, material type and installation context. Samples are taken professionally — without unnecessary fibre release.
2. Accredited laboratory analysis
The samples are sent to a laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025. Analysis is carried out by polarisation microscopy or scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and identifies the asbestos type (chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, etc.).
3. Report and recommendation
You receive a clear report with risk assessment and concrete action recommendations: leave in place, encapsulate, remediate or remove — with priorities and cost estimates.
4. Result Discussion
In a 45-minute phone or video appointment we discuss the findings together: what was found, what it means for your building, what next steps are sensible, what is priority. Clearly, at your pace, with room for questions.
Costs
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Site inspection flat fee (1–2 h on-site, sampling, 45-min result discussion) | €290 |
| Sample from material (vinyl, insulation, foils …) | €69 |
| Sample from mineral matrix (cement, concrete, plaster) | €149 |
| Indoor air clearance — per measurement point, up to 72 h | €390 |
| Video initial consultation | free |
✻ In rare cases — where analyses require unusual laboratory preparation (e.g. heavily contaminated samples or complex sample processing) — we reserve the right to charge a surcharge of up to €30 per sample. We inform you in advance.
Not sure which matrix applies in your case? We clarify this in the free initial consultation.
Accreditation & legal note
Laboratory analyses are performed in partnership with ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratories — currently via DAkkS (Germany's national accreditation body), internationally recognised under the ILAC-MRA and equivalently applicable in Austria.
Note: We are not court-appointed sworn experts. For legal proceedings requiring the highest evidentiary standard, we recommend additionally engaging a court-appointed expert.
Also MMF (Man-Made Mineral Fibres) — fibrous, same method, different risk
Asbestos and MMF are both fibrous materials and are examined in the laboratory with the same method (SEM/EDX, supplementary PLM). The health risk, however, is quantitatively and qualitatively different — this section is the honest contextualisation.
What IARC says (status 2002, current):
- All six asbestos forms: Group 1 — established human carcinogens (mesothelioma, lung cancer, larynx, ovary). IARC Monograph 100C (2012).
- Glass wool, stone wool, slag wool (in residential buildings): Group 3 — not classifiable. Downgrade in 2002 per IARC Monograph 81; previously (1988, Vol. 43) classified Group 2B. The current classification applies to the biosoluble products marketed since ca. 2000/2002.
- Refractory ceramic fibres (RCF) and certain specialty glass fibres: Group 2B — possibly carcinogenic. Found in industrial-furnace linings, rarely in residential buildings.
"Old" MMF (placed on the Austrian market before 2002): Such fibres were not yet exempted under the EU biopersistence criteria (Note Q, EU Directive 97/69/EC). In Austria they are classified by the BMLFUW decree of 10 March 2017 as hazardous waste with "asbestos-like properties" (waste-code SN 31437g) — not because they act like asbestos as a carcinogen, but because biopersistence in lung tissue could not be ruled out.
What this means in numbers: For asbestos, a linear dose-response relationship for mesothelioma is established down to occupational background exposure. For MMF in residential buildings — including old MMF — an independent mesothelioma effect has not been epidemiologically demonstrated at building-occupant exposure levels (in the major cohorts it is typically confounded with co-exposure to asbestos). The assessment follows the Pott/Stanton fibre paradigm (Dimension × Dose × Durability): long, thin, biopersistent fibres are critical, irrespective of chemical family.
Where MMF is typically installed in Austrian residential buildings: roof insulation (between and above rafters), suspended ceilings, ETICS facade insulation, partition-wall infill, ventilation- and pipe-insulation. Identifier for exempted (biosoluble) mineral wool: RAL quality mark GZ 388 (since 1999) or the EUCEB logo.
How we analyse: scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Fibre diameter, fibre length and chemical composition — these distinguish biopersistent (old MMF) from biosoluble (exempted MMF). Identical lab workflow to asbestos analysis.
MMF prices: as for asbestos material analysis — from €69 (material), €149 (compressed mineral matrix).
Regulation in Austria: Old MMF is subject to GKV 2011 (Austrian occupational limit-value ordinance, TRK 500,000 F/m³), the Waste-Catalogue Ordinance (AVV) with SN 31437g (hazardous waste), and for removal ÖNORM B 3151 and the Recycling Construction Materials Ordinance. On the European side, LoW code 17 06 03* applies. The German technical rule TRGS 521 that is widely cited is a German Technische Regel — for Austrian clients it is only of orienting reference value, not a binding norm.
Asbestos self-test — you sample at home, lab analyses · €140
Sometimes one sample is enough. You have a clearly bounded suspicion — an Eternit panel, a vinyl floor tile, a bitumen mastic — and need certainty without us travelling out. For these cases we offer the asbestos self-test: you collect the sample yourself (following our guidance), the accredited lab analyses, and we interpret the result with you.
€140 for the consultation. Sample analysis costs separately (at lab cost, no markup).
What's included
- 40-min preparation call (video) — we walk through your material together, explain proper sampling step by step (PPE, wet method, packaging, labelling) and make sure you work safely.
- Accredited laboratory analysis — you send the sample to our partner lab. Analysis under ISO/IEC 17025 (DAkkS, internationally recognised under the ILAC-MRA).
- Laboratory report (PDF) — the lab's original report goes directly to you.
- 20-min result discussion — we discuss the finding, place it in context, give concrete recommendations and priorities.
Sample count
- Lab analysis is billed separately at cost (no markup). The handling fee for the first 4 samples is included in the €140.
- Sample 5 onwards: additional €20 handling per sample (lab costs still at cost).
- Follow-up samples within the same project: no new €140 consultation fee. Simply send in additional samples under the same conditions. The project stays open with us.
Which materials are eligible
✅ Eligible for the asbestos self-test:
- Eternit / fibre cement (intact, bonded)
- Vinyl floor tiles with bitumen/asbestos adhesive
- Bitumen sheeting / bitumen adhesive
- Joint compounds (intact, not crumbling)
- Fire-protection seals (firmly bonded)
- PVC flooring with asbestos in the adhesive (small area)
❌ Not eligible — requires an on-site inspection:
- Sprayed asbestos or crumbling asbestos cardboard
- Foam / fibre insulation
- Heavily weathered Eternit roofs
- Pipe / heating insulation
- Material of unknown origin
- Multiple materials or a whole building
If something different shows up during the call
If during the preparation call it turns out that your material is not suitable for the asbestos self-test (e.g. more brittle than assumed, fibre release possible): we end the preparation call and your €140 is credited toward a regular site inspection (€290). Nobody is asked to handle something risky.
What if we need more?
Some situations need more support than the standard consultation. These services are discussed in the result conversation — and only if they actually make sense for your situation:
- Written report (Protokoll) — written summary of findings and recommendations, e.g. for home-purchase negotiations or insurance. Note: not a court-certified report.
- Renovation guidance — connection to certified specialist firms, quote comparison, contract review, site supervision. For renovations between €5,000 and €50,000, independent guidance is often the cheapest insurance.
Both are offered as needed — we discuss them when relevant.
Sampling & evidentiary value — an honest framing
The laboratory report is accredited. Since the sample is collected by you (not by us on site), we document the sampling during the preparation call — but the evidentiary weight against third parties may fall short of a sample collected by our geochemist. For proceedings with high evidentiary requirements (home-purchase disputes, insurance disputes) we recommend the site inspection.
Start the pre-screening
To make sure your material is suitable for the asbestos self-test, we start with a brief pre-screening — a material selection, roughly one minute. If the material is eligible, you go directly to booking.
Which standards apply? A comprehensive overview of the standards and protocols relevant to asbestos analysis (TRGS 517, VDI 3866, IFA 7487, CARB Method 435), with scope, thresholds, and primary-source links, is available on the dedicated reference page: → /en/asbestos-standards/.
Last updated: 24 May 2026.
Frequently asked questions about asbestos testing
Asbestos cannot be identified with the naked eye. Typical suspect materials are fibre-cement sheets, tile adhesives, fillers, plasters and pipe lagging in buildings built before 1990. Only laboratory analysis can reliably confirm or rule out asbestos.
An individual asbestos analysis costs from €69 per material sample (vinyl, insulation, foils). For mineral matrix (concrete, screed, plaster) the cost is €149 per sample. Indoor air clearance measurement costs €390 per measurement point. The site inspection flat fee is €290 (flat, regardless of scope). In rare cases — where analyses require unusual laboratory preparation — we reserve the right to charge a surcharge of up to €30 per material sample. We inform you in advance. In the free initial consultation we discuss how many samples make sense.
A clearance measurement documents the indoor air quality after an asbestos remediation. It proves that no more fibre contamination is present — as evidence for authorities, buyers or occupants. We charge €390 per measurement point and can perform it as either a single clearance measurement or continuous monitoring over up to 72 hours.
Laboratory analysis takes 3–10 working days. You receive the report with assessment and action recommendation within 3 working days of the laboratory result.
Yes, the manufacture and placing on the market of asbestos has been banned in Austria since 1990. Intact asbestos in existing buildings may remain in place as long as no fibres are released. However, an inspection is mandatory before renovation or demolition.
What does asbestos remediation cost?
Typical remediation costs (indicative figures)
- Asbestos stove (wood/coal stove)€500–€2,000
- Asbestos gasketsfrom €500
- Asbestos floor coverings€1,000–€10,000
- Asbestos roof (fibre cement)from €10,000
A measurement from €69 gives you clarity — before a suspicion becomes an expensive surprise.
After remediation we offer a clearance measurement: indoor air measurement to VDI 3492 with SEM analysis, to document that no asbestos fibres remain detectable in the indoor air. More on renovation monitoring →
Asbestos clearance measurement: indoor air release from €390
After an asbestos remediation you need proof that the air is safe again. This clearance measurement is mandatory in public buildings — for private renovations we strongly recommend it nonetheless. Our offer:
- €390 per measurement point — accredited laboratory analysis (fibre counting to VDI 3492)
- Clearance measurement (single proof shortly before re-occupation) or monitoring over up to 72 hours
- Documented report as legally valid evidence for authorities, buyers or tenants
- Integration into ongoing renovation support possible (scope situational — quote after initial consultation)
When clearance measurement? Always after asbestos remediation, before re-occupation after demolition or conversion work, or when you want certainty before purchasing a freshly renovated property.