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Somerset, Bath and Weston-super-Mare

Asbestos in Somerset? Start here.

Whether it is a barn roof you have inherited or a ceiling you are about to take a hammer to, the first job is the same: find out what you are dealing with. Describe it once and a licensed contractor will ring you.

  • Goes to one firm only
  • No charge, no strings
  • Licence checkable on HSE's register
Describe the job I think I've found some

Run independently of any contractor. Who we are.

Which council are you under?

This catches people out: Somerset is carved up between three councils, and the one you pay council tax to decides whether you can take cement-bonded asbestos to a recycling site, how to book and what it costs.

Somerset Council

Taunton, Yeovil, Bridgwater, Frome, Wells, Minehead. Seven sites accept it, if you book.

North Somerset

Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon, Portishead. Accepted at a set price per bag or sheet.

Bath and North East Somerset

Bath, Keynsham, Midsomer Norton. Keynsham only, with notice and a three-sheet cap.

Put all three side by side

What happens when you press Send

  1. You describe the job. A postcode and a sentence or two will do.
  2. One contractor receives it. They hold an HSE asbestos licence. Nobody else sees your details.
  3. They ring you. Expect questions about the building, maybe a visit, then a price.
  4. You decide. If you don't like the price, you walk away. Anything you do agree is between you and them.

HSE keeps a public list of licensed contractors, so you can look any firm up. This service runs independently of the contractor. More about us.

Tell us about the job

One licensed contractor receives this and rings you. Fields with a * are needed.

What is it about? *
For example: "Corrugated barn roof, about 12 m by 6 m", or "Artex in the hall, house is 1960s".
The job's postcode, such as TA1 or BA21 4AB.
Got some? Mention what they show. Nobody should break or scrape anything just to get a picture.

Pressing Send passes your details to us and then to a single HSE-licensed contractor, nobody else, so they can get back to you about this job. See the privacy notice.

Three things people come to us for

  1. Finding out what's in the building

    An extension, a strip-out, a major refit, or a property you manage. A survey maps where the asbestos is and what state it is in.

    Read the survey guide

  2. Checking one suspect material

    A ceiling, a tile, a sheet of roofing. A small sample goes to an accredited laboratory, and that is the only way to know for certain.

    Read the testing guide

  3. Getting it taken out

    Barn and garage roofs, ceiling coatings, old tiles, soffits, boiler lagging. Some of it legally needs a licensed firm and some doesn't.

    Read the removal guide

If you think you've found some

  1. Don't touch it. It is dangerous when disturbed, because that is when fibres get into the air. Nothing should be drilled, sanded, scraped or snapped.
  2. Clear the room of people and pets if the material is cracked or crumbling.
  3. Keep it out of bins and skips. It counts as hazardous waste, so it can't go in with ordinary rubbish.
  4. Have it identified. A lab result or a survey tells you what it is and whether anything has to be done about it.

From the HSE FAQ page on asbestos. HSE reckons buildings put up after 2000 are unlikely to contain any, so this is mostly an older-property problem (HSE's introduction page).

Where it tends to turn up in older Somerset buildings

  • Roofs on garages, sheds and barns. Corrugated cement sheets. Roof guide.
  • Textured ceilings and walls. Artex-style coatings. Get one tested before you disturb it.
  • Floor coverings. Vinyl tiles, the adhesive and backing, sometimes beneath newer flooring.
  • Boilers and pipework. Lagging, which HSE treats as high risk, plus gaskets in some older appliances.
  • Soffits, partitions and panels. Insulating board, mostly a licensed-contractor job to remove.
  • Gutters, downpipes and flues. Also asbestos cement, along with some wall cladding.

Where this comes from: HSE list of where it is found.

Quick answers

Must it always be a licensed firm?

No. HSE reserves licensed work for the riskier materials: sprayed coatings, lagging, loose-fill insulation, millboard and most insulating board. Cement products such as roof sheets can usually be handled by properly trained, unlicensed workers. The detail

Do I need a test or a survey?

A test settles one question about one material. A survey covers a whole building, or the area being worked on. Testing and surveys each have a guide.

Can I drive it to the tip myself?

Maybe, in small quantities and only at certain sites, and each council has its own rules. Check yours

Are you an asbestos company?

No. We introduce you to one licensed contractor, and they quote and do the work. About us

Every question we get asked

Ready when you are

Two minutes, one form. One licensed contractor receives it and rings you. You are not committing to anything, and your details are not passed on to anyone else.

Send an enquiry

Send an enquiry