Asbestos Roof Removal Sydney
Old cement roof sheeting is one of the most common asbestos jobs on a Sydney property. Hazardous Removal Company removes asbestos roofs from houses, garages, sheds, carports and awnings. We hold a SafeWork NSW asbestos removal licence (AD213403), we bring the right access gear, and you get the paperwork that proves the job was done properly.
What Our Asbestos Roof Removal Covers
Asbestos cement was used on roofs across Sydney for decades, and most of it is still up there. These are the roof materials we remove most often:
- Corrugated cement sheets. The wavy grey Super Six style sheets are the classic asbestos roof, found on houses, garages, sheds and carports.
- Flat cement sheets. Flat asbestos cement panels were used on some roofs and awnings, and under eaves.
- Ridge capping. The capping along the top of the roof is often asbestos cement too, and it comes off with the sheets.
- Garage, shed and carport roofs. A lot of our roof work is on outbuildings, often with the walls coming off at the same time. See our garage asbestos removal page for those jobs.
- Gutters and downpipes. Weathered sheets shed fibres that wash into the gutters below, so they are dealt with as part of the job.
If your roof went up before 1990 and it is grey, corrugated and weathered, treat it as asbestos until a test says otherwise. Don’t walk on it, drill it or clean it.
How We Remove an Asbestos Roof
Every roof job follows the same steps, so you know what is happening and nothing gets missed.
Step 1: Inspection and quote. We look at the roof, the access and what sits underneath it before we quote, and arrange a test first if the material hasn’t been confirmed.
Step 2: SafeWork NSW notification. Licensed removal of more than 10 mĀ² of bonded asbestos has to be notified to SafeWork NSW at least 5 calendar days before work starts. We lodge it and handle neighbour notifications where they are needed.
Step 3: Safe access. Scaffold and edge protection go up where the job needs them, so nobody walks on fragile sheets.
Step 4: Wetting down. Sheets are kept damp while we work so fibres stay put instead of lifting into the air.
Step 5: Removing sheets whole. Fixings are taken out and sheets are lifted off and lowered whole wherever possible. We do not smash or break them.
Step 6: Wrapping and disposal. Waste is double wrapped in heavy plastic and taken to a facility licensed to accept it. Under NSW EPA rules, loads over 100 kg or 10 mĀ² are tracked from site to landfill, and we keep the records.
Step 7: Clean-up and clearance. After removal of more than 10 mĀ² of bonded asbestos, an independent competent person inspects the area and issues a clearance certificate. Air monitoring can be added where the job calls for it.
Why Choose Hazardous Removal Company
SafeWork NSW licensed. We hold asbestos removal licence AD213403, Class B (non-friable).
Our own crew. Every roof is removed by our own licensed team, with the access gear to work safely at height.
Tested, not guessed. Samples go to NATA-accredited laboratories, not retail test kits.
Legal disposal. Waste goes to EPA-approved facilities, and you get the records to prove it.
Independent clearance. The sign-off doesn’t come from the team that did the removal.
Is My Roof Asbestos? What Not to Do
Age is the first clue. Asbestos cement was phased out through the 1980s and banned outright on 31 December 2003, so roof sheeting installed before 1990 very often contains asbestos. Dull grey corrugated sheets, a chalky surface and moss or lichen are common signs, but none of them is proof. Only a lab test is certain, and our asbestos testing service can confirm it before any work is planned.
- Don’t pressure clean it. High-pressure water and compressed air must not be used on asbestos products under the NSW Work Health and Safety Regulation. SafeWork NSW has a safety alert on it.
- Don’t walk on it. Old cement sheets are brittle and can give way underfoot.
- Don’t drill or cut it. Solar panels, vents and antennas all disturb the sheets. Check the roof first.
- Don’t remove it yourself. In NSW you need a licence to remove more than 10 mĀ² of bonded asbestos, and even a small garage roof is usually over that. Read about the 10 square metre rule and why DIY removal is a bad idea.
Recent Asbestos Roof Jobs
- Lethbridge Park: 38 mĀ² of corrugated asbestos roof sheets and 120 mĀ² of flat sheets from three attached garages on a rental property, removed in one day by four licensed technicians, with clearance from a third-party licensed hygienist.
- Londonderry: 28 mĀ² of corrugated roof sheeting and 48 mĀ² of flat fibro cladding, with the garage structure demolished on the same day.
- Mount Colah: damaged fibro sheeting on a garage roof and external walls. The job was over 10 mĀ², so a hygienist inspected the site before sign-off.
- Tempe: a corrugated asbestos roof and external cladding removed from an extension in one day, after the 5-day SafeWork notice period.
- Minto: garage roofing sheets and external cladding, taken to a licensed waste facility and checked by a third-party hygienist.
- Guildford: corrugated roof sheets and external wall sheeting removed from a garage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Every roof is different, so we quote after seeing it. The main things that drive the price are the roof area in square metres, the height, pitch and access (and whether scaffold is needed), the condition of the sheets, what else is coming off (walls, eaves, gutters or a whole garage or shed), the weight of the waste and distance to a licensed facility, and what testing, clearance and air monitoring the job needs.
In NSW you need an asbestos removal licence to remove more than 10 mĀ² of bonded asbestos, and most roofs, even on a small garage, are bigger than that. Working on a brittle roof at height is also dangerous in its own right.
Pressure cleaning is prohibited. Sealing the sheets can be an option when they are still in sound condition. See our asbestos encapsulation service, or read how encapsulation works.
Yes. Licensed removal of more than 10 mĀ² of bonded asbestos must be notified to SafeWork NSW at least 5 calendar days before work starts. We lodge the notification for you.
Many garage and extension roofs are removed in a single day once the notice period has passed. Larger roofs, or jobs that need scaffold or a demolition as well, take longer. We give you a timeframe with the quote.
We remove the asbestos and arrange the clearance, and your roofer fits the new roof afterwards. Our guide to replacing an asbestos roof explains the order of work from test to new roof.
Yes. After removal of more than 10 mĀ² of bonded asbestos, an independent competent person inspects the area and issues a clearance certificate. We arrange it as part of the job.
Gutters and downpipes under an asbestos roof can hold broken fibres from years of weathering, so they are checked and dealt with as part of the removal.
We remove asbestos roofs across Greater Sydney and regional NSW, including Western Sydney, Parramatta and the Hills, the Hornsby Shire, the North Shore, the Central Coast, Wollongong and the Illawarra, the Blue Mountains, Lithgow and Bathurst.
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Areas we
Asbestos cement roofing went onto houses, garages, sheds and carports right across Sydney and regional NSW, from Western Sydney and the Hills to the Central Coast, Wollongong, the Blue Mountains and the Central West.
If your roof was installed before 1990, it may well be asbestos cement. Call us before anyone walks on it, drills it or cleans it.
Rapid response in Greater Sydney
Contact us for assistance with identifying hazardous materials, investigating contaminated land, sampling and testing or getting a clearance certificate.
HRC always places your safety as the highest priority.
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