Reading · England
Asbestos Testing in Sonning
Asbestos testing for properties in Sonning and Reading: asbestos testing with written results, with written paperwork.
- Lab results for contractors before they start
- Boards and panels before a kitchen or bathroom refit
- Artex ceilings before plastering, sanding or drilling
Need asbestos testing in Sonning?
About our asbestos testing in Sonning
Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, anyone analysing samples to identify asbestos must be accredited to ISO/IEC 17025. Our samples go to an accredited lab, and you get the written result. We often deal with floor tiles, textured ceilings and black adhesive, and people usually contact us about corrugated roof sheets and single materials in rented homes between tenancies.
In places like Sonning, outbuildings and farm buildings are common testing jobs, where cement sheet roofs and cladding were often used. Work is planned to the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and HSE guidance.
- Where
- Sonning (RG4)
- County
- Reading
- Service
- Samples analysed by an accredited lab
- You receive
- Written laboratory result
- Quote
- A written quote before work starts
- Telephone
- 07833 053 749
- Page updated
- 26 October 2026
Responsibilities for owners
If you are responsible for a non-domestic building or the common parts of flats in Sonning, you have a duty to manage asbestos under 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 Sonning, the asbestos register for common parts should be kept up to date and shared with contractors.
Materials we deal with
Textured coatings
We take a small piece of the coating.
Roof felt and mastics
Older bitumen felts and mastics sometimes contain asbestos.
Your options compared
Testing or a survey? A test covers particular materials; a survey covers everything in scope. Small jobs usually just need a test. We don’t publish a price list, because jobs vary so much. Our guides list published price ranges from other companies, with sources.
What you get
- Clear advice on your options
- Samples analysed by an accredited laboratory
- Across London and the South East
- Clear notes on any areas not reached
Read how we price jobs and the cost guide.
How we price asbestos testing
Prices vary with:
- The survey type
- The type of material and its condition
- Roof spaces and outbuildings in scope
- How easy it is to reach
Identifying asbestos early is cheaper than stopping work later, when everything has to stop.
Photos that help
Photos often save us a visit:
- An overall view
- Labels, if any
- Cracks or breaks
- The parking area
For a quote, send photos through our quote form, or phone 07833 053 749. Tell us the postcode, what the material is and where, and send photos if you can.
Good to know
Before booking, note that:
- Testing doesn’t look for anything else, so it isn’t a substitute for a survey before major work
- 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 you are unsure, describe the job and send photos, and we’ll advise.
Common materials
- Artex and textured ceilings
- Flue pipes
- Soffit boards
- Garage roof sheets
- Panels behind heaters
- Roof felt
- Water tanks
- Floor tiles
- Bitumen adhesive
- Pipe lagging
Where asbestos turns up
Many trades will not touch older ceilings or floors without a test, and a written lab result gives them what they need.
Get advice if you’re dealing with any of these:
- Panels behind old heaters
- Soffits and porch canopies before replacement
- Artex before downlights or rewiring
- Old floor tiles before a new floor goes down
If you are a letting agent with homes near Twyford station, a single material can be tested between tenancies.
Questions to ask before you book
- Suitable insurance for the work
- Areas included and excluded
- The survey type, as defined in HSG264
- Whether extra samples cost more
Testing materials in Sonning
Sonning is about 1 mile north-west of Woodley, in Reading. If your test is in Sonning, let us know about access. We cover all 34 towns and villages in Reading.
For properties on main roads such as the B478 and B4446, let us know where we can park. If you work at a school like Sonning Church of England Primary School, ask the duty holder about the asbestos register.
We cover tests across RG4. Streets in the area include High Street, Parkway Drive and Pound Lane, and asbestos testing is available on all of them. Main roads around Sonning include the B478 and B4446; tell us about parking if you’re on a main road. For properties just outside Sonning, we cover Play Hatch (1 mile north-west), Dunsden Green (2 miles north-west), Newtown (2 miles south-west), Caversham Park Village (2 miles north-west) and Littlestead Green (2 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also work in Caversham (3 miles west), Norcot (5 miles west), West Reading (4 miles west), Tilehurst Within (5 miles west), Shinfield (5 miles south-west) and Arborfield Garrison (6 miles south).
A little further out are Berkshire Medical Heritage Centre Museum (2.5 miles south-west) and Royal Berkshire Hospital (2.6 miles south-west). The countryside around Sonning includes Sonning Hill and South Lake.
- Schools near Sonning include Reading Blue Coat School (within half a mile west) and Waingels College (0.8 miles east)
- Pubs nearby include Bull Inn (within half a mile north-west)
Looking after things afterwards
A positive result isn’t a reason to panic: it may be left, covered or removed, depending on your plans.
Keeping things safe:
- File the result with your property paperwork
- Tell us what work you are planning
- Not sure between a test and a survey? Ask
- Make the area easy to reach
Don’ts
Leave the material alone until the result is back.
Get the result before work is booked, so there’s no delay later.
How we work
We use the right protective equipment and keep people away while sampling, however small the job. On the day, we check the area and talk you through the plan first.
- Send us photos of the material
- We check whether a test or a survey suits
- Our surveyor takes the samples
- The samples go to an accredited laboratory
- We explain what the result means for your plans
How to prepare
- Move belongings away from the area, without touching the material
- Warn neighbours if needed
- Keep children and pets away on the day
Getting a price
Not sure what you need? Ring 07833 053 749, or send the details through our contact page and describe the problem, and we’ll advise.
Related guides
Nearby places to Sonning
Other services in Sonning
Your questions about asbestos testing in Sonning
Do you cover Sonning from London?
We cover Sonning, about 35 miles from central London.
Do you work near Twyford station?
Yes, we cover Sonning and the area towards Twyford station, about 1.9 miles east.
Does someone need to be there?
Someone has to let us into all the areas in the job, and it helps if you are around to answer questions.
How quickly can you come out?
Dates are agreed once the quote is accepted. Some work has to be notified to the enforcing authority first, which affects timing.
Should I use a home testing kit?
HSE’s advice is for a competent person to take samples. If you’re unsure, ask us to take it.
What if the weather’s bad?
Indoor jobs go ahead in any weather. Outdoor removal may be postponed in strong wind or heavy rain, for safety.
Can you test the air for asbestos?
Air testing for clearance is done by an independent UKAS-accredited analyst. We will tell you whether you need it.
How many samples will I need?
Typically one per material, sometimes more. We will advise when you tell us what you’re testing.
- Identify it first: we test or survey before planning removal
- Planned to HSE guidance and the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
- Everything in writing: quotes, reports, results and waste notes
- Waste sealed and labelled, then taken to a permitted site