The asbestos certificate must be signed by a competent professional: an architect, building surveyor, engineer or technical engineer (Law 38/1999). I do it as a licensed building surveyor. Here's why that matters, what to check before hiring someone, and how I, Josep Farré Teixidor, work in Barcelona.
A competent professional in this field; in my case, as a licensed building surveyor. According to the ARC model, it can be signed by a professional in architecture, technical architecture, engineering or technical engineering (Law 38/1999), each within their competences.
Because being registered with the professional college proves the surveyor has the required training and professional accountability, and usually comes with liability insurance backing the work. A report without an authorised professional's signature may not be accepted by the other party in the transaction.
The certificate is based on a visual inspection and the technical judgement of the professional carrying it out. As with any technical report, it helps if the person signing it has hands-on experience spotting asbestos-containing materials, such as fibre cement, so nothing is missed.
Three basic things:
That it's useless when you actually need it. A document without an authorised professional's signature can be rejected by the other party in the deal, forcing you to redo the process under time pressure, right when you thought the paperwork was already settled.
I'm a licensed building surveyor working in Barcelona and the surrounding area. You request a visit, I inspect the property, carry out a visual inspection of the usual elements — roofs and corrugated fibre-cement sheets, drainpipes, water tanks, ducts and old insulation where accessible — and deliver the signed report within a few days, dealing with you directly, with no middlemen. If it's a flat or office within a building, the certificate covers only that unit: shared elements (the roof, façade, communal drainpipes) need a separate inspection commissioned by the owners' association.
Get a quote →No. The certificate is based on a visual inspection and states the presence or absence of visible asbestos, its condition and the associated risk, backed by the signature and judgement of a licensed building surveyor. If you ever want a laboratory analytical confirmation on a specific sample, that's an additional step arranged separately, and it's not part of what the law requires.
Yes, an agency can commission the certificate for the owner, but it must still be signed by a competent, licensed professional. If you work with an agency, I can coordinate directly with them to speed up the process.