Asbestos removal in the UK is split into two kinds of work: non-licensed and licensed. Lower-risk materials — cement roofs, floor tiles, textured coatings, and soffits — are non-licensed work, which we carry out ourselves. Higher-risk materials, where fibres are released far more easily, can only legally be removed by a contractor holding a licence from the Health and Safety Executive. Diamond does not hold that licence, and does not pretend to.
That is not a gap in our service, it is the law working as intended, and it is one of the most important things to get right. The fastest way a job goes wrong is a general builder, or an over-eager removal firm, treating a licensable material as if it were ordinary. We would rather tell you plainly that something needs a licensed contractor, help you get there, and handle any non-licensed parts ourselves, than take on work we are not permitted to do.
The three materials we refer on
Sprayed coatings
Sprayed asbestos used as fire protection and insulation on steelwork, ceilings, and soffits of larger buildings. Soft, friable, and very high in asbestos.
Licensed workPipe & boiler lagging
Asbestos insulation wrapped around old pipes, boilers, and ducts. It crumbles easily and releases fibres readily when disturbed or damaged.
Licensed workAsbestos insulating board
AIB used for ceilings, panels, partitions, and some soffits. Easily confused with cement, but softer, far higher in asbestos, and licensable in most cases.
Licensed workIf your asbestos is one of the non-licensed materials instead, we can remove it ourselves. See our removal services or book a survey to find out which you have.
Why these materials need a licence
The difference comes down to how readily a material gives up its fibres. The cement roofs and soffits we remove are dense and bind their fibres tightly, usually 10 to 15% chrysotile. The licensable materials are the opposite: soft, friable, and far higher in asbestos content, frequently including the brown and blue fibres that are released much more easily and are more hazardous to breathe.
Because of that, the law requires this work to be done by a licensed contractor under tightly controlled conditions, typically inside a sealed negative-pressure enclosure, with air monitoring throughout and a four-stage clearance before the space can be handed back. That is specialist work with specialist equipment, and it sits outside what a non-licensed firm is permitted to do. It is exactly the right place to draw the line.
What happens when we find licensable asbestos
Identify & confirm
We identify the material at the survey and confirm it with a sample tested by a UKAS-accredited laboratory, so the decision rests on evidence, not a guess.
Make safe
If a licensable material has been damaged or disturbed, we take immediate steps to make the area safe and limit any further release while removal is arranged.
Refer to a licensed contractor
We point you to a contractor licensed by the HSE for this work, so it is carried out lawfully and under the right controls.
Handle the rest
Where the same property also has non-licensed materials, we can remove those ourselves, so you are not juggling several firms unnecessarily.
Why come to us if we don't do the work?
Because the most valuable thing on a job like this is an honest, accurate assessment — and that is exactly what a firm with no incentive to oversell can give you. We are not trying to talk you into licensed work you don't need, nor to take on work we shouldn't.
- Correct identification. We tell you precisely what you have, confirmed by a UKAS-accredited lab, so you neither overpay for licensed work you don't need nor underestimate what you do.
- One point of contact. We can handle the non-licensed materials ourselves and steer you to the right licensed contractor for the rest, rather than leaving you to work it all out alone.
- A straight answer, fast. If something looks urgent or has been disturbed, our 24-hour line means you can get a competent view quickly, and we will make it safe while removal is arranged.
Not sure which kind of asbestos you have?
Most of the time, people don't know whether their asbestos is licensable until it is properly identified, and getting that right is the whole point. Book a survey and we will tell you plainly: if it is a non-licensed material we can remove it ourselves, and if it is licensable we will make it safe and refer you to a licensed contractor. Either way, you will know exactly where you stand.
Licensable work, answered
Get an honest assessment first
Tell us what you have found or what you are planning, and we will identify it, tell you plainly whether it is non-licensed or licensable, and either handle it or refer you to a licensed contractor. No call-out charge.