Asbestos Questions, Answered Straight

Licensed materials — insulating board, lagging, sprayed coatings — never. That is illegal without an HSE licence. Some lower-risk materials may legally be handled by a competent person, but disposal is restricted and the risk is real. For most people it is not worth it. See asbestos removal for which category is which.

Only within narrow limits, and it must still reach a licensed facility with the correct paperwork. Asbestos is hazardous waste: it has to be double-bagged or wrapped, labelled, moved by a registered carrier, and recorded on a consignment note you keep.

No, and it is an offence. Buried asbestos does not break down. It remains a hazard and becomes a liability attached to the property that resurfaces at sale or during any future groundwork.

For non-domestic premises, the duty to manage under CAR 2012 requires you to know what is present, record it, assess its condition and keep the record current. For a domestic property there is no register requirement, but you must not mislead a buyer.

Non-licensed removal typically runs from £400 to £1,500. Licensed removal — insulating board, lagging or sprayed coatings — from around £2,400 to £7,000 or more, because it requires enclosure, statutory notification, air monitoring and independent clearance testing. Surveys are usually £200 to £500. Guide figures, excluding VAT unless stated; the price guide breaks every service down.

Generally no. Some councils operate limited schemes for small quantities of household asbestos, with conditions and quantity caps attached — it is worth asking Portsmouth City Council directly. For anything beyond that, and for all commercial work, removal is a paid job.

Usually because they are not quoting the same job. A contractor without an HSE licence can only quote non-licensed work. Disposal, consignment paperwork and clearance testing are also real costs that a cheaper quote may have excluded.

You cannot tell by looking, and that is the single most useful thing on this page. Asbestos cement and modern fibre cement are visually identical. Only laboratory analysis of a sample gives a definite answer.

Stop, leave the area, and keep people out. Do not sweep it and do not use a domestic vacuum — that makes it considerably worse. Then call for advice. The phone is answered 24 hours.

No. Material in good condition that will not be disturbed is often better managed or sealed in place — usually at lower cost and with less disruption than removal.

Undisturbed and in sound condition, the risk is low, because the fibres are bound into the material. The danger comes from disturbing it — sanding, drilling, cutting, breaking or pressure-washing.

Most non-licensed domestic jobs are one to two days once work starts. Licensed work requires 14 days' notice to the HSE beforehand, so plan for that.

One specific material: a test. A whole property, planned building work, or non-domestic premises: a survey.