Asbestos Diagnosis Pully

Pully: a lakeside residential heritage facing asbestos risk

Pully is one of the most sought-after municipalities in the Lausanne agglomeration. Spread across terraces on the shores of Lake Geneva, to the east of Lausanne, it is home to a quality residential fabric composed of villas, tree-lined properties and bourgeois buildings with lake views. This privileged living environment does not provide protection against asbestos risk: a significant proportion of Pully’s buildings were constructed between the 1950s and the 1980s, at the heart of the period of maximum asbestos use in Switzerland.

The lakeside, with its high-end villas and residential buildings constructed or renovated between the 1950s and 1975, presents a specific profile. Contemporary architecture constructions of the period — continuous balconies, prefabricated element facades, first-generation double-glazed windows — incorporated asbestos-containing materials in their finishes and insulation. Renovations in the 1960s–1975 of older fine properties added further layers of potentially asbestos-containing materials to nineteenth-century or early twentieth-century structures.

Residential districts set back from the lake, developed in the 1960s–1980s to accommodate a broader population, present a fabric of individual villas and small buildings whose construction timeline is clearly in the risk zone. The quiet streets of Pully-Nord and the Chamblandes and Chamberonne sectors concentrate this type of residential heritage from the critical decades.

Bourgeois buildings along the Avenue de Lavaux and main roads, constructed or completely renovated in the 1950s–1975 period, constitute the third important category: these multi-storey apartment buildings often present interior finishes and facade materials from the period that may contain asbestos.

Which buildings are concerned in Pully?

Pully’s built profile is characterised by generally high construction quality, but asbestos-containing materials from the 1950–1985 period are independent of the property’s value.

Lakeside villas and properties

Villas constructed or completely renovated between 1950 and 1980 on the lakeside constitute the most represented category in the lower part of the municipality. Despite the care taken in their construction, these buildings contain materials typical of the period: fibre cement roofing, quality vinyl tiles in service spaces, tile adhesives in bathrooms, pipe insulation in private boiler rooms. Covered swimming pools, garages and technical rooms of these large properties are zones not to be overlooked.

High-end residential buildings

Bourgeois buildings of three to seven storeys constructed between 1950 and 1975 present mixed configurations: facades in architectural fibre cement elements, entrance halls with quality suspended ceiling sheets, apartments with high-end vinyl floor tiles, collective boiler rooms with riser column lagging. The quality of these buildings may have led to better-quality asbestos-containing materials, but equally present.

Institutional buildings and municipal facilities

The few public buildings — schools, administrative centre, community halls — constructed in the 1960s–1970s present institutional configurations of the period: fibre cement suspended ceilings in halls and corridors, vinyl floors over large surfaces, ventilation ducts.

Common asbestos-containing materials in Pully

Pully’s built fabric from the 1950–1985 period presents materials characteristic of quality residential construction of the period:

• High-quality vinyl floor tiles in living spaces and building common areas
• Adhesives for laying vinyl tiles and quality ceramic coverings
• Fibre cement sheets and elements on facades, spandrel panels and in loggias
• Corrugated or flat fibre cement sheet roofs and annexes
• Interior smoothing renders applied in the 1960s–1975 period
• Acoustic insulation under slabs in multi-apartment collective buildings
• Lagging on heating and domestic hot water pipes
• Sheet suspended ceilings in halls, corridors and service rooms
• Glazing joints and mastics in 1960s–1970s windows
• Interior lining panels in chalet-type or contemporary 1960s constructions

Private villa boiler rooms and collective building boiler rooms are the most frequent concentration zones for degraded materials.

Regulations applicable in Pully

Pully is located in the canton of Vaud. The pre-works asbestos diagnosis report (AvT) is a mandatory component of the building permit application file for any building predating 1991. This report must be prepared by a recognised FACH expert and must not be more than three years old at the time of submitting the application.

For large-surface villas with several building sections, the diagnosis scope must cover all zones affected by the works, including annexes and technical rooms. A partial report covering only the works zone may be insufficient if other zones also need to be investigated depending on the nature of the project.

Property transactions involving Pully villas or buildings predating 1991 can usefully include an asbestos diagnosis, even though this is not legally mandatory in that context alone. It protects the buyer against costly post-transaction discoveries and can constitute a transparency argument in negotiations.

Neighbouring communes served

We operate in Pully and all neighbouring communes:

• Lausanne (Ouchy, Valency)
• Lutry
• Belmont-sur-Lausanne
• Savigny
• Paudex

Frequently asked questions about asbestos diagnosis in Pully

My lakeside villa in Pully dates from 1958 and was completely renovated in 1972. What is the situation?

The 1972 renovation very probably introduced asbestos-containing materials into the original building: it was the heart of the period of maximum asbestos use in Switzerland. Suspended ceilings installed during the renovation, new floor tiles, pipe insulation, facade elements added: these renovation works are the priority zones to target. Original 1958 materials may also contain asbestos in the insulation and coverings of the period.

My architect tells me the AvT report for my building permit must be less than 3 years old. My existing report dates from 2023. Is it still valid in 2026?

A report prepared in 2023 is still valid in 2026 for a permit submission, provided it covers all zones concerned by your new works. If the planned works affect zones not covered by the 2023 report, a supplementary diagnosis will be necessary for those new zones. If the existing report covers the entire scope, it can be used.

Do Pully villas with covered swimming pools from the 1970s pose particular challenges for the diagnosis?

Yes. Covered swimming pools constructed in the 1970s often present specific materials: bathroom thermal insulation, moisture-resistant floor coverings, humidity-treated ceilings. These materials may contain asbestos. Moreover, adjacent technical rooms — boiler rooms, water treatment rooms — frequently contain lagging. The covered swimming pool and its technical annexes must be included in the diagnosis scope.

Can the asbestos diagnosis be carried out while the villa is occupied by tenants?

Yes, in the vast majority of cases. The diagnosis consists of a visual inspection and punctual sampling of small specimens, which does not require evacuation of occupants. For sampling in inaccessible zones or for very friable materials, specific precautions are taken. The expert informs occupants and adapts the arrangements to the situation.

My Pully building is a condominium. Who must commission the asbestos diagnosis for works on common areas?

For works on common areas, it is the community of co-owners or their legal representative (administrator) who must commission the diagnosis. The scope covers the common areas concerned by the works. For works on the private parts of an apartment, it is the co-owner concerned who is responsible for the diagnosis for their works zones.