A specialist workforce manages and removes asbestos from older buildings. This page distinguishes HSE licence records from the broader ONS remediation-business category and from research at selected removal sites. None of these measures is a census of every business carrying out asbestos work or a valuation of the asbestos-removal market.
Asbestos may remain in buildings constructed or refurbished before 2000. Great Britain’s chrysotile prohibition took effect on 24 November 1999; Northern Ireland’s equivalent took effect on 2 May 2000, with limited exceptions. HSE estimates around 5,000 asbestos-related deaths a year in Great Britain from past exposure. See our national asbestos statistics for the disease evidence.
Key asbestos removal industry facts and figures
- 367 licence entries in HSE’s list dated 6 October 2026, including Standard, Scaffolding and Maintenance licences with different scopes.
- 1,260 enterprises in the UK’s broader SIC 39000 remediation and other waste-management category, March 2026; not an asbestos-only count.
- 275 → 1,260: registered UK enterprises in that broader category in 2010 and 2026. This does not measure asbestos-sector revenue.
- 1 year: HSE’s stated first licence term. Holding a licence does not replace task-specific planning and controls.
- Up to 3 years: the maximum asbestos licence term; renewal grants are normally three years following assessment.
- 8 volunteer sites in HSE’s 2016–2019 removal study. The sample was not intended to represent the entire industry.
- 0.1 fibres/ml: the control limit averaged over four hours. It is not a safe exposure threshold.
- 4 of 8 sites had individual measurements above 0.1 fibres/ml in that study; this is distinct from the four-hour average comparison.
Reviewed 15 October 2026. Licence counts use the list dated 6 October 2026; ONS enterprise counts use the September 2026 release and a March reference date. The exposure study remains clearly dated 2016–2019. Different scopes should not be combined into a single industry total.
How many licensed asbestos removal contractors are there in the UK?
HSE’s current-list extract dated 6 October 2026 contains 367 entries: 332 Standard, 28 Scaffolding and 7 Maintenance licences. This count includes different authorised activities. It is not the number of asbestos-removal contractors in England, nor the number of all businesses doing any asbestos work in the UK.
The extract is a dated list, and licences can expire, change or be renewed. Check a contractor’s actual licence, scope and conditions before appointment. HSE’s regime covers Great Britain; Northern Ireland has separate arrangements through HSENI. Do not infer work capacity, turnover or safety performance merely from the number of listed licences.
Licensable work is defined by the material, likely exposure and nature of the task. Work on coatings, insulation and most asbestos insulating board generally requires a licence; short duration alone does not establish an exemption. Non-licensed work still requires competent workers, a suitable assessment, appropriate training and controls. Awareness training alone is insufficient for work disturbing asbestos.
How many asbestos remediation businesses trade in the UK?
ONS/Nomis records 1,260 UK enterprises in SIC 39000 in March 2026, compared with 1,235 in 2025. The category covers remediation activities and other waste-management services, including activities unrelated to asbestos. Counts concern VAT/PAYE-registered enterprises and are rounded to the nearest five.
The same series records 275 enterprises in 2010, 1,225 in 2023 and 1,215 in 2024. These selected years show a larger broad remediation-business population than in 2010, with some year-to-year variation. They do not establish continuous growth or the trend for asbestos-removal businesses alone.
| Year (March) | UK SIC 39000 enterprises | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 275 | Broader remediation/waste category |
| 2024 | 1,215 | Broader remediation/waste category |
| 2025 | 1,235 | Broader remediation/waste category |
| 2026 | 1,260 | Latest release; rounded to nearest five |
How big is the UK asbestos removal and remediation market?
The official figures used here do not establish a national asbestos-removal market value. A hazardous-waste market estimate covers a different activity boundary, and a commercial sample of contractors is not a census. It would be misleading to present either as an official asbestos-only revenue total.
The clearest measured comparison is between licensing scope and business classification. Standard, Scaffolding and Maintenance licences authorise different activities, while the ONS category includes wider remediation and waste services. These populations overlap and must not be added together.
The table below keeps those definitions visible. A business may carry out more than one activity, and non-licensed asbestos work does not require an entry on the HSE licence list. Neither the licence list nor the enterprise series measures the quantity of asbestos removed each year.
| Measure | Count | Scope and date |
|---|---|---|
| All HSE licence-list entries | 367 | 6 October 2026 extract |
| Standard licence entries | 332 | Subset of the same extract |
| Scaffolding licence entries | 28 | Subset of the same extract |
| Maintenance licence entries | 7 | Subset of the same extract |
| UK SIC 39000 enterprises | 1,260 | Broader category, March 2026; rounded |
Who regulates asbestos removal and how long does a licence last?
HSE assesses applications for licences to carry out licensable asbestos work in Great Britain. Its current guidance states that a first licence lasts one year and renewal licences are normally granted for three years, the maximum term. The licence is not a general approval for every task: its conditions and all other relevant duties still apply.
A three-year renewal is not automatic. HSE may grant a shorter term, refuse a licence or impose conditions. Where no work was undertaken in the previous term, HSE normally considers only a one-year renewal after successful assessment. Read our CAR 2012 guide for the work categories and survey guide for planning considerations.
Enforcement of these regulations — prosecutions and notices served on contractors and duty holders — is covered separately on our asbestos enforcement statistics page, and is not repeated here.
What did HSE measure about fibre exposure in the licensed workforce?
HSE’s RR1176 study visited eight volunteer sites during 2016–2019 and was published in 2022. Individual personal measurements exceeded 0.1 fibres/ml at four sites; the mean time-weighted measurement exceeded the four-hour control limit at one. The study was not designed to represent all contractors or estimate an industry-wide failure rate.
At the one site removing sprayed coating, around 80% of personal measurements were above 0.1 fibres/ml. These concentrations describe air sampled around the workers, not a direct measure of fibres inhaled through respiratory protection. Short measurements must not be confused with the legal four-hour average.
The study identified opportunities to reduce exposure, including during enclosure setup and dismantling and through consistent RPE use. The control limit is not a safe threshold: exposure must be prevented where reasonably practicable and otherwise reduced as low as reasonably practicable. See our exposure and symptoms guide.
Is the UK asbestos removal industry still growing?
The broader ONS category has more registered enterprises than in 2010 and rose from 1,235 in 2025 to 1,260 in 2026. That supports a statement about the category as defined; it cannot establish an asbestos-only growth rate or predict future demand.
Refurbishment, demolition and maintenance can require asbestos assessment and, where necessary, controlled removal. Whether a particular project requires removal depends on its scope and the material’s condition. The continued presence of asbestos does not by itself prove that market revenue or contractor numbers will rise.
Frequently asked questions
How many licensed asbestos removal contractors are there in the UK?
HSE’s current-list extract dated 6 October 2026 contains 367 entries: 332 Standard, 28 Scaffolding and 7 Maintenance licences. This count includes different authorised activities. It is not the number of asbestos-removal contractors in England, nor the number of all businesses doing any asbestos work in the UK.
How big is the UK asbestos removal and remediation industry?
ONS recorded 1,260 UK enterprises in the broader remediation and other waste-management category in March 2026. This is not an asbestos-only total or market valuation. The HSE licence extract describes a different population.
Who regulates asbestos removal contractors in the UK and how long does an HSE licence last?
HSE licenses higher-risk asbestos work in Great Britain; HSENI has separate arrangements in Northern Ireland. HSE states that a first licence is for one year, with renewals normally for up to three years after assessment. The licence’s scope and conditions must be checked.
Is the UK asbestos removal industry still growing?
The broader ONS remediation/waste category increased from 1,235 enterprises in 2025 to 1,260 in 2026, with counts rounded to five. That is not evidence of an asbestos-only growth rate or a forecast of future demand.
Do you need an HSE licence to remove all asbestos?
No. The legal work category depends on the material, likely exposure and task. Some lower-risk work is non-licensed or notifiable non-licensed, but still requires proper assessment, training, competence and controls. A short task is not automatically exempt from licensing, and awareness training alone does not authorise removal.
For the maintenance, construction and refurbishment workers who encounter — but do not deliberately remove — asbestos in pre-2000 buildings, our CPD-certified Asbestos Awareness Course covers the Category A training required under Regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
Asbestos remains in older buildings. Make sure your team can recognise it before they disturb it.
Explore the Asbestos Awareness Course →Related guides
- Asbestos Statistics UK: Deaths, Exposure & Key Facts
- Asbestos Enforcement Statistics UK: CAR 2012 Prosecutions & Notices
- Asbestos Waste Statistics UK: Tonnages & Disposal
- The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 explained
- Types of asbestos surveys: management, refurbishment and demolition explained
Sources & references
- CONIAC / HSE — current licence-holder extract, 6 October 2026
- HSE — licence applications, work definitions and licence duration
- ONS / Nomis — UK Business Counts, enterprise series, September 2026 release
- ONS / Nomis — UK SIC 39000 enterprise counts, selected years
- HSE RR1176 — volunteer-site exposure study, 2016–2019 fieldwork (published 2022)
- HSE — CAR 2012 approved code and guidance
- HSE — enforcement responsibilities
- HSENI — asbestos guidance for Northern Ireland
- HSE — asbestos-related disease statistics
- Great Britain chrysotile prohibition amendment, 1999
- Northern Ireland chrysotile prohibition amendment, 2000
Mark writes about workplace health & safety, asbestos awareness and accredited online training for Asbestos Awareness Course, part of Online CPD Academy.