garage removal with asbestos roof

[jwpetal]

I am not sure if this is posted in the correct area. We have a garage that is 4 m wide and 6m long with an asbestos roof. We have decided not to do the removal ourselves due to the asbestos in particular. We are in a debate as to who to use. I have two quotes. One is for £1000 and the other is 1400. Both in southeast London.

I know this will be strange but we are hesitating on using the lower bid as this seems very low. the second person who gave me a quote said that £1000 was extremely low and questioned if they would be disposing of the items correctly. We don't want to support illegal dumping but is this a concern and how do we know? Does £1000 sound very low? We got the name from a newspaper ad. the other was a recommendation.

We have used quite a few builders in the past and a couple have had questionable practices but this was at the beginning of the process. If we find that they are not disposing correctly is this our legal problem or really just a question of morals?

 

[footprints]

I would forget both quotes unless the companies appear on this site.

http://www.arca.org.uk/

Also worth asking how they will clean up the site after the work, I questioned a removal firm I saw sweeping up after they had finished.
Why they did not use an approved vacuum cleaner? Got the old "Oh if the customer wanted a full environmental clean up afterwards they should have said so and we would have billed for it" sounded like complete b******s to me but I wasn't the bill payer.

 

[Nige F]

I presume you have had the sheeting tested for asbestos ? there is a lot of safe cement/fibre roofing out there - looking like cement/asbestos.

 

[jwpetal]

We have not had it tested. Everyone, including previous owners, said it was. I know that neighbors on both sides still have or had it. We had someone come by who quoted £750 for just the roof but they would not take the whole thing down. All 3 said they could handle the job, but when I went on the website previously provided, none of them were listed.

is there a checklist of questions I should be asking?

 

[kazuya]

round here you ring the council and they charge you about £120 for some very large bags, ive only used them for guttering but theres enough for a single garage roof they state.
you double bag the asbestos then seal it and ring them when its ready to be collected.

 

[Robotmannick]

I phoned the council about asbestos disposal a year or so ago and was offered bags (I think they were free, but limited in number). I asked what size they were as I had some 4' x 8' roofing sheets to go in them and was told that the bags were too small. She advised me to break up the boards to fit!

 

[Joe Malone]

You don't need a licensed contractor for this work and you need to contextualise what it is that you are dealing with. This is a very low risk product and so long as the removal and disposal guidelines are followed then it is fairly straightforward. To my mind the quotes are not particularly cheap, I have had whole asbestos garages removed by licensed asbestos companies for circa £750.00. The alleged requirement to vacuum with an approved Type H vacuum does not apply and is clearly not achievable unless the area was tented off.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/a14.pdf

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/em9.pdf

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Whoever you get to remove the asbestos from site, firstly make sure they are a 'Registered Waste Carrier', ask to see their proof. Secondly, it is vital, (and a legal requirement), they fill in a 'Waste Consignment Note' supplied by the Environment Agency. There will be a number of copies of this note, and make sure you receive your copy as the 'Producer' of the waste. Keep it safe for future reference.

Note should state, what the waste is, where, when and why it has arisen, who is transporting it and where it is going, (i.e. Landfill site.) This is your only proof, and should the waste then be illegally dumped, it is your confirmation you have complied with the rules, and should prevent you being prosecuted.

 

[kazuya]

I phoned the council about asbestos disposal a year or so ago and was offered bags (I think they were free, but limited in number). I asked what size they were as I had some 4' x 8' roofing sheets to go in them and was told that the bags were too small. She advised me to break up the boards to fit!

why didn't you break them up then, people worry to much about it, wear a mask and paper overalls and wet the boards as your breaking them you would have been fine, I break guttering to put in the bags, its not the very dangerous asbestos the risk is very low as joe Malone said