When to Call an Asbestos Professional

Not every asbestos question needs a contractor, and not every contractor needs an HSE licence. This guide sets out the situations where getting a professional involved makes sense, and which kind of professional you need.

1. A material is damaged and might contain asbestos

If a ceiling tile, board, pipe lagging or textured coating is cracked, crumbling or broken, keep people away from it and don't try to clean it up yourself. HSE says badly damaged asbestos that is likely to get worse should be removed if it can't be protected, and slightly damaged material can sometimes be sealed or enclosed by a trained person.

Who to call: a surveyor or analyst to confirm what it is, then the right kind of contractor if work is needed.

2. You're planning building work on an older property

Any home built or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos. Before work that disturbs ceilings, walls, floors, boxed-in pipes or roof areas, find out what is there. HSE says a refurbishment or demolition survey must locate asbestos, including material hidden in the building fabric, before structural work begins.

Who to call: an asbestos surveyor. HSE strongly recommends one accredited by UKAS to ISO/IEC 17020. Surveyors don't need an HSE licence.

3. You want to know whether something is asbestos

You can't tell by looking. The only way to confirm it is laboratory analysis of a sample, and anyone commissioning analysis must use a laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025. HSE recommends a trained person takes the sample.

Who to call: a UKAS-accredited laboratory or surveyor. See asbestos testing and sampling.

4. Asbestos needs removing

Which contractor you need depends on the material:

• HSE-licensed contractor: sprayed coatings, pipe and boiler lagging, loose-fill insulation, asbestos millboard, and most work on asbestos insulating board (AIB). The contractor must notify the enforcing authority at least 14 days before starting, and an accredited analyst carries out a four-stage clearance afterwards.
• Trained, non-licensed contractor: most work on asbestos cement (for example a garage roof removed without breaking it up), small areas of textured coating, and vinyl floor tiles. Some jobs, such as large-scale removal of textured coatings by steaming or gelling, are notifiable non-licensed work and must be notified before starting.

Read more about licensed and non-licensed work.

5. You manage a building with shared areas or a workplace

If you are responsible for maintaining non-domestic premises, or the common parts of a block of flats, you have a legal duty to manage asbestos under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. That means finding it or presuming it is present, keeping a register, assessing the risk and keeping a management plan under review.

Who to call: a surveyor for a management survey, and someone competent to help you write and review the plan. HSE's duty to manage guidance sets out the steps.

How to check who you're hiring

• For licensed work, ask for licence details and check them against the current licensed asbestos contractors list that HSE links to.
• For surveyors and laboratories, search UKAS.
• Get written quotes that say what is included and how waste will be disposed of.

More in our guide to choosing an asbestos specialist. Better Home Hub, which runs this site, can also try to introduce you to a specialist; being introduced is not an endorsement, so please still make these checks.

Sources

• HSE: licensable work with asbestos
• HSE: notifiable non-licensed work
• HSE: non-licensed work
• HSE: arrange an asbestos survey
• HSE: sourcing analysts and surveyors
• HSE asbestos FAQs

Last reviewed September 2026.