Asbestos testing in Bristol

Bristol's housing is older than most. Nearly a third of the city's homes were built before 1919, and that shapes where asbestos is likely to turn up. In an old terrace, the thing to watch is usually what was added later, not what the house was built from. This page covers what to look out for, how Bristol's recycling centres handle asbestos from homes, and how to get a material tested.

Bristol's homes, by age

The Valuation Office Agency's figures for the City of Bristol, at 31 March 2025, show:

• about 64,500 homes built before 1919, or 30%. Across England and Wales the figure is about 21%;
• about 42,900 built between the wars, or 20%, including about 34,800 in the 1930s alone;
• about 31,300 built between 1945 and 1964, or 15%;
• about 35,600 built between 1965 and 1999, or 17%;
• about 37,500 built in 2000 or later, or 18%.

Put together, that's about 174,000 of Bristol's 212,750 homes, roughly 82%, built before 2000.

Older homes: the asbestos usually came later

In a Victorian or Edwardian house, the original brick, plaster and timber are rarely the worry. But a 120-year-old house has usually been modernised several times, and each round of work may have added something from the decades when asbestos products were common. In older Bristol homes, the materials most worth checking before work are:

• textured ceilings and walls, often added in the 1960s, 70s and early 80s to hide cracked plaster;
• floor tiles and the black adhesive under them, often hidden under later carpet or laminate;
• boxing-in and panels around pipes, behind old fires and heaters, and in airing cupboards, which may be insulation board;
• outbuildings: a grey corrugated roof on a garage, lean-to or shed.

Homes from the 1930s to the 1990s

Bristol's large stock of 1930s homes, and its post-war homes, were built in the decades when asbestos products were in everyday use. As well as the list above, check soffits under the eaves, cement gutters and downpipes, flue pipes from old boilers, and old cold water tanks in the loft.

A newer home from the 1980s or 1990s isn't automatically in the clear either. HSE's survey guide gives 1999 as the last year asbestos cement was used. It also says that, although asbestos stopped being added to textured coatings around 1984, old stocks carried on being used for some years.

You can't tell by looking. Only a lab can tell you what a material is.

Taking asbestos to a Bristol recycling centre

There's no council collection for asbestos in Bristol. Bristol City Council says, "We do not provide a collection service for asbestos." Instead, small amounts of bonded asbestos from homes can go to a household waste recycling centre, run by Bristol Waste Company. Here's what the two organisations' pages say. Read both before you go, because they word the limits and charges differently.

Bristol City Council's page says:

• call 0117 922 2100 first, to check there's space in the skip for your asbestos;
• only three sheets, or three 25 kg bags, of bonded asbestos are accepted per visit or per week, whichever is less;
• wrap each sheet twice in heavy-duty polythene and seal it with tape, and use two bags for smaller pieces;
• it won't take asbestos that isn't wrapped;
• if sheets are dry, spray them with water as you pack them, to stop dust rising;
• try to remove sheets whole.

Bristol Waste Company's page says:

• you need to book a slot online before you visit;
• asbestos is charged at £11 per bag or sheet;
• it must be double-wrapped in heavy-duty polythene and completely sealed;
• bagged asbestos mustn't be mixed with any other waste;
• staff can't help you load asbestos into the skip.

Bristol Waste's centres are at Avonmouth, Hartcliffe Way and St Philips. Its page doesn't say which of them take asbestos, so check when you book.

If a builder is doing the work. Bristol City Council says that if a builder creates the waste, it's their job to deal with it, and the cost of disposing of the asbestos should be in their quote. Don't take it to the tip for them.

If you live outside the city boundary, in South Gloucestershire or North Somerset for example, your own council's rules apply.

If you rent from Bristol City Council

The council asks its tenants to get permission before any DIY or home improvement work that may disturb building materials. It says it will check its asbestos register for any record of asbestos at your home, and may carry out a survey and take samples, for free. If you think you've found asbestos, it asks you to stop work and contact its Customer Services Centre on 0117 922 2200, asking for the Council Housing Repairs Team.

Renting privately? Talk to your landlord before any work. See renting and asbestos.

Buying in Bristol?

With so many older homes in the city, buyers' surveys often mention possible asbestos. A line in a survey isn't a finding, and it's rarely a reason on its own to walk away. See buying a house with asbestos.

How it works in Bristol

1. Send us a photo of the ceiling, floor, board or roof, and tell us what you're planning.
2. We point at what's worth testing, how many samples you need, and anything you shouldn't touch.
3. Take a small sample with the kit, but only of materials that are fine to sample at home. Lagging, sprayed coatings, loose fill, anything damaged and anything on a roof are for professionals, and insulation board needs a photo first. Our material-by-material list explains why. Kits are launching soon.
4. The lab analyses your sample. It's a UKAS-accredited laboratory, named on every certificate, and you get a written result.

Questions people ask

Updated 23 October 2026