Should you sample it yourself?

This question usually gets a line in the small print. Here it gets a page, material by material, so you can see where the line falls and why.

First, the official advice, because you deserve to hear it from us. HSE recommends that the person taking a sample is "fully trained and competent", and warns that sampling "may generate many free fibres in higher-risk materials". HSENI, the regulator in Northern Ireland, says taking the sample yourself is not recommended, because of the risk of fibre release.

For the higher-risk materials, we agree completely, and we say so plainly below. For a few common, firmly bound materials in good condition, a careful home sample is a reasonable choice for some people. HSE treats work on those materials as lower-risk work. The choice is yours. If you have any doubt, use a surveyor.

The list

"Yes, with care": why these ones

Textured coatings. The asbestos, where there is any, is a few per cent of white asbestos held in the coating. HSE describes most work on textured coatings as non-licensed work, and its survey guide describes sampling them by carefully scraping a little coating into a container held underneath. See our Artex guide.

Floor tiles and adhesive. The fibres are bound into plastic or bitumen. HSE has a task sheet for trades on removing these tiles and their mastic as non-licensed work. A tile that's already loose is often the easiest place to take a sample. The tile and the adhesive can be different materials, so they may need a sample each. See floor tiles.

Asbestos cement. The fibres are held tightly in cement. HSE's survey guide describes taking a small piece from an edge or corner, about 5 cm². It also warns that samples should not be collected from roofs without special safety precautions, because people fall through fragile sheets. Ground level only. See cement sheets.

"With care" means doing it the way HSE's survey guide describes:

• mist the spot with water first, to keep dust down;
• put a sheet down underneath;
• use a hand tool, take a small piece, and put it straight into a sealable bag, then seal that inside a second bag;
• label it, and note where it came from (a photo helps);
• leave the spot clean, and cover it with tape or a dab of paint.

Wear the right protection. HSE says a "dust mask" is useless for asbestos. You need a respirator to the FFP3 standard, a disposable overall and single-use gloves. HSE also says these respirators are not suitable for people with beards or stubble, because they can't seal properly.

"Photo first": why we want to see it

Felt, mastics, putty, cisterns and sills are usually firmly bound, but they can be hard to sample cleanly and some look like materials that need more care. A photo lets us tell you whether a home sample makes sense.

Insulation board: don't sample it yourself

Insulation board looks harmless: a flat, matt, often painted panel. But it's softer than cement and breaks more easily. HSE's survey guide says it usually contains 15 to 25% brown asbestos (amosite), sometimes mixed with white, and older boards up to 40%. HSE says most work with insulation board needs a licence.

So we don't recommend sampling it yourself. Send us a photo first and we'll tell you honestly whether you need a licensed professional. Insulation board is easy to confuse with cement sheet, especially on soffits, which is exactly why we'd rather see it. See asbestos insulation board.

"Never": the materials to leave to a professional

Cement roof sheets from above. Not because of what's in them, but because of what's under you. Old sheets can give way without warning. HSE's survey guide says samples should not be collected from roofs without special safety precautions. See garage roofs.

Lagging. HSE's survey guide puts the asbestos content of old lagging anywhere from 6 to 85%, and it sheds fibres easily. Work that may disturb pipe lagging is licensed work. See pipe lagging.

Sprayed coatings. Usually 55 to 85% asbestos, according to HSE's survey guide. Removing them is licensed work. Professionals sample them using special wetting and coring methods, not a scraper.

Loose fill. Loose asbestos insulation can easily get into the air if disturbed. Work involving it is licensed. Some vermiculite loft insulation (small, pebble-like grey-brown or silver-gold granules) came from a mine in the United States whose vermiculite was contaminated with asbestos. The US Environmental Protection Agency advises leaving it undisturbed. See sprayed coatings and loose fill.

Damaged material. Even for professionals, HSE says removing asbestos in poor condition, for example after a flood or fire, will normally be notifiable work.

Inside appliances and electrics. Fuse boxes, heaters and boilers can contain asbestos parts, as well as electricity and sometimes gas. Leave them to the trades.

Who shouldn't use a home kit at all

• Landlords, businesses and tradespeople, for their own duties. HSE's survey guide says that for people at work, asbestos surveying and sampling is likely to count as work with asbestos, needing a risk assessment and a plan of work. See renting and asbestos.
• Anyone who needs a survey, for example before major building work, or to meet a legal duty to manage asbestos. HSE says asbestos surveys should only be done by competent surveyors.
• Anyone with a beard or stubble, unless someone else does the sampling, because the respirator can't seal.

Questions people ask

Updated 23 October 2026