Asbestos roof removal and replacement in Warragul

If your Warragul house has an old cement sheet roof, treat it as containing asbestos until a laboratory test says otherwise, and do not drill, cut, water-blast or walk on it. Removal should be done by a licensed asbestos removalist, followed by an independent clearance inspection, and only then is the new roof fitted. The replacement roof, often metal sheeting, is a separate job from the removal itself.

How do you know if a roof might contain asbestos?

The Victorian Government’s Asbestos Hub says on its where is asbestos page that a home built or renovated before 1990 is likely to contain asbestos. Under roofing and exterior items it lists corrugated roof sheets, ridge capping, guttering, downpipes and eaves. The same page says you cannot confirm asbestos by looking at a material: only a laboratory test of a sample can confirm it.

Signs that a roof is worth checking:

• The roof is made of grey cement sheets with a wide corrugation, often looking chalky or covered in lichen.
• The house, garage, shed or carport was built or extended before 1990.
• The eaves linings are flat grey sheet, or the ridge capping is a moulded cement piece rather than metal or tile.
• Old records, a building permit or a previous inspection report mention fibro or asbestos cement.

Check sheds, garages and carports as well as the main house.

What must you avoid doing to a suspected asbestos roof?

Disturbing the sheets is what releases fibres. Until the roof has been tested or removed:

• Do not water-blast or pressure-clean it, even to remove moss.
• Do not drill, cut, sand or grind it, including for a new antenna, solar mount or vent.
• Do not walk on it. Weathered cement sheet is brittle and can give way underfoot, which is a fall risk as well as a fibre risk.
• Do not paint over cracked or broken sheets as a fix.
• Do not put broken pieces in a household bin or a skip.

If a sheet has already been broken by a storm or a falling branch, keep people away from the debris, do not sweep it up, and ask for advice from a licensed removalist.

Who can remove an asbestos roof in Victoria?

The Asbestos Hub’s safe removal steps recommend engaging a licensed asbestos removalist for any amount of asbestos. WorkSafe Victoria keeps a directory of licensed asbestos removalists that you can search, and the Hub suggests asking to see a removalist’s current licence and insurance before you hire them.

A roofer is not automatically a licensed removalist. For an enquiry through this site, the provider who responds may be a roofing business that works alongside a licensed removalist, with the removal and the new roof quoted together or separately. State clearly in your enquiry that the roof may contain asbestos so the provider can plan for it.

What are the steps from old roof to new roof?

Stage	Who does it	What happens
Assessment	Occupational hygienist or asbestos surveyor	Identifies the materials, takes samples for testing and sets the scope
Removal	Licensed asbestos removalist	Sheets are wetted down and removed under containment, with protective equipment, to stop fibres escaping
Disposal	Licensed asbestos removalist	Asbestos waste is wrapped and taken away for lawful disposal
Clearance	Asbestos surveyor independent of the removalist	Inspects the area after decontamination; you stay out until it is confirmed safe and receive a clearance certificate
Roof frame check	Roofer or carpenter	Battens and rafters are checked and repaired before new roofing goes on
New roof	Roofer or roof plumber	New sheeting, flashings, ridge capping and often new gutters and downpipes

The Hub describes the removalist using wet methods, containment and protective equipment, and an independent asbestos surveyor inspecting the area after removal and decontamination. The removalist arranges lawful disposal of the waste.

One practical point is weather. The roof is open between removal and the new sheets going on, so a careful provider plans the job around the forecast and has a way to protect the house if rain arrives early. In a district as wet as West Gippsland, ask how the gap between removal and re-roofing will be handled.

What does a careful provider insist on?

• Testing or a surveyor’s assessment before the price is fixed, unless you agree to treat the roof as asbestos from the start.
• A written scope that names who removes the asbestos, who does the clearance and who fits the new roof.
• A plan for keeping neighbours, children and pets clear of the work area.
• No dry cutting, breaking or dropping of sheets to speed the job up.
• A clearance certificate before new work starts and before you move back into affected areas.

A provider should refuse to water-blast, coat or “restore” a roof that may contain asbestos, and should not offer to quietly remove a few sheets without a licence.

What does asbestos roof removal and replacement cost?

Licensed removal of an asbestos cement roof is listed at $52 to $135 per square metre in the What’s The Damage Melbourne guide (October 2026, GST included), and that covers taking the old sheets away only. Budget separately for the replacement: the same cost guide prices a new Colorbond steel roof at $84 to $190 per square metre. Both are measured on roof area, not floor area, and both are guide figures rather than quotes. A Warragul total depends on the roof size and pitch, access for the removal truck, the state of the battens underneath, and whether gutters and eaves also contain asbestos. When you have the details below, ask for a combined removal and re-roof quote.

What paperwork and rules apply to the new roof?

The new metal roof itself is covered on the metal re-roofing page, including licensing for roof plumbers and the compliance certificate. Whether the replacement needs a building permit depends on what you replace the old sheets with; Victorian council guidance generally treats a change of roof material differently from like-for-like replacement. The roof replacement permits guide covers that, and a registered building surveyor or Baw Baw Shire Council can confirm it for your house.

Before the removal starts, look the removalist up in the WorkSafe directory yourself rather than relying on a logo on a quote or a van.

Which council covers Longwarry and the towns nearby?

Most of the towns around Warragul are in Baw Baw Shire, but Longwarry is split between Baw Baw Shire and Cardinia Shire. If you live in Longwarry, check which council your property sits in before you ask about building permits or waste rules, as each council handles its own building enquiries. Longwarry’s railway dates from 1879, so the town has houses from many building eras, and a pre-1990 house or shed anywhere in the district is worth treating with care.

If you are buying a house and are unsure what the roof is made of, a paid roof inspection can record the material and condition and recommend testing where it is warranted.

Through this site, your enquiry is passed to an independent local provider. It assesses the roof, arranges any licensed removal, quotes in its own name and carries out the work.

Next step: describe the old roof

To start, send your asbestos roof enquiry and include:

• the year the house, shed or garage was built, or your best estimate
• photos of the roof and eaves taken from the ground, without climbing up
• any asbestos test result or previous inspection report
• the approximate roof area, or the floor area and number of storeys
• what roof you want afterwards, for example Colorbond sheeting
• your suburb, and whether the property is in Baw Baw or Cardinia if you are in Longwarry

Send a job enquiry