Asbestos Removal in Coventry

Found asbestos in a Coventry home? Start here

Coventry was heavily bombed in the war and largely rebuilt afterwards. The estates that went up in the 1950s and 60s at Tile Hill, Willenhall and Wood End used asbestos as a standard building material. The older terraces in Radford and Foleshill have it too, in garage roofs, textured ceilings, floor tiles and around pipes. What you do next depends on the material, not on the age of the house.

• Leave it alone until you know what it is. Material in good condition that nobody touches is low risk. The danger comes from breaking it up.
• It cannot go in the household bin. Asbestos is hazardous waste. Coventry has a route for small amounts, set out further down this page.

Every HSE licensed contractor covering the West Midlands

The register lists sixteen companies holding a Health and Safety Executive asbestos licence with a registered address in the West Midlands. Most are in Birmingham and the Black Country, and they cover Coventry as a matter of course. The licence number and expiry date come straight from the HSE register, so you can check any firm yourself in about thirty seconds.

14 of the 16 hold a standard licence, which is the type that covers removal. Two firms here hold a scaffolding licence, not a removal one: Ashdurn Limited in Birmingham and MG Scaffolding (Oxford) Limited in Brierley Hill. A scaffolding licence covers putting up and taking down scaffold around asbestos work, not removing anything, so those are not who you ring about a garage roof.

Two things on this list worth knowing

• Very few firms are in Coventry itself. The licensed trade here is clustered in Birmingham. Expect the firm that quotes to travel in. That is normal and does not change the price much.
• Keep an eye on the expiry dates. None of the West Midlands firms hold a licence expiring in the next 6 weeks. A licence coming up for renewal does not mean anything is wrong. If you are booking work for the autumn, ask about it.

Getting rid of small amounts in Coventry

Coventry does not collect asbestos from homes. You take small amounts to the Household Recycling and Disposal Centre yourself, and you have to book first.

• The tip takes up to six sacks a month. That is the household limit. Anything more is a job for a licensed firm.
• It must be double bagged or wrapped in heavy duty plastic, kept damp, and no bigger than two metres by one. Nothing can stick out of the wrapping.
• You cannot break it up on site, and you cannot get in without a booking. Book the tip visit before you load the car.

Check the current rules on the council’s asbestos page before you move anything, because these change.

Where the asbestos risk in Coventry comes from

Coventry built Jaguars, Triumphs and Rootes cars. Asbestos was in the brake linings, the clutch plates and the lagging all through those factories. The men who worked in the motor trade and on the post-war rebuild are the generation the mesothelioma figures cover now, because the disease can take decades to appear. The HSE says the highest risk today is to people who worked in the building trades while asbestos was in use. In Coventry that means the housing.

Figures from the HSE’s mesothelioma statistics for Great Britain.

What removal is likely to cost in Coventry

The material and how easy it is to reach decide the price, not the city. A cement garage roof in good order is the cheap end. Artex, floor tiles and small amounts of board are the middle. Sprayed coatings and pipe lagging are the expensive end, because they need a sealed enclosure. For a full breakdown of what drives the price, see our guide to asbestos removal cost.

Asbestos removal in Coventry: questions people ask

Does Coventry council collect asbestos?

No. There is no home collection. You take small amounts to the Household Recycling and Disposal Centre yourself, by appointment, up to six sacks a month.

Can I take asbestos to the Coventry tip?

Yes, small amounts of the right type, double bagged or wrapped and kept damp, up to six sacks a month. You must book first and you cannot break it up on site.

How many licensed firms cover Coventry?

16 hold a current licence across the West Midlands. Most are in Birmingham and the Black Country and they all cover Coventry. Your choice is much wider than the firms with a Coventry postcode.

Why do two firms show a scaffolding licence?

A scaffolding licence covers putting up and taking down the scaffold around asbestos work. It is not a licence to remove anything. We show the type on every row so you do not ring the wrong firm.

Getting a quote from a Coventry contractor

Not in Coventry? See the licensed firms covering Birmingham and the West Midlands, or every area we cover.