Asbestos

[roadman]

roughly how much for someone to come out and just see if it is asbestos

[THECORBYLOON]

Assuming it's property and not an item, this might be somewhere to start,

https://shorturl.at/gipB6

[Buenchico]

Some guideline figures here:
https://www.checkatrade.com/blog/cost-guides/asbestos-survey-cost/

[The Builder]

What will they be looking at roadman?

[roadman]

A beam in an attic not hard to get to at all

[The Builder]

A beam?
I don't understand. Is it clad in something perhaps?

[The Builder]

Sprayed fire-proofing?

[johnk]

If you can get a small sample you could send it off to a lab

[Atheist]

They come and sand and pick off a bit with their thumbnail, then sniff it and taste a bit on the end of their tongue to see if it's white or blue. Takes about ten minutes and they will charge a lot. But it's a dangerous job!
I honestly don't know what a modern snowflake firm would do. If the end result would be a nice little earner they would be cheap as chips.
Best to ring them and ask.

[roadman]

the builder i did think is it condensation developed over time from a crack in the roofing lead lining but yes its very strange i would think it looks like polystyrene there are small bits of it on the floor but the large chunk is just on one beam almost like a fungus grows on a tree it wouldnt make sense for it to be asbestos but the building surveyor said it could be

[The Builder]

Sorry Roadman but it's impossible to comment without actually seeing it.
Bear in mind that so many of these asbestos 'specialists' will say it's asbestos just to cover themselves. Not helpful I know, but it's so often the case.