If your property was built between 1930 and 1999, you might be concerned about asbestos removal costs. The cost of removing an asbestos garage roof will depend on the location of your property, the type of asbestos, and the amount that needs to be removed.
Asbestos can be hazardous to your health. If your home was built between 1930 and 1999, you should consider having an asbestos survey carried out on your property. An asbestos survey will tell you if your property contains any asbestos in the materials that were used in its construction.
Your health is at serious risk if asbestos fibres are detected on your property. If you would like to know the cost of asbestos removal, I have written a detailed guide to help you calculate the costs.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is the name given to a group of naturally occurring silicate minerals that can be pulled into a fluffy consistency. Asbestos is strong and durable, as well as being resistant to corrosion, heat, and electricity. These qualities are what made asbestos a popular building material back in the 1930s.
Unfortunately, the health risks of asbestos exposure were unknown at the time. It took many years before people started to realise the dangers of being exposed to asbestos. If you breathe in asbestos, it can cause respiratory diseases, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Many years can pass by before any of these illnesses start to develop.
According to the health and safety executive, approximately 4500 people die per year from asbestos-related diseases. Asbestos inhalation must be taken very seriously and should be avoided at all costs.
What is so Dangerous About Asbestos?
Asbestos was used extensively in the construction of houses up until it was banned in 1999. Once the dangers of using asbestos become known, its use in construction materials stopped instantly. You should not find any asbestos materials used in the construction of a property after the year 1999. If the property you live in at the moment was built before the date of its ban, there is a high chance that asbestos may have been used in one of the following:
- Roofs
- Pipes and gutters
- Floorboards
- Insulation boards
- Cement, especially walls
- Chimney flues
- Flooring and ceiling tiles
- Attic insulation
- Cavity wall insulation
If you have a garage roof made from asbestos and it’s in excellent condition, it may not be hazardous to your health. However, if the asbestos garage roof is disturbed or beginning to deteriorate, its fibres become airborne and dangerous if inhaled. If your property was built before the year 2000, I would highly recommend having an asbestos survey carried out on your property.
If you already know that your property has asbestos materials used in its construction, it will be wise to find out how much it costs to have asbestos removed. The last thing you want is for you or a loved one to suffer the consequences of inhaling asbestos fibres.
You are taking a gamble on yours and your family’s health by leaving asbestos materials in your home. Sadly, after asbestos inhalation, no amount of money will be able to reverse its effects.
How Many Different Types of Asbestos Are There?
Brown asbestos (“Amosite”)
Amosite (commonly known as Brown asbestos) was mostly used in pipe insulation and sheets of cement. Ceiling tiles, insulating boards, and thermal installation products may contain brown asbestos.
Blue asbestos (“Crocidolite”)
Crocidolite (commonly known as blue asbestos) was mostly used for the installation of steam engines. Blue asbestos was also used in cement and plastic products, pipe insulation, and some spray-on coatings.
White asbestos (known as “Chrysotile”)
Chrysotile (commonly known as white asbestos) is the most common type of asbestos used in construction materials. White asbestos is strong, flexible, and durable. It can usually be found in ceilings, walls, roofs, and floors of homes and commercial buildings.
Several different factors will affect asbestos disposal costs. The determining factors are: the location of the property that contains asbestos, the type of asbestos used in the property, and how much asbestos there is to be removed. Another factor to take into account is reconstruction costs. You will have to replace the hazardous asbestos materials with safe construction materials.
How to Protect Yourself From Being Exposed to Asbestos
Since the UK banned the use of asbestos in 1999, the risk of asbestos exposure comes from materials that we used before its ban. If your house was built between 1930 and 1999, some of the materials used in the construction of your property may contain asbestos.
If you are planning on renovating your home, it is vital to find out whether any of the materials used in the construction of your home contain asbestos. The last thing you want to do is disturb any asbestos building materials because its toxic fibres could become airborne. Another crucial reason to find out whether your property has asbestos materials used in its construction is in case of a fire or any other event that could disrupt asbestos materials.
If you or a member of your family live in an older house that was built before 1978, you need to find out the risks being exposed to asbestos. Learning about all of the possible places where asbestos may have been used in the construction of your home will help you minimise contact with the hazardous material.
What to do If You Have Been Exposed to Asbestos
Exposure to asbestos and asbestos related diseases affects thousands of people per year in the UK. When someone has had exposure to asbestos, the first symptoms may feel like having a virus, the flu, or a cold.
If you feel any of these symptoms after coming into contact with asbestos, you must tell a doctor or a nurse that you suspect you have been exposed to asbestos. If you fail to let them know, you run the risk of being wrongly diagnosed with a common cold or a virus.
An incorrect diagnosis can be fatal because it allows asbestos related diseases to get a firm grip within your body to a point where it becomes incurable. If you or anybody you know has worked with asbestos, it is extremely important to have regular health checks and x-rays to examine the bronchi. Take note of any breathing difficulties as these may be early warning signs of asbestos.
The Average Cost to Remove Asbestos
There are lots of different factors to take into account for the safe removal of asbestos. However, if you would like to know the average cost to remove asbestos from your home, you would be looking to pay approximately £1600. The costs can vary quite a lot, depending on where you live and how much asbestos has to be removed. Asbestos removal prices vary between £850 and £2500.
How Much Does Asbestos Removal Cost?
The cost to have asbestos removed from your home or business can vary quite a lot. Asbestos removal costs range from £850 to £2500, but there are a lot of variables to take into account before an accurate quote can be offered. Once you have had the asbestos removed from your property, you will need to have a follow-up survey to make sure all traces of asbestos have been removed. An asbestos survey starts from £50 and upwards.
I can get you really good prices on asbestos removal. If you would like a free quote, enter your details into this form.
Stage One Steps and Costs:
Only a professional should only carry out the removal process because it’s far too hazardous to attempt to do it yourself if you do not have the correct training. The first step in the removal process may involve:
- Paying for a basic assessment to find out if asbestos is present in your home. Expect to pay at least £50 or more for this type of survey
- Have a sample of the material analysed by a professional. Material analysis prices start from £50
- Have a detailed property inspection to find out exactly how much asbestos is in your home. Surveys start from £200
Stage Two (Asbestos Encapsulation)
After the initial survey has been carried out by a professional, the next step is to start the removal process. The first stage of the removal process begins with what is called encapsulation. In order to remove the hazardous material safely, asbestos encapsulation involves applying a special adhesive to the asbestos before the removal process begins. Encapsulation reduces the risk of fibres being released into the atmosphere where they are at risk of being inhaled. The costs of asbestos encapsulation vary between £8 and £12 per square metre.
Stage Three (Asbestos Removal)
The last part of the process is to remove all of the asbestos from the property. Only a specially trained, certified professional can carry out this task. The hazardous material will be safely removed from the property, and the correct asbestos disposal procedures will be implemented. The cost to remove asbestos works out at approximately £50 per square metre. However, the size of the job, its location, and its complexity will determine the final cost.
Stage Four (Do post-completion re-boarding)
Once all of the asbestos building materials have been removed from the property, your chosen company will usually provide a reconstruction service. A reconstruction service consists of replacing the hazardous materials with safer alternatives. The cost of replacing pipes or boards, for example, will depend on how much hazardous materials have been removed and how much needs to be replaced.
Asbestos Shed Roof Removal Cost
If you have a shed with an asbestos roof, you can expect to pay approximately £300 for asbestos shed roof removal. Obviously, this is a rough estimate, and the actual cost for the safe removal of an asbestos shed roof will depend on your location, how much needs to be removed, and the size of your shed.
If you would like to know the exact costs for having an asbestos roof removed, you will have to make arrangements with a company that specialises in the safe removal of asbestos to come and visit your property and give you an accurate quote. A rough estimate for a shed measuring 8 x 8 would cost approximately £650 to have it removed safely.
When it comes to dealing with asbestos, it’s wise to have an asbestos removal company visit your property. You can ask the companies representative as many questions as you want, and you will know exactly what is involved and exactly how much it will cost.
If you would like a free no obligation quote for an asbestos roof removal, click on this link and enter your details into the form. I will make sure you get the best prices possible.
What is Asbestos Testing?
Homeowners can find out if there is amosite in their property by having asbestos testing carried out in their home. A certified professional can carry out asbestos testing and let you know whether it has to be removed or it’s safe to stay in your property. Below you will find the two different types of surveys available for asbestos testing.
Asbestos testing survey: this survey is for homeowners who want to find out whether they have asbestos within their property.
Asbestos refurbishment and demolition study: if you are planning on refurbishing your property and making substantial changes, this study should be carried out beforehand to make sure there are no asbestos materials present. By finding out exactly how many asbestos materials are present in your home, you will be able to get accurate quotes for the safe removal of asbestos. If asbestos is found in any of the materials in your home, you and your family will not feel safe until it has been safely removed.
When a professional asbestos surveyor arrives at your property, you can expect the surveyor to carry out the following:
- Document the locations of asbestos found in your property.
- Make notes of the different types of asbestos.
- Analyse the condition of the asbestos material and make a note of its condition in the report.
- Document the assessability of the hazardous substance.
- Take samples of the asbestos material and have them sent off to a certified lab for assessment.
- Make an assessment on whether maintenance or removal work will have to be carried out on the asbestos material.
- An asbestos study should cost somewhere in the region of £250.
Asbestos Testing Charge Rate
The cost of having an asbestos test at your property will depend on how many samples you would like taken from your property.
- Prices start from £25 for 1 to 3 samples
- If you would like to order 4 samples or more the costs would be approximately £22
What is Asbestos Air Testing?
Asbestos is at its most hazardous to your health when its fibres are airborne. Once the fibres are airborne, thats when you are at the highest risk of inhaling them into your lungs. In order to make sure a house has enough safe air to breathe in an asbestos environment, a qualified surveyor will carry out air tests before and after the removal or maintenance work. The asbestos surveyor will do at least one of the following tests:
- Controlled Asbestos Air Testing
- Background air test for asbestos detection
- Asbestos leak/exposure air test
- Reassurance/clearance atmosphere test
If you would like to know how much does asbestos air quality testing cost, it depends on how many tests you would like to be carried out in your home as well as what kind of tests. The only way to get accurate costs to remove asbestos from your home is to get quotes from asbestos removal companies who can provide you with a breakdown of costs tailor-made to your specific job.
Asbestos Air Testing Cost
There is usually a fixed fee for asbestos air quality testing. The cost of an asbestos air quality test is usually somewhere in the region of about £60 for a basic background atmosphere test.
Asbestos Encapsulation
An asbestos surveyor might survey your property and recommend asbestos encapsulation rather than complete removal. It might not be cost-effective to have the asbestos removed. The cost of asbestos encapsulation is a lot less than completely removing and replacing the asbestos materials. Encapsulating the asbestos with a special substance keeps the asbestos from being a danger to your health.
Only a trained professional should even consider carrying out asbestos encapsulation. A certified licence holder from the asbestos building inspectors certification scheme or a member of the A.T.A.C group (asbestos training and consultancy) should be carrying out this particular job. Trying to do this job yourself to save a bit of money puts your health and your family’s health in jeopardy. Inhaling asbestos fibres is incredibly hazardous to your health. A company that specialises in asbestos encapsulation will have all of the specialised breathing equipment as well as protective clothing. The average cost of asbestos encapsulation is approximately £8 – £15 per square metre.
Asbestos Garage Roof Removal Cost
If you have a garage that was built between 1930 – 1999, there is a very good chance that you have an asbestos garage roof. The majority of garages constructed between 1930 and 1999 used asbestos cement roof sheeting. A lot of garages still have asbestos roofs to this day, and as long as the asbestos roof sheeting is in excellent condition, it does not pose a health risk.
It’s only when an asbestos garage roof starts to deteriorate they should start thinking about having the garage completely demolished. Demolishing a garage with an asbestos roof should only be carried out by a professional. Dismantling a garage with an asbestos roof should be done in accordance with the asbestos management regulations.
A professional asbestos removal company would charge somewhere between £350 and £1700, depending on its size and location. If you look at the table below, you will see some rough estimates of what you can expect to pay for asbestos garage removal services to give you a better idea.
Approximate costs of removing an asbestos garage roof
| Asbestos Removal/Disposal Job | Price Range |
| Removal of asbestos roof sheeting and safe disposal (single garage) | £375-£685 |
| The safe disposal of an asbestos roof and the sides of the garage | £595-£850 |
| Removal & safe disposal of a double sized garage roof with asbestos cement | £760-£1,850 |
| Dismantling & disposal of a double garage asbestos roof and the sides | £1,200-£1,600 |
| Complete removal of ceiling boards inside the garage & safe disposal | £1,300-£1,800 |
Asbestos Roof Tile Removal
If a garage has a damaged asbestos roof, the fibres from the asbestos roof pose a health risk to people in its vicinity. It would be a good idea to do a little bit of research and look into the costs of asbestos roof tile removal services. A damaged garage roof made of asbestos should not be left to deteriorate any further and should be dealt with quickly to minimise health risks.
Asbestos Garage Removal Cost
A trained professional should only carry out the removal of an asbestos garage roof. It is crucial to make sure that the asbestos sheets on the roof are lowered to the ground in one piece. Breaking the asbestos sheeting would turn the entire area into a potential health hazard due to the asbestos fibres becoming airborne, which could then be inhaled into the lungs.
Once the garage roof has been safely removed, the asbestos sheets will be disposed of following the correct safety procedures. If you would like to know the average cost of asbestos garage roof removal, you will be looking at approximately £80 – £100 per square metre.
Seek Help from Local Councils
If you are lucky enough, you might live in a part of the country where your local council will dispose of a small amount of asbestos material for a relatively low-cost. Some local councils might even dispose of it for free in order to discourage fly tipping. Please note, it is only a small number of local councils that will dispose of asbestos for free.
The safest way to have a garage roof made from asbestos removed is to hire an asbestos removal company. If you are wondering how much it will cost to have an asbestos garage roof removed or replaced, you will have to take into account all of the different variables. The size of your garage, your location, and how much asbestos needs to be disposed of. Asbestos garage roof removal costs don’t have to be ridiculously expensive. You just need to find the right company.
Can I Remove Asbestos Myself?
If you are not familiar with what asbestos looks like and you’re not quite sure how to detect it, don’t even attempt to try and remove it yourself. If you have not had any formal training, it isn’t very easy to spot asbestos materials in your home. Remember, if asbestos is left undisturbed, it is usually quite safe. It’s when you disturb it that its fibres are released into the atmosphere, which then poses a health risk.
If you suspect you might have asbestos materials in your home, get professional advice, and do not even think about removing it yourself. You need to hire the services of a professional who specialises in removing asbestos materials and follows all of the guidelines to dispose of it safely.
Handling asbestos can be extremely hazardous to your health. Only a trained professional should ever handle and dispose of this hazardous material. A trained professional in the removal of asbestos will:
- Wear a specialised dust mask to protect against asbestos fibre inhalation.
- Wear a protective overall
- cordoned off the work area to keep people away from the hazardous material
- carefully handle materials to minimise the risk of asbestos fibres being released into the atmosphere
- make sure asbestos material is put in sealed bags
- professionally cleaned the work area and made sure all traces of asbestos are safely disposed of
How to Hire a Qualified Asbestos Professional
When it comes to hiring an asbestos removal company or surveyor, you will want to check their credentials to make sure they are qualified to carry out the job safely. Your chosen asbestos surveyor or removal company or should have at least the following credentials:
- is HSE licensed to remove materials containing asbestos
- sends asbestos samples to UKAS lab to be analysed
- has a valid hazardous waste carrying licence for transporting waste
- BOHS P402 Standard
It is within your best interest to carry out some research on the cost of asbestos removal to make sure you don’t pay more than necessary. When you are researching the costs of removing asbestos from your garage roof or home, you must factor in what type of asbestos it is as well as how much that needs to be removed.
When you take all these considerations into account, it will help you make a more informed choice without eliminating any prospective asbestos removal companies to carry out the work.
Asbestos Health Symptoms
If you are exposed to this hazardous compound, it can seriously affect your health and cause life-threatening diseases. You should not brush aside the dangers of DIY asbestos removal from your home. Even when asbestos materials are removed from your property,
Numerous amounts of illnesses have been connected to people who have come into contact with asbestos. The worst types of diseases are caused when the asbestos fibres are inhaled, and the fibres burrow into the lungs. A doctor will look for specific asbestos exposure signs and symptoms to try and figure out if the patient is suffering from an asbestos related lung disease.
Difficulty breathing – do you find yourself frequently out of breath? Do you struggle to climb the stairs without getting short of breath, or coughing? One of the vital clues to asbestos exposure is difficulty breathing. If you have inhaled asbestos fibres into your lungs, the fibres are incredibly irritant and can cause inflammation inside your lungs. As you can imagine, having asbestos fibres in your lungs can seriously affect your breathing. Your lungs are not working to their full capacity.
If you have noticed that you get out of breath after walking for a couple of minutes, it could be a sign of asbestos fibre inhalation. Difficulty breathing will continue to get worse because of the fibres lodged in the lungs. If you suspect you have come into contact with asbestos at some point in your working life and you find yourself getting short of breath, you need to consult your doctor right away.
If you struggle to walk for 10 minutes without getting short of breath, then in a few months, you could struggle to walk for five minutes without getting short breath. Doctors look for breathing difficulties because it’s the first noticeable asbestos symptom.
Coughing – people who have been exposed to asbestos tend to have breathing difficulties as well as an ongoing cough. A cough is a typical asbestos symptom caused by the small fibres lodged inside the lung area, causing irritation. Coughing is the body’s way of trying to clear air passageways of mucous etc.
Unfortunately, if you have inhaled asbestos fibres into your lungs, no amount of coughing is going to dislodge the fibres from your lungs. If you find yourself incessantly coughing and struggling with shortness of breath, you need to contact your GP and explain to them that you may have asbestos symptoms.
Your doctor will examine you and arrange for you to have an x-ray to try and detect any asbestos fibres in your lung area. Having a cough on its own does not pose any serious health risks, and thousands of people develop a cough every day. However, if you know you have come into contact with asbestos somewhere in the past, and you suspect you have asbestos symptoms such as shortness of breath and constant cough, you need to contact your GP.
Chest pains – another common asbestos symptom is chest pains. Pains in the chest are caused due to asbestos fibres irritating the interior of the lung. When a patient has asbestos fibres in the lungs, not only does it cause shortness of breath and fits of coughing but pains in the chest too.
The coughing is the body’s way of trying to eject the fibres out of the lungs, but sometimes it can cause the asbestos fibres to move and cause even more irritation and scarring. The result of continuous coughing is more inflammation, shortness of breath, and pains in the chest area. These asbestos symptoms can become quite intolerable and cause a lot of discomfort.
Elevated sputum – another common asbestos symptom is higher amounts of mucus (also known as phlegm). The body tries to remove the fibres from the lungs by producing more mucus and coughing it up from the lungs. Unfortunately, the cycle of coughing up mucus in an attempt to clear the lungs never ends.
Weight loss – losing weight could be another asbestos symptom. If you are losing weight as well as displaying any of the other asbestos related symptoms, you need to contact your GP immediately. Weight loss is common in asbestos exposure patients, and it signals that different parts of the body are affected.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it safe to remove asbestos?
It is quite safe to remove asbestos from your home if it is carried out by a trained professional. A DIY enthusiast should never attempt asbestos removal simply because it is far too hazardous to your health.
Asbestos removal companies are adequately equipped with breathing apparatus and protective clothing and are trained to the highest standards. Whoever you choose to remove the asbestos from your property, make sure they have the correct accreditations to do the job safely.
How long does it take to remove asbestos?
It depends on how much asbestos there is to be removed. If it is a relatively small area, it can be sealed off, and the owner of the property will be out to stay at home. However, if it is a large project, it usually takes about a week to remove all of the asbestos from the property. It usually takes between 1 and 5 days to complete a mid-sized to large asbestos removal job.
How long does asbestos stay in the air?
There are so many variables to take into account when it comes to answering this question. If a room has had a lot of asbestos fibres circulating in the air, then the fibres are more likely to stay airborne for a longer period of time. Asbestos fibres are incredibly light and can float in the air for quite a long time before settling. It can take anywhere from 48 hours to 72 hours for all of the airborne fibres to settle on the ground.
Will exposure to asbestos make me ill?
There are several serious illnesses linked to being exposed to asbestos. Asbestosis is the most serious illness caused by inhaling asbestos fibres. Asbestosis causes shortness of breath, extreme coughing and mucus as well as causing scarring within the lungs.
Asbestos related diseases can take years to develop, and they are caused by exposure to asbestos. It is extremely important to hire trained professionals to remove asbestos because exposure to the substance can be fatal.
Where do you dispose of asbestos?
There are many landfills throughout the United Kingdom that are reserved for the safe disposal of asbestos materials. If you search on Google, you should be able to locate your nearest asbestos landfill. Once asbestos has been removed from the property, it should be safely disposed of within 10 days. A professional asbestos removal company will take care of removing and disposing of the asbestos material for you, so you don’t have to put yourself at risk.
What are the procedures for disposing of asbestos cement?
The correct procedure for disposing of asbestos cement is to place the cement inside a 6 mm polythene plastic bag. If they are large sheets of asbestos, then 6 mm plastic should be wrapped around the sheets and sealed with duct tape before transporting it to a dedicated asbestos landfill site.
If asbestos cement is placed inside 6 mm plastic bags, they should be clearly labelled with the words asbestos to warn others of the contents of the bag. When putting the asbestos cement into the bag, be careful not to put too much into one bag, and to cause it to split. When disposing of asbestos cement, the correct procedure is to write the removal date and persons name on the bag who is disposing it. The final step is to safely transport the bikes of asbestos waste to the dedicated asbestos landfill.
Conclusion
Asbestos is a very hazardous substance. Only a trained professional should carryout the safe removal of an asbestos garage roof.
I recommend you get some asbestos removal quotes from local professionals by clicking here and writing a brief description about your job. It saves you having to explain over and over again to multiple asbestos removal companies.
ps. it only takes a few seconds to fill out the form and you’ll have an idea of how much it’s going to cost you in no time.
Good Luck!
Jim Ardale – Roof Advisor