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What should an asbestos removal quote include?
In Cheshire, an asbestos quote should name the material, say whether the firm treats the work as licensable, and say who arranges the waste. No price is printed, and no method is set out for taking asbestos out.
Last reviewed:An asbestos quote is not a removal method
In Cheshire, people ask what an asbestos removal costs when a survey, a buyer or a builder has named a material in a garage roof, a cupboard, a floor tile or a textured ceiling. This guide is about the written quote: what the firm is pricing, whether they say a licence applies, and how the waste leaves the property. It is not a set of steps. Do not drill, sand, scrape or break a material to see what it is.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE). QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
The home questions below follow the HSE asbestos FAQ [S1].
HSE says asbestos may be part of any building, commercial or domestic, that was built or refurbished before the year 2000 [S1]. The same answer lists places it can still be found: cement products such as pipes, flues and roofs; lagging on pipes and boilers; water tanks and toilet cisterns; asbestos insulating board, which closely resembles typical plasterboard; loose asbestos in ceiling and wall cavities; sprayed coatings on ceilings, walls, beams and columns; textured decorative coatings; floor tiles; textiles and composites [S1]. A board that looks like plasterboard is not a reason to treat it as plasterboard.
The presence of asbestos alone should not be a cause for concern [S1]. It becomes a risk to health when fibres are released into the air and breathed in [S1]. That is why a quote is for a controlled job, not for a weekend of breaking panels.
What to do before anyone prices the work
Do not try to repair or remove any asbestos materials yourself if you have not had training for non-licensed asbestos work [S1]. You can ask an environmental health officer at the council for advice. HSE points householders to the GOV.UK page on asbestos in the home for how to contact them [S1]. That GOV.UK page says to get information about asbestos and its disposal from your local council, and it applies in England and Wales [S3].
If you are sure, or you strongly suspect, that the home contains asbestos, leaving the material where it is is often the course HSE describes when it is in good condition and unlikely to be damaged [S1]. Check the condition from time to time so you know if it has been damaged or has started to deteriorate [S1]. Slightly damaged material can sometimes be sealed or enclosed, but only if you have had the necessary training [S1]. Badly damaged material that is likely to be damaged further should be removed if it cannot be protected [S1]. No method is set out for sealing, enclosing or removing anything.
Some materials should only be removed by a contractor licensed by HSE: sprayed coatings, lagging or insulation, and asbestos insulating board [S1]. HSE strongly encourages trained professionals to repair or remove asbestos-containing materials [S1]. If you are bringing builders in for other work, tell them about any asbestos you know is in the home before they start, so it is less likely to be disturbed [S1].
Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach are towns for the enquiry. The material and the room matter more than the town name.
The licence is the employer's decision, written on your quote
The employer of anyone whose work might involve asbestos is responsible for deciding if the work requires a licensed contractor [S2]. Most higher-risk work must only be done by a licensed contractor [S2]. Ask the firm to write which side of that line they are putting your job on, and why. Do not decide it yourself from a photograph.
HSE's licensing overview says that all work with sprayed asbestos coatings, asbestos insulation or asbestos lagging, and most work with asbestos insulating board, requires a licence [S1]. Removal of those higher-risk materials should only be carried out by a licensed contractor [S1]. Examples of licensable work on the contractor page include removing sprayed coatings, removal or other work which may disturb pipe lagging, any work involving loose-fill insulation, work on asbestos millboard, and work on insulating board where the risk assessment indicates it will not be short duration [S2]. A decision on a particular job must be based on the risk, not only on the example list [S2].
Short duration, in the asbestos regulations, means any one person working for less than one hour, or more than one person working for a total of less than two hours, in any 7 consecutive days [S1]. All work on asbestos insulating board that is not short duration requires a licence [S1]. Work on that board which is short but still likely to release a high level of fibres is also licensed [S1]. HSE says assessing insulating board often needs judgement, because the board can release fibres when it is worked on [S1]. That judgement is the contractor's, recorded in a risk assessment, not a sentence you write on a job form.
Most work on asbestos cement can be carried out without a licence, provided the workers have had appropriate information, instruction and training [S1]. "Without a licence" is not "do it yourself", and it is not a method. Non-licensed work must still comply with the Control of Asbestos Regulations so that people are not exposed [S2]. Some non-licensed work has extra duties for the employer, including telling the enforcing authority before the work starts. The FAQ answer on that category does not set a minimum waiting period. Do not confuse it with the 14-day rule below, which is for licensable work.
If the work is licensable, a licence is required to work as an asbestos contractor on someone else's premises, or on your own premises with your own employees [S2]. It is an offence to carry out licensable work without a licence, and you could be prosecuted [S2]. All licensable work must be notified to the appropriate enforcing authority using the ASB5 form at least 14 days before the work starts [S2]. On HSE's table, domestic premises sit with the Health and Safety Executive as the enforcing authority [S2]. Ask the firm to confirm they will deal with that, and to show you the licence if they say the job needs one. QuoteZila will not look the licence up for you.
What the law says about a home you live in
The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, section 3(1), protects householders from risks from work activities in their homes [S1]. Where the work involves asbestos-containing materials, the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 also apply, in particular the rules on prevention or reduction of exposure, on arrangements for accidents, incidents and emergencies, and on preventing or reducing the spread of asbestos [S1].
In owner-occupied domestic properties, owners are not legally responsible for risks to contractors from asbestos, because the owners are not themselves engaged in a work activity [S1]. The duty to manage asbestos under regulation 4 is aimed at non-domestic premises and the shared parts of some domestic premises, not at you as an owner-occupier maintaining your own home [S1]. That does not mean the contractor's duties disappear, and it does not mean you should start the work. Tell them what you know, before they arrive [S1].
If the home is rented, or the asbestos is in a shared stair of a block, the duty-holder question is different. Ask the landlord or the managing agent who is responsible for maintenance. That question is for them, not a general rule for every block.
Waste leaves as hazardous waste
Asbestos-containing materials must be disposed of as hazardous waste [S1]. They should not be mixed with normal household waste [S1]. Contact your local authority for information about asbestos and its disposal [S1]. GOV.UK tells people in England and Wales to get that information from the council [S3]. A quote that says "left for the householder to bag" is asking you to handle waste you should not be instructed to handle. Ask the firm to name the disposal route in the price.
The rest of the paper is an ordinary quote
Citizens Advice is not the source for whether asbestos work needs a licence. Use HSE for that. Citizens Advice is the source for how a price should be written once a lawful contractor is pricing a described job. A quote is a fixed price. An estimate is a rough guess and can rise [S4]. Do not rely on a verbal figure [S4]. The paper should break down the work, say whether VAT is included, and say how long the price lasts [S4]. After you accept, the agreement can bind you even if it was not written, which is why you want it written [S4]. Extra charges should not appear unless you asked for extra work, you agreed an extra, or there was a genuine pricing mistake [S4].
Try to obtain at least three written quotes against the same description of material and location [S4]. Be cautious if one price is much lower. That can mean the work is not the same [S4]. Be wary if they will not write the quote [S4]. Some traders charge for a quote. Ask before they visit [S4]. A claim of no call-out charge is fair only when there is no fee for travel, for the first look, or for any other charge before you agree [S6].
If a deposit cannot be avoided, Citizens Advice says not to agree more than 25 per cent, and to take a receipt [S4]. Ask to see insurance [S4]. A business must register for VAT when taxable turnover for the last 12 months goes over £90,000 [S5]. Ask whether the total includes VAT.
Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
What to compare
| Line | What a usable quote says | What to send back |
|---|---|---|
| Material | What they believe it is, and where | "Asbestos" with no room |
| Licence | Licensable or not, and who decided | Silence [S2] |
| Timing | ASB5 and the 14 days, if the work is licensable | A start date that ignores that rule [S2] |
| Training | Cement or other non-licensed work still done by trained people | An offer for you to take a panel down [S1] |
| Other trades | They will be told before they disturb it | A builder booked with no warning [S1] |
| Waste | They arrange hazardous-waste disposal with the council route | Bags left for the household [S1] |
| Price | Fixed total, VAT, how long it lasts | An estimate with no scope [S4] |
| Access | How they reach a roof or a loft, without you working on it | A request that you open the material first |
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts.
- Garage roof in Crewe, suspected cement sheets, house built before 2000. Customer has not lifted a sheet. Ask the firm to say whether they treat this as licensed work, and to include waste. No removal method in the reply to the customer.
- Textured ceiling in one Nantwich bedroom. Customer wants advice from the council's environmental health route and a written view on whether it should stay. Do not price scraping.
- A buyer's report mentions insulating board in a Sandbach cupboard. Customer will not drill it. Quote only after the firm states whether the work is licensable and how the 14-day rule applies if it is.
Anyone in the UK can post or register. Name the town. Do not add a method, a bag type or a tool.
Ask for an asbestos quote
Describe the material and the room, and say you have not disturbed it. Up to five matched local businesses can reply [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].
This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.
Posting a job is not open yet
Questions about asbestos removal
Why is a single asbestos removal price not printed?
A cement flue and sprayed coating on a beam are different materials, and HSE does not publish a house price for taking them out. The licence question also changes who may do the work. Ask a contractor to price one described material in one described place, after they have said whether they are treating it as licensable. Do not borrow a figure from another job.
Could my house contain asbestos?
HSE says asbestos may be part of any commercial or domestic building that was built or refurbished before the year 2000. It lists cement products, lagging, water tanks and cisterns, insulating board that can look like ordinary plasterboard, loose fill, sprayed coatings, textured coatings, floor tiles, and textiles. Presence on its own is not the harm. The harm is fibres in the air that you breathe.
Can I remove a small amount myself?
Do not try to repair or remove asbestos materials yourself if you have not had training for non-licensed work. HSE encourages trained professionals to repair or remove these materials. Some higher-risk materials should only be removed by a licensed contractor. No method is set out for cement, board, lagging or textured coatings.
When is a licence required?
The employer of anyone who might disturb asbestos decides whether a licensed contractor is required. HSE says all work with sprayed coatings, asbestos insulation or lagging, and most work with insulating board, needs a licence. All work on insulating board that is not short duration also needs a licence, and so does short work on that board if it is still likely to release a high level of fibres. Licensable work must be told to the enforcing authority on form ASB5 at least 14 days before it starts. For domestic premises, HSE's table names HSE as that authority.
Who is responsible in an owner-occupied house?
In an owner-occupied home, HSE says the owners are not legally responsible for risks to contractors from asbestos, because the owners are not engaged in a work activity. The work itself still falls under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, including the rules on preventing exposure, on incidents, and on stopping the spread. Tell anyone you hire about asbestos you know is there, before they start.
Does QuoteZila check asbestos contractors?
No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.
Related reading
- Builders
- Roofers
- Asbestos roof removal when the question is a roof sheet rather than a whole-house quote
- All cost guides
- All services
Part of Cost guides. All services
Related trades
Related pages
- Brick Cost: What Changes the Price of Bricks. What moves the price of bricks for a wall, extension or repair: brick type, colour matching, quantity, delivery, waste, and the labour to lay them.
- Brick Shed Cost: What Changes the Price to Build One. What changes the cost of a brick shed in Cheshire: size, footings, walls and bricks, the roof, doors and windows, power, and the planning and building limits.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila pricing line.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila terms.
- S1: Asbestos FAQs, HSE. Accessed 2026-10-27. https://www.hse.gov.uk/ASBESTOS/faq.htm
- S2: Licensable work with asbestos, HSE. Accessed 2026-10-27. https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/licensing/licensed-contractor.htm
- S3: Asbestos in your home, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-27. https://www.gov.uk/asbestos-in-home
- S4: Before you get building work done, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-27. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
- S5: Register for VAT, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-27. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat
- S6: Call-out charges, Advertising Standards Authority. Accessed 2026-10-27. https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-online/call-out-charges.html