Greater London · England
Asbestos Testing in Barnes
Found something that might be asbestos in Barnes? We provide laboratory testing of suspect materials, explained in plain English.
- Porch canopies
- Artex before downlights or rewiring
- Results builders ask for before work
Asbestos testing for Barnes
About our asbestos testing in Barnes
Asbestos materials often look just like materials without it. Only a laboratory can tell you for sure, which is what our testing service in Barnes provides. Whether it’s something broken during building work and lab results for contractors before they start, we deal with black adhesive, floor tiles and garage roof sheets.
Properties in Barnes may have layers of past work, so a material that looks modern can sit on top of something older. We identify materials before planning removal, because the method depends on what the material is.
- Area
- Barnes (SW13, SW15, SW14)
- Region
- Greater London
- Covers
- Samples analysed by an accredited lab
- You receive
- Written laboratory result
- Price
- Written quote for your job
- Call
- 07833 053 749
- Page updated
- 26 October 2026
DIY and asbestos
With a professional job, you get a record: a record that buyers, insurers and builders may want to see.
DIY sampling means disturbing the material yourself. HSE recommends a competent person takes samples.
Testing around Barnes
Barnes is about 2 miles west of Fulham, in Greater London. Properties in Barnes range from older houses to newer estates and commercial buildings, and anything from before 2000 may contain asbestos. We cover 764 places across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages. Our nearest city page is London, about 7 miles away.
If your home is one of the older properties in Barnes, near Barnes Methodist Church or elsewhere, a quick test before work is sensible. If you’re a letting agent with homes near Barnes Bridge station, you can test a material while the property is empty.
We carry out tests all over SW13, SW15 and SW14 and the streets around it. From Church Road, Station Road and Barnes High Street or a nearby road, we can help. Barnes is on the A306 and B349, which makes it simple to get to. Neighbouring places we cover include Old Chiswick (1 mile north), Turnham Green (1 mile north-west), Mortlake (1 mile south-west), East Sheen (1 mile south-west) and Putney (1 mile south-east). We also cover nearby towns such as London (7 miles east), City of Westminster (5 miles north-east), Marylebone (5 miles north-east), Kensington (3 miles north-east), St Pancras (7 miles north-east) and Shoreditch (8 miles north-east).
Barnes is in London, inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, where parking and loading can be restricted: let us know about parking and access when you get in touch.
Other landmarks nearby include Putney Exchange (1.4 miles south-east) and Municipal Borough of Acton (2.5 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Richmond Hill and Kew Gardens Lake.
- Local schools include The Harrodian School (0.6 miles north) and Chiswick School (0.9 miles north-west)
- Nearby, you will find Sun Inn (within half a mile west)
- Local facilities include Polish Library POSK in London (1.4 miles north)
How we work
The sample point is sealed, leaving the material safe while you wait for the result. We begin by confirming exactly what we are doing, so there’s no confusion.
- Send us photos of the material
- We check whether a test or a survey suits
- We visit and take the samples
- The lab tests the samples
- We explain what the result means for your plans
Getting ready
- Keep the area clear of children and pets
- Tell us about anything that is already damaged
- Clear belongings, but leave the material alone
Getting a price
The quickest way to a quote is to send photos and the postcode: just ring 07833 053 749, or send the details through our contact page.
Related guides
Places near Barnes
More for properties in Barnes
After we have finished in Barnes
If the result shows a higher-risk material such as insulating board or lagging, the work will typically be licensed, and we will explain what that involves.
Once you know what’s there, a few simple habits help:
- Test everything you’re worried about at once
- Keep the results for future work or a sale
- Not sure between a test and a survey? Ask
- Send photos of the material and where it is
Don’ts
Leave the material alone until the result is back.
Test before you book the builders, so you can plan properly.
Barnes questions
Do you cover Barnes and the area around Barnes Bridge station?
Yes, we cover Barnes, including the streets around Barnes Bridge station.
Is asbestos common in Barnes homes?
That depends on when it was built and altered: asbestos products were used until 1999, so pre-2000 homes and extensions in Barnes may have it. Look at garage roofs, textured ceilings, old floor tiles, soffits and flues.
Can asbestos go in my bin?
No. Asbestos is hazardous waste and must go to a site that accepts it. We take it to a permitted site with paperwork.
How many samples will I need?
Normally one for each different material, sometimes more. Photos help us suggest a number.
Can you tell if it’s asbestos by looking?
Not reliably by eye: a sample has to be analysed in a laboratory. We take the sample safely and send it to an accredited lab.
What’s the difference between a test and a survey?
A test checks specific materials; a survey checks a whole building or work area. Before building work, you normally need a survey.
Should I use a home testing kit?
HSE’s advice is that a competent person should take samples, as it means disturbing the material. Ask us to take it.
Do I need to be at home?
Someone has to let us into all the areas in the job.
Limits to be aware of
A few things to be aware of:
- A test only covers the materials sampled, so bigger work needs a survey
- Clearance air testing after licensed work is done by an independent UKAS-accredited analyst
- Identifying the material is the first step; removal is planned separately
If in doubt, ask: we will recommend a test, a survey or removal before you book.
Materials we see
- Floor tiles
- Panels behind heaters
- Garage roof sheets
- Soffit boards
- Water tanks
- Flue pipes
- Bitumen adhesive
- Roof felt
- Artex and textured ceilings
- Pipe lagging
For landlords, agents and businesses
If you are responsible for a non-domestic building or the common parts of flats in Barnes, you have a duty to manage asbestos under regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. That means finding it, assessing it, recording it and planning how to manage it.
For managing agents and freeholders in Barnes, the register for shared areas needs keeping current and sharing with trades, and condition checked regularly.
Where asbestos turns up
Many trades won’t touch older ceilings or floors without a test, and a lab result is what they’re after.
In older properties, we often see:
- Checks before maintenance in rented homes
- Artex before downlights or rewiring
- Boiler cupboard panels
- Corrugated roof sheets
For properties on main roads such as the A306 and B349, let us know where we can park.
What to look for in a quote
- The scope, in writing
- Whether VAT is included
- Survey methods in line with HSG264
- Whether extra samples cost more
How we price asbestos testing
The biggest factors in the price are:
- The size of the job
- Lofts, voids and outbuildings to include
- How many different materials need sampling
- The type of material and its condition
Every quote says whether VAT is included, so you can compare like with like.
Photos that help
Photos help us understand the job before we visit. Take them without disturbing anything:
- A rough size or measurement
- Visible markings
- Any damage, cracks or broken pieces
- The route in: gates, steps, stairs or the loft hatch
Every job is quoted in writing. Send photos through our quote form, or phone 07833 053 749 with the details, including any survey or test you already have.
Which option is right?
How many samples? Different materials, and sometimes the same material in different places, need separate samples. We don’t publish a price list, because jobs vary so much. Our guides list published price ranges from other companies, with sources.
How we work in Barnes
- Condition ratings, not just a list
- Management, refurbishment and demolition, and pre-purchase surveys
- Records for your files
- Lab analysis by an accredited laboratory
Take a look at how we quote or our cost guide.
- Nothing removed blind: unknown materials are tested first
- Work planned to the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and HSE guidance
- Everything in writing: quotes, reports, results and waste notes
- Legal disposal at a permitted site, with a consignment note