How to Deal With Asbestos in a Home Renovation
Asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are present in a significant proportion of London homes built or significantly renovated before 2000. In the UK, asbestos use was not banned until 1999 — and in the decades before that, it was a widely used building material appreciated for its fire resistance, durability, and insulating properties. Understanding where ACMs may be present, how to manage them safely, and what your contractor's obligations are is essential knowledge for any homeowner undertaking a renovation.
Where Asbestos May Be Found in a Home
Common locations include: artex textured coatings on ceilings and walls (particularly in homes decorated between the 1960s and 1980s); floor tiles (particularly black bitumen floor tiles or vinyl floor tiles); pipe lagging on heating and hot water pipes; soffit boards under roof overhangs; ceiling tiles; roof sheets on outbuildings or extensions; insulating board used in fire-protection applications; and old boiler insulation or flue pipes.
Not all artex contains asbestos, and not all vinyl floor tiles do — but where a building was constructed or decorated before 2000 and these materials are present, they should be treated with caution until tested.
What to Do Before Renovation Works Begin
An asbestos survey should be carried out before any renovation works that will disturb the building fabric. There are two types: a management survey (suitable for managing ACMs in place in a building that is occupied and not being renovated) and a refurbishment and demolition survey (required before any works that will disturb or remove materials — this is the appropriate type before a renovation).
A refurbishment and demolition asbestos survey is carried out by a UKAS-accredited surveyor. It involves intrusive inspection of the areas to be disturbed, sampling of suspect materials, and laboratory analysis of the samples. The result is a survey report identifying any ACMs, their condition, and whether they present a risk.
Removal
Low-risk, non-friable ACMs (such as textured coatings in good condition that are not disturbed) may sometimes be managed in place or encapsulated rather than removed. Higher-risk or friable ACMs must be removed by a licensed asbestos contractor (licensed by the HSE) prior to renovation works.
Unlicensed removal of notifiable ACMs is a criminal offence and creates genuine health risk. The cost of licensed asbestos removal varies by material type and quantity — typically £300–£2,000+ for domestic quantities — but is non-negotiable where it's required.
Your Contractor's Obligations
Under CDM 2015 and asbestos regulations, the contractor must not commence works that may disturb suspected ACMs without an appropriate asbestos survey. A responsible contractor will ask for the survey before providing a quote for any project involving existing fabric. If your contractor is not asking for this information, ask them why.
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