You are buying a house — probably the largest investment of your life. You bring in a building surveyor who checks the roof, facade, damp, heating. What they do not check: pollutants. No asbestos, no lead, no radon, no PCB. This is not an oversight — it is simply not their field. For that you need someone who knows where to look.
What Your Year of Construction Reveals About Pollutants
The pollutant load of a building can be predicted with surprising accuracy from its year of construction:
- Before 1945: Lead paints (lead white, red lead), tar products, wood preservatives. In Viennese Gründerzeit buildings we regularly find lead in multiple paint layers.
- 1945–1960: Asbestos begins to appear (roof panels), PAH adhesive under floors, lead pipes still in use.
- 1960–1980: The peak phase. Asbestos everywhere (roof, facade, floors, pipes, electrics), PAH, PCB in joint sealants, lead pipes (last generation, early 1970s), wood preservatives, old MMF. In a typical 1972 building we regularly find 3–4 different pollutants.
- 1980–1995: Late asbestos products (before the 1990/93 ban), old MMF through the mid-90s, last PCP/lindane products. Typically 1–2 pollutants.
- After 1995: VOC and formaldehyde from building materials, radon (especially in protection zones).
- All construction years: Radon — independent of building age, dependent on geology and construction.
Further reading: → Pollutants by construction year — overview
What Happens During an Inspection
We allow 2–3 hours for your property. What we bring:
- pXRF device: Portable X-ray fluorescence for immediate heavy metal identification. Lead in paints, pipes, windowsills — in seconds, non-destructive. (→ More about pXRF)
- Sampling equipment: For targeted material samples at suspicious locations (floor covering, joint sealant, insulation, pipe wrapping).
- Radon dosimeters: Placed and evaluated after 3 months.
- Camera and documentation: Every suspected location is photographed and recorded.
The result: a comprehensible report with risk assessment and concrete action recommendations — within 3 business days of the laboratory finding. You know exactly what is in there, what it means, and what it would cost to remediate.
What It Costs
- Inspection + pXRF screening: from €290
- Sample prices (honest): Asbestos from €69/sample (mineral matrix €149), MMF from €69 (mineral matrix €149), lead in water €19 (full heavy-metal panel), lead in material €49. PCB, PAH, radon, VOC and wood preservatives are too situational for a flat price — quote after initial consultation.
- Indoor air clearance (post-remediation): €390 per measurement point
For a typical old-building check we take 5–10 samples. You can calculate the exact total yourself with our price calculator in two minutes — typical old-building checks range from the low three-figure to the low four-figure euro range, depending on sample type, number of samples, and whether situational analyses are included.
By comparison: an asbestos surprise during renovation costs €5,000–€50,000. A PAH floor ripped out without protective measures contaminates the entire apartment. Lead pipes discovered only after moving in mean replacement plus temporary water supply.
When You Should Get in Touch
You are buying a house or apartment, construction year before 1995? You want to know what is in it before you sign? You need a solid basis for price negotiations?
Get in touch before the purchase contract is signed. That way you have the results in time for negotiations.
15-minute initial consultation, free of charge. We will tell you which analyses make sense for your property — and which do not.