Guide
Asbestos disposal cost: the seven things a quote is made of
Updated
We are not going to give you a price per sheet. Here is what a contractor is actually pricing, so you can read a quote properly and spot the one that is cheap because it left something out.
Why there is no national price for asbestos disposal
Three of the biggest components are local. Gate fees are set by each permitted site, not nationally. Haulage is the distance from your postcode to the nearest site that will take the material. And labour rates vary by region. On top of that sits the biggest variable of all: what the material is, and therefore whether the work is licensed, notifiable or neither. A national average would tell you nothing useful about the quote in front of you.
The seven drivers
| Driver | Direction | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Bonded or friable material | Friable materials cost far more to handle safely | That the quote names the material it assumes |
| Licensed or non-licensed work | Licensed work carries notification, controls and licensed labour | Whether the contractor holds an HSE licence |
| Disposal only or removal too | Removal adds access, controls and labour to the collection | Which is priced, and the condition the material must be in |
| Quantity | Small loads are dominated by callout and minimum charge | Any minimum charge or minimum load |
| Access | Carrying distance and work at height drive labour | Whether access equipment and scaffolding are included |
| Gate fees and haulage | Local, and outside the contractor's control | Whether they are itemised, and the over-weight position |
| Testing and paperwork | Sampling, notification and the consignment note | That you get a copy of the consignment note |
The single question that changes everything
Is it licensed work? HSE states that most higher-risk work with asbestos must only be done by a licensed contractor, and gives examples including removing sprayed coatings, work that may disturb pipe lagging, any work involving loose fill insulation, work on asbestos millboard, and work on asbestos insulating board where the risk assessment indicates it will not be of short duration (HSE). Licensable work must be notified to the enforcing authority using form ASB5 at least 14 days before it starts, and HSE is explicit that carrying out licensable work without a licence is an offence for which you could be prosecuted.
The practical effect on price is that licensed work is a different job, not a dearer version of the same job. If a quote for pipe lagging is close to a quote for a cement garage roof, one of them is wrong. See removal versus disposal.
Where cheap quotes usually hide the money
- Minimum load. A price per sheet with a minimum charge you were not told about is not a cheaper price.
- Gate fees excluded. Ask whether the tip charge is in the quote or added at cost afterwards.
- Access assumed to be easy. If the wagon cannot get within carrying distance, that is chargeable labour.
- Packaging not included. Material has to be wrapped and labelled correctly to travel. Ask whether that is priced.
- No paperwork. If nobody mentions a consignment note, ask why. See the paperwork you should receive.
- Contingency for the unknown. Ask what happens if what is behind the sheet is worse than expected.
How to get comparable quotes
- Take clear photographs, including a wide shot showing the access route, and a close-up of the material and its condition.
- Say whether it is already down or still fixed, and whether anything is broken.
- Say what the vehicle access is: how close a van or wagon can get, and whether there are steps or a narrow passage.
- Ask every contractor the same three questions: is this licensed work, is the gate fee included, and what paperwork do I get back.
- Send the job to more than one contractor and compare on scope, not just the number.
We publish no headline price range for asbestos disposal. Gate fees, haulage distance and labour rates are local, and a national figure we could not evidence would mislead you at exactly the moment you are comparing real quotes.