DIY asbestos test kits — the ones sold at Screwfix, B&Q, Wickes and Toolstation — use the same UKAS-accredited laboratory analysis as professionals for the final result. The catch is the sampling: taking the sample is exactly when fibres are released. For one small, low-risk material a kit can work if you follow the safety steps precisely; for anything friable, high up, or uncertain, a professional sample is safer and barely more expensive.
How the kits work
You take a small sample of the suspect material, seal it in the supplied bag and post it to a laboratory, which analyses it and emails you the result. The lab step is genuinely accredited — it is the same analysis we use.
The catch: sampling is the risky bit
Breaking, scraping or drilling a material to get a sample is the single moment most likely to release asbestos fibres. Kits rely on you doing this safely, with the right mask, wetting the material and minimising dust — which is harder than it sounds.
When a kit is reasonable
A single, accessible, low-risk material — like a small offcut of floor tile or a loose piece of cement — can be sampled with a kit if you follow the instructions carefully and use proper protection.
When to call a professional
For anything friable (insulating board, lagging, sprayed coatings), anything at height, large areas, or if you are at all unsure, have a surveyor take the sample. Our bulk sample testing starts from around £49 and removes the personal risk entirely.