Licensed vs non-licensed asbestos work — what's the difference?

Whether asbestos work needs a licence is one of the most important distinctions in demolition safety. It changes who can do the work and how. This page sets out the three categories and what decides which one applies.

Why there are different categories

Not all asbestos materials behave the same way. Some are friable — easily crumbled, releasing fibres readily — while others are bound into a stable matrix and release far fewer fibres unless heavily disturbed. The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 reflect this by setting different requirements according to the risk of the work, rather than treating every job the same.

The result is a tiered system. Higher-risk work attracts the strictest controls, including the need for a licence and tightly controlled conditions, while lower-risk work is still regulated but does not require a licence. The category is determined by the type of material, its condition, and the nature of the task, drawing on the survey findings and HSE guidance. Getting the category right is essential, because it dictates who is allowed to do the work and what precautions are mandatory.

The three categories explained

The three tiers under the regulations work as follows:

• Licensed work: the higher-risk category. It generally includes work on materials such as sprayed asbestos coatings, asbestos lagging and much asbestos insulating board. This work must be carried out by a contractor holding a licence issued by the HSE, and it requires controlled conditions, planning and notification.
• Notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW): a defined band of non-licensed work that carries a higher risk than ordinary non-licensed tasks. It must be notified to the relevant enforcing authority before it starts, and it brings additional duties including record-keeping and medical surveillance for workers.
• Non-licensed work: lower-risk work on more stable materials — for example certain work on asbestos cement or textured coatings in good condition. No licence is needed, but the work must still be properly assessed and carried out safely with appropriate controls.

The boundaries between these tiers are set by the regulations and HSE guidance, and they turn on the specifics of the material and task. The table summarises the differences.

Indicative summary based on HSE guidance. The category for any specific task is determined by the material, its condition and the work; take competent advice.

Why the distinction matters for demolition

In demolition, classifying the asbestos correctly is what keeps the work both safe and lawful. Several consequences flow from the category:

• Who can do it: licensed work can only be carried out by an HSE-licensed contractor, so using an unlicensed firm for licensed work is unlawful.
• What controls apply: licensed work needs enclosures, controlled access, decontamination and air monitoring; lower tiers need proportionate but still careful controls.
• What records are kept: licensed and notifiable non-licensed work require notification, and medical surveillance and record-keeping for workers.

Misclassifying work — treating licensed work as non-licensed to save time or money — exposes workers and the public to harm and can lead to HSE enforcement and prosecution. The reliable approach is to base the classification on a competent survey and on the regulations, and to use contractors who are appropriately licensed and competent for the category of work involved. Whatever the category, the asbestos is removed before the main demolition begins.

How the HSE licence works

For licensed work, the requirement to hold a licence is central, so it is worth understanding what that means in practice:

• Issued by the HSE: the licence to carry out licensable asbestos work is granted by the Health and Safety Executive, which assesses the firm's competence and management of asbestos work.
• Not a one-off: licences are time-limited and subject to ongoing scrutiny, so a licensed contractor is one whose competence has been assessed and is kept under review.
• Comes with duties: licensed work involves planning, notification to the enforcing authority, controlled conditions, medical surveillance for workers and clearance procedures before an area is handed back.
• Verifiable: you can check that a contractor genuinely holds a current licence rather than relying on a claim, which is a sensible step before engaging one.

The licence is therefore both a legal gateway — only licensed firms may do licensable work — and a marker of assessed competence. For non-licensed and notifiable non-licensed work, no licence is needed, but the work must still be carried out safely by people with the right training, controls and equipment.

Getting the classification right

Because the category determines who can do the work and how, it is essential that it is decided properly rather than assumed. The dependable process is:

• Start with a competent survey: the refurbishment and demolition survey identifies the type and condition of the asbestos, which is the basis for classification.
• Apply the regulations and guidance: the category is judged against the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and HSE guidance, not chosen for convenience.
• Match the contractor to the work: use an HSE-licensed contractor for licensed work, and competent contractors with appropriate training and controls for non-licensed and notifiable non-licensed work.
• Keep the records: notification, plans of work, medical surveillance and clearance documentation should be retained as required for the category.

Done correctly, this classification process ensures asbestos is removed by the right people under the right controls before demolition begins. It protects workers and the public, keeps the project compliant, and avoids the serious consequences of treating higher-risk work as if it were low-risk. The category is a technical judgement under the regulations — which is precisely why it should rest on a competent survey and qualified contractors.

Common materials and where they tend to fall

While the category of any specific job is always a technical judgement, it helps to understand in broad terms why different asbestos materials tend to attract different controls. The key factor is how readily a material releases fibres when worked on:

• Sprayed coatings and lagging: these are highly friable — they crumble easily and release fibres readily — so work on them generally falls into the higher-risk licensed category.
• Asbestos insulating board (AIB): much work on AIB is licensed because it can release significant fibres when broken or drilled, though some limited tasks may fall lower.
• Textured decorative coatings: these are more stable, and certain work on them can be non-licensed, but it must still be done with proper controls.
• Asbestos cement: products such as roof sheets and gutters are tightly bound, so work on them in good condition is often non-licensed, provided it is done carefully to avoid breaking the material up.

These are general tendencies, not rules to apply by sight. The same material in poor condition, or a task that breaks it up rather than removing it whole, can change the risk and therefore the category. That is exactly why the classification is made from a competent survey and against the regulations rather than assumed from the type of material alone. The practical takeaway for demolition is that the survey identifies what is present and its condition, the regulations and guidance determine the category, and the right contractor — licensed where required — then carries out the removal before the building is taken down.

Frequently asked questions

Sources & further reading

• HSE — licensed and non-licensed asbestos work
• HSE — notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW)

Figures on this page are typical UK ranges drawn from published sources and depend on your specific building. They are guidance, not a quotation.