Our Services
Asbestos Services in Portsmouth and Hampshire
Everything below is handled by the same HSE licensed team, so a job that changes character partway through does not need handing to somebody else.
- Start with identification, not removal
- Finding asbestos does not mean removing it
- One team from sample to consignment note
- Free written quotes, fixed before work starts
The three questions, in order
Work out which of three questions you are actually asking. Is it asbestos? — that is testing or a survey. What should happen to it? — removal, encapsulation, or managing it in place. How does it leave site legally? — disposal, with the consignment paperwork you are required to keep. They run in that order, and starting at the wrong one is what wastes money.
Most people arrive here having skipped to the third question. Somebody has found something grey and corrugated, and wants it gone. That instinct is understandable and it is usually the expensive route.
Is it asbestos? You cannot tell by looking — asbestos cement and modern fibre cement are visually identical, and plenty of textured coatings contain none at all. Testing settles one specific material. A survey covers a whole property, and is the right route before renovation, before purchase, or where you have a legal duty to manage a building.
What should happen to it? The answer is one of three: manage it in place, seal it, or remove it. Material in good condition that nobody will disturb is frequently safest and cheapest left alone and recorded. That is what encapsulation is for, and it is a legitimate outcome rather than a compromise.
How does it leave site? Asbestos is hazardous waste. It cannot go in a household bin, a general skip, or most council waste sites. Disposal means a registered carrier, a licensed facility and a consignment note you keep.
Identify and confirm
Before anything is removed, the material has to be identified and its condition understood.
Asbestos surveys — management surveys for buildings in normal occupation, refurbishment and demolition surveys before intrusive work, pre-purchase surveys before you commit to a property, and re-inspections to keep a register current.
Testing and sampling — a single material identified by UKAS-accredited laboratory analysis. The cheapest first step by a wide margin, and it regularly comes back negative.
Air monitoring and clearance — four-stage clearance after licensed removal, plus reassurance testing where occupants want a measurement rather than an opinion.
Remove, seal or dispose
Asbestos removal — licensed and non-licensed work, under controlled conditions, with clearance testing where the job requires it.
Encapsulation — sealing sound material in place and managing it, usually at considerably lower cost than removal.
Disposal and collection — including collection-only where material is already down and correctly wrapped.
The two jobs we are called to most often have pages of their own, because they behave differently from general removal: garage roof removal and Artex and textured coating removal. Both are non-licensed work, which means no statutory waiting period and a fast turnaround.
Licensed and non-licensed work
This distinction decides the price, the timescale and who is legally allowed to do the job, so it is worth understanding before you compare quotes.
Licensed work covers the higher-risk materials — asbestos insulating board, pipe lagging, sprayed coatings. Only an HSE licensed contractor may carry it out. It requires a sealed enclosure, air monitoring, independent clearance before reoccupation, and a statutory 14 days' notice to the HSE before work can begin.
Notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW) sits between the two: no licence required, but notification, records and health surveillance are.
Non-licensed work covers cement sheet, garage roofs, textured coatings, floor tiles and water tanks. No licence, no notification period, and it can usually be scheduled quickly.
We hold an HSE licence, so both categories are covered. That matters when a job turns out to contain more than expected — a contractor without one has to stop and hand over, and you start again having paid for an attendance.
Choosing a service
I have found something and do not know what it is. Start with testing. One material, laboratory-confirmed, inexpensive.
I am renovating a pre-2000 property. A refurbishment and demolition survey, before anything intrusive begins. Commissioning it late is one of the more expensive mistakes on a building programme.
I am buying a house. A pre-purchase survey, while you can still act on what it finds.
I manage non-domestic premises. A management survey establishes your register under the duty to manage, and re-inspection keeps it current.
The material is already down and bagged. Collection only — you do not need to pay for removal.
I want to know what it costs first. The price guide sets out guide ranges for every service on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Asbestos service questions
Which service do I actually need?
Can one company handle the whole job?
What is the difference between licensed and non-licensed work?
Do you work for landlords and commercial duty holders?
Do you cover my area?
Is a quote free?
Official guidance
- HSE — Asbestosduties, health risks and licensed work
- Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012the governing regulations
- HSE — Licensed contractorswhat a licence covers and how to check one
- GOV.UK — Dispose of hazardous wastethe legal disposal route
External links open in a new tab. None of these organisations sell asbestos services.
Not sure which service you need?
Describe what you have found — what it looks like, where it is, and roughly how old the property is. We will tell you which service applies, including when the answer is that you do not need us yet.
Quotes are free and carry no obligation. The phone is answered 24 hours.
Ready to Get Started?
Ready to Deal with Asbestos Safely?
Get a clear quote today or speak to our team now. We’ll guide you through the process and make sure everything is handled correctly.