Solar panels are increasingly common on London homes and commercial buildings, but older roofs can contain asbestos-containing materials. If installers need to drill, cut, lift, remove or otherwise disturb roof components, asbestos should be considered before work begins.
This is especially relevant to buildings constructed or refurbished before 2000. HSE guidance states that premises completed before 2000 should be presumed to contain asbestos unless there is strong evidence to the contrary. Asbestos cement was widely used in profiled roof sheets, roof tiles and other external building products.
Where asbestos may be found around a roof
HSE guidance identifies several external locations where asbestos-containing materials may occur, including profiled asbestos cement roofing sheets, roof tiles or slates, soffits, fascia panels, gutters and downpipes. The material cannot be reliably identified by appearance alone.
For solar installation, the key question is not simply whether the property is old. It is whether the proposed work will disturb materials that are known, presumed or suspected to contain asbestos.
Does solar-panel installation require an asbestos survey?
Not every solar installation automatically requires a full asbestos survey. The appropriate action depends on the age of the building, the roof construction, available asbestos information and exactly how the panels will be fixed.
HSE’s Asbestos: The survey guide (HSG264) explains that a refurbishment survey is needed before work that will disturb the fabric of a building in areas that have not already been adequately inspected. A management survey may not provide enough information for more intrusive work.
If the roof or adjacent building fabric is suspected to contain asbestos and the installation will involve drilling, cutting, lifting sheets or removing sections, a competent asbestos surveyor should define the necessary inspection or sampling scope before installation starts.
Why asbestos cement roofs need particular care
Asbestos cement was commonly used for corrugated and profiled roof sheets. HSE notes that these products can release more fibres when abraded, hand-sawn or worked on with power tools. They can also be fragile, creating a separate fall risk during roof work.
Solar-panel work on an asbestos cement roof therefore needs planning for both asbestos risk and working-at-height risk. HSE’s Health and safety in roof work (HSG33) specifically includes solar-panel work among ancillary roof activities and highlights the danger of fragile roof materials.
What property owners and managers should check before installation
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Building age and refurbishment history | Buildings completed before 2000 may contain asbestos unless reliable evidence shows otherwise. |
| Existing asbestos survey or register | It may already identify roof sheets, soffits, fascia panels or other relevant materials. |
| Exact fixing method | Drilling, cutting or lifting materials creates a different risk from non-intrusive mounting. |
| Survey limitations | Previous surveys may not have included the roof, roof voids or concealed areas. |
| Suspect material condition | Damaged or weathered material may require different controls and specialist advice. |
| Information given to installers | Contractors need relevant asbestos information before work starts. |
Management survey or refurbishment survey?
A management survey is primarily intended to support normal occupation and routine maintenance. It may identify accessible asbestos-containing materials, but it is not necessarily intrusive enough for installation work that disturbs the building fabric.
Where the solar project will disturb a defined part of the roof or building, a targeted refurbishment survey may be more appropriate. The scope should match the proposed work area rather than automatically extending to unrelated parts of the property.
What if asbestos is found?
Finding asbestos does not automatically mean the entire roof must be removed. The next step depends on the material type, condition, proposed work and whether it can be left undisturbed. Some asbestos work can be undertaken by appropriately trained non-licensed workers, while higher-risk work requires an HSE-licensed contractor. The correct work category should be determined before disturbance.
HSE provides practical information on where asbestos can occur in buildings and on planning work involving asbestos-containing materials.
London solar-installation asbestos checklist
- Confirm the age and construction of the roof.
- Check any existing asbestos survey, register or previous sampling records.
- Ask the solar installer exactly where drilling, cutting or lifting will occur.
- Do not assume a previous management survey covers intrusive solar work.
- Arrange targeted survey or sampling where the proposed work could disturb suspect materials.
- Share relevant asbestos information with the installation contractor before work starts.
- If asbestos is identified, agree the appropriate control, removal or alternative fixing approach before installation.
Need an asbestos check before solar-panel installation in London?
If you are planning solar panels on an older London property and are unsure whether roof materials may contain asbestos, we can help define an appropriate survey or sampling scope around the proposed works.
Request an asbestos survey quote and include the property type, approximate age, roof construction and the areas your installer expects to disturb.
This article provides general information. The correct asbestos survey or work method depends on the property and the specific installation scope.