Check the asbestos risk for your property's age
Answer two questions to see how likely asbestos is in a property of that age and which materials are most often found. It is guidance based on when materials were used in the UK, not a substitute for a survey.
When was the property built?
What kind of property is it?
The plain answer
A house built or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos, with greater likelihood during periods of widespread use, especially from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s.
Age indicates possibility, not proof. Photographs, colour, texture and location cannot confirm whether a material contains asbestos.
The UK asbestos timeline
Asbestos was used in UK insulation, boards, coatings, floor coverings and cement products, especially from about 1965 to 1984.
Blue and brown asbestos were prohibited in 1985. The prohibition was extended in 1999 to white asbestos and remaining asbestos products.
HSE advises that asbestos may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000. Post-2000 buildings are unlikely to contain it, subject to older retained structures or reused materials.
Likelihood by construction era
| Construction period | General likelihood | Materials associated with the period |
|---|---|---|
| Before 1930 | Low to moderate in the original structure, but higher where later alterations took place | Pipe and boiler insulation may occur. Mid-century extensions, heating upgrades, garages and fire protection can introduce later asbestos products. |
| 1930 to 1964 | Moderate | Insulation board, pipe lagging, cement sheets, roofing products, floor tiles and fire-resistant linings. Post-war repairs may increase the range present. |
| 1965 to 1984 | High | Insulation board, sprayed coatings, lagging, textured coatings, cement roofs and panels, soffits, floor tiles, boiler components and fire-resistant enclosures. |
| 1985 to 1999 | Moderate | Blue and brown asbestos had been prohibited, but some chrysotile products remained in use, including cement sheets, roof panels, soffits, floor coverings and textured coatings. |
| 2000 onwards | Very low | New construction is unlikely to contain asbestos. Check for reused materials, older retained structures or extensions connected to pre-2000 buildings. |
If the construction date is uncertain, treat the property as potentially pre-2000 until reliable records establish otherwise. Title deeds, planning or building-control records and mortgage documents may help. Check garages, outbuildings and extensions separately.
Need to check a pre-2000 property?
Describe the property and the reason for your enquiry. This website can introduce your enquiry to potentially suitable independent providers. It does not carry out surveys, sampling, analysis or removal.
Where asbestos may occur in a home
- Textured coatings on ceilings and walls, including some older decorative finishes.
- Asbestos insulation board in ceiling tiles, partition panels, service boxing, firebreaks and heater or cupboard linings.
- Asbestos cement in corrugated sheets, wall panels, flues, gutters, downpipes, roof tiles and soffits.
- Floor tiles and associated adhesive, sometimes beneath newer vinyl, laminate, carpet or screed.
- Pipe and boiler lagging in older heating systems, cellars and service ducts.
- Garage and outbuilding roofs, including corrugated cement sheets that may contain asbestos.
These are locations where asbestos products may occur, not a means of identification. Many non-asbestos materials look similar. See what asbestos may look like for the limits of visual recognition.
Why age and appearance cannot confirm asbestos
Buildings change over time, and similar-looking materials can have different compositions.
Definitive identification requires analysis of a representative sample. Anyone commissioning material analysis must use a laboratory accredited by UKAS to ISO/IEC 17025 for the relevant asbestos analysis. Accreditation applies only to the organisation and activities listed on its current UKAS schedule. It does not apply to this website merely because it introduces an enquiry.
Sampling can release fibres. Do not cut, snap, scrape or drill suspect material. Read about asbestos testing and seek competent advice for damaged, friable or inaccessible material.
Buying, renovating or carrying out DIY
A standard RICS Home Survey may flag suspect material, but it is not an asbestos survey and cannot confirm composition.
Material in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed usually presents less risk. Finding asbestos does not automatically require removal.
Before work starts, obtain information suitable for its scope. Targeted sampling may answer a question about one accessible material. Work that will disturb several rooms, concealed fabric or structural elements may require a refurbishment and demolition survey covering the relevant area. Under HSG264, a management survey is used to help manage asbestos during normal occupation and foreseeable maintenance. A refurbishment and demolition survey is more intrusive and is required before work that will disturb the building fabric in the surveyed area.
Regulation 4 does not impose a general duty on an owner-occupier of a wholly private domestic home. Duties may apply to employers, contractors, landlords, non-domestic premises and common parts of some residential buildings. Construction work must still address foreseeable asbestos risks.
What to do next
- Confirm the building’s age. Include extensions, loft conversions, garages and major refurbishment dates.
- Do not disturb suspect materials. Stop drilling, sanding or removal and keep people away from damaged debris.
- Match the investigation to the work. Consider targeted sampling for one material or an appropriate survey for a wider scope. See which asbestos survey may be suitable.
- Check credentials at source. Verify laboratory analysis on the current UKAS schedule. HSE strongly recommends survey organisations accredited by UKAS to ISO/IEC 17020, although survey accreditation is not a general legal requirement.
- Use the written scope and findings. Compare inspected areas, exclusions, sample results and recommendations. See asbestos survey cost factors when assessing quotations.
If material has been damaged or disturbed, leave the immediate area and follow the guidance on dealing with suspected asbestos. Do not sweep, use a domestic vacuum cleaner or carry dusty fragments through the house.
Choose the next check from the work planned
Provide the property’s age, material location and intended work. Your enquiry can then be introduced to potentially suitable independent providers. Provider credentials, scope, availability and charges should be confirmed directly before appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Can a house built before 2000 contain asbestos?
Yes. HSE advises that asbestos may be present in a building built or refurbished before 2000. Age indicates likelihood only and does not confirm any particular material.
Can I tell whether a material is asbestos by looking at it?
No. Colour, texture, age, location and photographs cannot confirm asbestos. Definitive identification requires laboratory analysis of a representative sample.
Does a normal house survey check for asbestos?
A standard RICS Home Survey is not an asbestos survey. It may flag suspect material and recommend further investigation, but it cannot confirm the material's composition.
Should asbestos always be removed from a house?
Not necessarily. Material in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed may be managed in place. The appropriate action depends on its condition, location and the work planned.