Only a lab test can tell you for sure. Your photo helps us send the right kit.
What's in the box
- One lab sample, analysed
- An FFP3 disposable respirator (the mask)
- A disposable coverall
- Gloves and double sample bags: one bag for the sample, and a second to seal it in
- A spray bottle, for misting the spot with water
- A step-by-step guide
- A return envelope
From home, add a flat screwdriver or a small scraper, a plastic sheet or bin bag, a roll of tape and a damp cloth. HSE's guidance for this kind of work names an FFP3 respirator, disposable overalls and gloves, which is why they're in the box. Taking your sample takes about 10 minutes: see how to take an asbestos sample at home.
What it costs
£44.99 with one lab sample, and £12 for each extra sample. Kits are launching soon, and it's free to book now with just your email: nothing to pay until kits are ready.
| Samples | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 sample | £44.99 |
| 2 samples | £56.99 |
| 3 samples | £68.99 |
| 4 samples | £80.99 |
For prices across the UK, from home kits to surveys, see what asbestos testing costs, or compare UK test kits side by side.
How many samples you'll need
One sample for each different material, colour or area. Ceilings textured at different times count separately. A floor tile and the black adhesive under it can be different materials, so they may need a sample each. HSE's survey guide says to take one sample from floor tiles of each type or colour.
- Downlights in one kitchen ceiling: one textured ceiling, done all at once. One sample, £44.99.
- A kitchen and hall refresh: two ceilings textured at different times, plus old kitchen tiles and their adhesive. Four samples, £80.99.
- An old garage roof: one sample from an edge you can reach standing on the ground, £44.99.
Not sure? Snap a photo: the free photo check suggests a number, so you buy the right number of samples, not more and not fewer.
Who tests your sample
Every sample will go to a UKAS-accredited laboratory, named on every certificate with its accreditation number. An analyst will look at your sample under a polarised light microscope, the standard way to identify asbestos in a material. Your result will come to you by email, in writing: something you can show a builder, a buyer or a landlord.
The photo check points at what's worth testing. Only the lab can tell you what a material is. See what your result means.
Posted anywhere in the UK
Kits will be posted to your door anywhere in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each of those pages covers how old homes are there, and what your council does with asbestos waste.
Questions people ask
When will kits be available?
Kits are launching soon. We haven't got a date to give you yet, so the best way to hear first is to book with just your email: it's free, there's nothing to pay now, and we'll email you as soon as kits are ready.
Is it really free to book?
Yes. Booking asks only for your email, and there's nothing to pay now. We'll email you when kits are ready: £44.99 with one lab sample, £12 each extra.
Which lab will test my sample?
A UKAS-accredited laboratory. We'll name it on every certificate, with its accreditation number, so you can look it up on the UKAS website yourself. Only the lab can tell you whether a material contains asbestos.
What else do I need from home?
A flat screwdriver or a small scraper, a plastic sheet or bin bag to put down underneath, a roll of tape, and a damp cloth. The safety gear, the spray bottle and the bags are in the box.
Can I use the kit on any material?
It's made for the common, firmly bound materials in UK homes: textured coatings such as Artex, floor tiles and their adhesive, sheet vinyl, cement sheets, garage and shed roofs, and gutters and soffits you can reach from the ground. Not sure what yours is? Snap a photo first: the free photo check points at what's worth testing.
Sources
- HSE, Asbestos essentials EM6, PPE including RPE (an FFP3 respirator; disposable overalls and gloves) (09/17): www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/em6.pdf
- HSE, HSG264 Asbestos: The survey guide, 2nd edition 2012: para 101 (a sample of about 3–5 cm², through the full depth), paras 110–120 (misting first; sealable bags; one sample of floor tiles of each type or colour): www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg264.pdf
- HSE, Non-licensed work (collecting samples is non-licensed work), updated 2024-02-23: www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/licensing/non-licensed-work.htm
- The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, regulation 21 (analysis by a laboratory accredited to ISO 17025): www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/632/regulation/21
Updated 25 October 2026
