Want to know how much it costs to have asbestos removed? In the following article we look at how much it costs to remove asbestos based on a variety of jobs. We’ll also delve into other relevant subjects such as how long it takes to remove asbestos and a closer look at what is involved in different asbestos removal jobs.
If you plan to have asbestos removed from your property by a professional, the following guide will be particularly helpful.
Asbestos is a fibrous silicate mineral that was often used in construction until the 1980s. Asbestos was then outlawed in the late ‘90s due to health and safety concerns.
For that reason, removing asbestos is a popular job. Asbestos can also get in the way of other work (e.g. tearing down a wall) and thus it proves necessary to hire a professional to safely remove this material.
The average cost of a basic asbestos survey is £30 to £70 with the price reaching £150 to £250 in the case of a detailed survey.
You’d pay a total of about £1620 to £2020 to remove Artex from a ceiling and £1850 to £2300 to remove both asbestos and Artex from a ceiling.
The cost of removing asbestos from a medium garage roof would be roughly £2450 to £3050. If you’d like to have asbestos removed from a 75m2 semi-detached roof, expect a bill of about £7250 to £8700 or £10,050 to £15,300 for an asbestos roof removal in the case of a 100m2 detached roof.
Let’s now discuss the cost of labour in particular. A basic asbestos survey would cost roughly £30 to £70 but a detailed survey would have a labour price of about £150 to £250.
As you can tell, there are no supply costs involved in these first two jobs. As for removing both asbestos and Artex from an average ceiling, this would cost roughly £920 to £1100 in labour costs.
However, without Artex removal required, the labour cost would be more likely £800 to £960.
To remove asbestos from an average garage roof would feature a labour cost of roughly £1250 to £1500. For a 75m2 semi-detached roof, removing asbestos would likely have a labour cost or £3750 to £4500 with the price reaching about £5250 to £7000 for a 100m2 detached roof.
Contractors usually charge £50 to £60 per m2 in labour costs to remove asbestos.As for the cost of the materials, you’d pay about £830 to £1000 to remove asbestos and Artex from a ceiling or £720 to £860 to remove asbestos only from a ceiling.
If you’d like to have asbestos removed from a mid-sized garage roof, expect the supply cost to be £1100 to £1350.
To remove asbestos from a 75m2 semi-detached roof would have a material cost of £3400 to £4000 but supply costs reach approximately £4700 to £6300 if you’d like to remove asbestos from a 100m2 detached roof.
The cost of having asbestos removed will vary depending on the specifics of the job, the amount of asbestos present, the size of the area, ease of access, the state of the work area, and where in the UK you are based. The reason that location matters is because labour prices vary across the country.
| Job Description | Labour | Supply | Waste Removal | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Survey | £30 to £70 | - | - | £30 to £70 |
| Detailed Survey | £150 to £250 | - | - | £150 to £250 |
| Remove Artex from a Ceiling | £800 to £960 | £720 to £860 | £100 to £200 | £1620 to £2020 |
| Remove Artex and Asbestos from a Ceiling | £920 to £1100 | £830 to £1000 | £100 to £200 | £1850 to £2300 |
| Remove Asbestos from a Garage Roof | £1250 to £1500 | £1100 to £1350 | £100 to £200 | £2450 to £3050 |
| Remove Asbestos from a 75m2 Roof | £3750 to £4500 | £3400 to £4000 | £100 to £200 | £7250 to £8700 |
| Remove Asbestos from a 100m2 Roof | £5250 to £7000 | £4700 to £6300 | £100 to £200 | £10,050 to £15,300 |
We’ll now take a look at the different forms of asbestos. This section will discuss what each type is, how they differ and which are the most difficult and expensive to remove.
Chrysotile or white asbestos is the most prominent type of asbestos. It was traditionally used in roof shingles, ceiling tiles, floors, and walls.
Chrysotile consists of curly fibres and their shape makes it easier for this type of asbestos to circulate area with minimal damage over time.
Notably, it was the very last type of asbestos to be outlawed in the UK, when chrysotile was made illegal in 1999.
Also known as brown asbestos, amosite is one of the most lethal types of asbestos. This mineral was no longer used from the early 1980s.
Amosite fibres are stronger and coarser than those found in chrysotile. Sometimes, however, both types of asbestos can be found merged within insulation boards. Amosite poses a greater cancer risk than chrysotile.
The most dangerous type of asbestos is crocidolite. Unsurprisingly, it was the first to be outlawed in the UK, with crocidolite use in construction ending in 1970.
It may be found in cement wallboards, spray-on coatings, in steam engines, pipe insulation, and elsewhere. The fibres of this form of asbestos are sharp and short.
If inhaled they can result in long-lasting health damage.
Let’s now look at the steps involved in removing asbestos. Please note that you should never attempt to remove asbestos by yourself.
It is essential that you hire an asbestos specialist to undertake this work. It is best practice to acquire a minimum of three quotes from a variety of specialists/companies before making a decision.
You should also ask for some references to ensure you are hiring a suitable professional for the job.
Next, the hired contractor will come by and perform an appropriate survey to a) confirm that asbestos is present and b) determine if the asbestos should be removed or simply encapsulated with an adhesive material.
Notably, building regulations or/and planning permission approval may be needed prior to the work commencing. If you are unsure as to whether or not this is the case, you should consult with your local council.
On the day of the work, the area will be prepared and the necessary safety precautions undertaken.
Assuming that encapsulation is not the chosen approach, the first practical step of the removal process involves spraying a substantial quantity of water onto the asbestos in order to stop asbestos dust escaping.
Prior to applying the water, it’s important to make sure that there aren’t any materials or electrical appliances nearby.
The watering process will be a continual effort throughout the course of removing the asbestos. In some cases, the water application will be mixed with a PVA solution or detergent for maximum effect.
As soon as the initial watering process is complete, it’s time to remove the asbestos. If the material is bolted down, each bolt should be cautiously removed in such a way that they do not make contact with the asbestos itself.
Any materials used (including the bolts) to support the asbestos should be put away carefully. Next, the sheets of asbestos can be carefully removed.
If asbestos is being removed from a roof, the contractor(s) will take extra caution when the removed materials are being taken down from a height since damaged or broken asbestos is incredibly dangerous.
Each layer of asbestos will be stacked atop another neatly and carefully before being wrapped to ensure that dust does not escape.
Once this is dealt with, the asbestos specialist will inspect the work area to make sure that there is no more work required. At this point, the contained asbestos will be carefully removed as will any other waste materials.
There are many added jobs you may wish or need to pay for as part of the work, depending on the nature of the job. For example, roof repairs generally cost somewhere in the range of £300 to £1100.
If the work necessitates that you pay to install scaffolding, such as for work on a roof, the hiring cost would likely land between £500 and £900.
If you’d like to have a single room painted and decorated, you can expect to pay for an overall bill of around £300 to £500.
Additional, as part of removing asbestos from a roof, specialist(s) may be hired for asbestos siding removal which will likely add several hundred pounds to your final bill.
In no circumstances can you remove asbestos DIY. It is not only very unsafe but also against the law.
It is not an exaggeration that attempting to remove asbestos DIY could easily result in serious damage to one’s health (even if over several years) or death.
All it takes is a short period of exposure to asbestos fibres to suffer short or long-term harm. Roughly 13 people die in the UK every day due to health problems related to asbestos exposure.
It is therefore essential to hire an asbestos specialist. You should also hire a specialist to survey an area if you have any doubts as to whether asbestos is present or not.
As with any work there are disadvantages and issues worth considering. No doubt, it is best to have asbestos removed, especially if there is a pressing reason of practicality, utility, or safety to consider.
However, removing asbestos can be a time consuming and messy job. It can be disruptive too. If planning permission or building regulations approval is needed and your application(s) are rejected, you would need to apply once more, but with the necessary changes made to your submission(s).
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A: Asbestos comes in various shapes, sizes, and textures. For that reason, there is no one way to identify asbestos. However, the Health and Safety Executive provides images and descriptions for a wide range of examples where asbestos may be found.
A: Asbestos testing must be undertaken by an asbestos specialist. They will perform a basic or detailed test in order to identify if asbestos is present.
A: Given that asbestos fibres are incredibly small and often difficult to spot with the naked eye, to err on the side of caution, it should be noted that asbestos fibres can remain in the air for as much as 48 to 72 hours.
Of course these fibres could rise back up again through minimal disturbance. For that reason, to be certain that there is no asbestos in the air, it is best to have a professional conduct an air test of the room. This could be performed after asbestos has been removed or if it had been removed in the past.
A: It is the shape, durability, and nature of asbestos fibres that is so harmful. They are easy to inhale but not all particles will easily be exhaled. They can stick to a person’s lungs and cause damage over the course of decades. This can result in diseases like mesothelioma or lung cancer.
A: This would depend largely on the size of the area. Asbestos specialists charge about £50 to £60 per m2 to remove asbestos.
For that reason, to have say, asbestos removed from a 5m2 area of tiles would come with a labour cost of around £250 to £300. However, the overall cost, given the cost of supplies and waste removal would likely reach £575 to £770 for a 5m2 area of tiles.
This is of course an average estimate and costs will vary depending on many other factors including whereabouts you live in the UK.
