Asbestos in the Home: Survey, Removal & Cost

Asbestos can be present in any home built or refurbished before 2000.¹ It was widely used in British homes until it was banned in 1999.² It is not always a danger, undisturbed asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) that are in good condition generally pose little risk. The hazard arises when fibres are released into the air during drilling, cutting, or demolition. Before any renovation affecting pre-2000 fabric, knowing what you are dealing with is essential.¹

Where Is Asbestos Found in Homes?

Asbestos appears in dozens of building products. Common locations in UK residential properties include:

• Roofing sheets and tiles, corrugated cement sheets on garages, sheds, and outhouse roofs (chrysotile asbestos)
• Artex and textured coatings, swirled ceiling finishes popular in the 1970s–1980s
• Floor tiles, vinyl floor tiles and the adhesive beneath them
• Pipe lagging and boiler insulation, especially in properties with older heating systems
• Soffit boards and rainwater goods, particularly on extensions built pre-1980
• Airing cupboard panels and boxing, often insulating board containing amosite (brown asbestos)
• Roof felt, underlays in some flat and pitched roof constructions
• Partition walls, AIB (asbestos insulating board) in some prefabricated or system-built homes

Not all of these materials are high-risk; the type and condition of asbestos matters enormously. Sprayed coatings and pipe lagging (amphibole types) are far more hazardous than chrysotile cement sheets.

Types of Asbestos Survey

HSE guidance describes two types of asbestos survey: a management survey and a refurbishment or demolition survey.³ A homeowner has no legal duty to commission one, because the duty to manage asbestos covers non-domestic premises and the common parts of blocks of flats, but any contractor working in the property needs to know where ACMs are before disturbing them.⁴

Surveyors must be competent: HSE strongly recommends an accredited surveying organisation, and UKAS is the only recognised accreditation body for asbestos surveys in Great Britain.³ Employers who send material for asbestos analysis must use an analyst accredited to ISO 17025, so ask which UKAS-accredited laboratory the samples will go to.⁵ Avoid unqualified “asbestos testers” offering suspiciously cheap services; incorrect identification can be more dangerous than ignorance.

Asbestos Removal Costs

Removal cost depends on the type of ACM, its condition, volume, accessibility, and whether a licensed or non-licensed contractor is required.

Licensed vs Non-Licensed Work

Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, most higher-risk work, such as removing sprayed coatings or pipe lagging and most work on asbestos insulating board (AIB), must be carried out by an HSE-licensed contractor.⁶ Lower-risk work, such as carefully removing asbestos cement sheets without breaking them up, is non-licensed work, though it must still follow HSE’s controls; some work on damaged or more friable materials is notifiable non-licensed work, which must be reported to the enforcing authority.⁷

Licensed contractors must notify the enforcing authority on form ASB5 at least 14 days before starting work; for work in a home that is HSE.⁶ They will encapsulate the work area, use full respiratory protective equipment, and dispose of waste at a licensed facility.

Cost Breakdown by Material Type

Prices include disposal to a licensed landfill site. Asbestos waste must be double-wrapped, labelled and taken to a site licensed to accept it in containers that stop fibres escaping; it cannot go into a skip or general waste.²

The Asbestos Removal Process

Step 1, Survey and identification. Commission a refurbishment survey before any renovation work. The surveyor produces a report identifying every ACM, its condition, risk rating, and recommended action.

Step 2, Contractor selection. For licensed work, check the firm against the current list of HSE licence holders, which HSE links to from its guidance on licensed work. For non-licensed work, confirm the company follows current CAR 2012 requirements and carries adequate liability insurance.

Step 3, Notifications. Licensed contractors notify HSE on form ASB5, as above. Notifiable non-licensed work, such as large-scale steam or gel removal of textured coatings, must also be notified to the enforcing authority.⁸

Step 4, Enclosure and removal. The area is sealed with polythene sheeting, negative-pressure air units are used for high-risk work, and operatives wear appropriate RPE (typically FFP3 or air-fed respirators for licensed work).

Step 5, Air testing and clearance. After licensed work, an analyst inspects the area and tests the air before issuing a site clearance certificate for reoccupation, and only then is the enclosure taken down. Whoever makes that assessment must be accredited to ISO 17020 and ISO 17025.⁹ An independent analyst is worth using after any removal.

Step 6, Disposal. Waste is taken to a permitted site that accepts asbestos. Asbestos waste is hazardous waste, which must travel with a consignment note, so ask for a copy confirming disposal.¹⁰

What About Artex Ceilings?

This is one of the most common concerns for UK homeowners. Artex and similar textured coatings applied before 2000 may contain chrysotile (white) asbestos, and HSE counts textured decorative coatings among the lower-risk asbestos materials.² A ceiling in good condition, left alone, poses negligible risk. The danger arises if you sand it, drill through it, or strip it.

Options:

• Leave it, if in good condition, this is often the safest choice.
• Overboard it, plasterboard fixed over the existing ceiling, encapsulating the artex. Cost: £200–£400 per room (materials and labour), no asbestos removal required.
• Test and remove, have a sample tested (£25–£50), and if positive, use a trained asbestos removal contractor: removing textured coatings does not need an HSE licence, but large-scale removal by steaming or gelling is notifiable non-licensed work.⁸

Many removal companies recommend overboarding as cost-effective and low-risk.

Finding a Licensed Contractor

Only an HSE-licensed contractor may remove the higher-risk materials, and the HSE sets out which work needs a licence. HSE links to a current list of licence holders, but a licence is only the starting point, so vet each firm yourself.⁶ Always:

• Get at least three written quotes with scope of work clearly defined.
• Check that the quote includes air testing, waste disposal, and a clearance certificate.
• Confirm the company carries public liability insurance of at least £5 million.
• Ask for a copy of their HSE licence before work starts.

Avoid cash-in-hand offers for asbestos work. Carrying out licensable asbestos work without an HSE licence is an offence.⁶ As a householder you also have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to make sure your waste goes only to someone authorised to take it, so a cheap job that ends in fly-tipping can come back to you.¹¹

Disturbing asbestos without testing

Drilling, sanding, or breaking ACMs releases fibres that can cause mesothelioma and lung cancer decades later. Always test before you cut, drill, or sand any pre-2000 surface you are unsure about.¹

Do I Have to Declare Asbestos When Selling?

There is no legal duty to survey for asbestos before selling a home in England and Wales, but the Misrepresentation Act 1967 means knowingly concealing a known hazard can expose sellers to claims. In practice, most solicitors advise disclosing any known ACMs in the property information form (TA6). A management survey carried out before listing, at £200–£500, can actually be a selling advantage, it shows buyers exactly what is present and in what condition, removing uncertainty that might otherwise kill a sale.