Asbestos in renovations: what builders must do before the first cut

Renovation builders work in the buildings most likely to contain asbestos. Australia used it widely in homes for decades, in fibro sheeting, wet area linings, floor coverings, roofing and more, before a national ban took effect at the end of 2003. The Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency advises that if a home was built or renovated before 1990, it is likely to contain asbestos somewhere.

Asbestos is safe while it is intact and undisturbed. It becomes dangerous when it is broken, cut, drilled, sanded or deteriorates, releasing fibres that can be breathed in and cause diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer, often decades later. On a renovation, the builder and the trades are the people most likely to disturb it. This guide covers where to look, what the rules require, and how to manage it safely.

Where asbestos hides

Some locations are obvious, such as fibro sheeting on the outside of an older house. Others are hidden: the lining behind bathroom tiles, the backing of old vinyl under newer flooring, a textured ceiling that has been painted over, an old meter board behind a newer one. The rule for renovation builders is to assume that any material in an older home could contain asbestos until it has been identified.

Some homes in NSW and the ACT were insulated with loose-fill asbestos in the ceiling space. This is a particularly dangerous form because it is friable and can spread through a house. NSW maintains a public register of affected properties, which can be searched by address, and registered properties must display a warning sign. A property not being on the register does not prove it is free of loose-fill asbestos; the register only lists homes that were tested and confirmed. If you are working in an older home and find loose, fluffy insulation in the roof space, stop and seek advice before disturbing it.

What the WHS rules require

Under the model WHS Regulations, which apply in NSW and most other jurisdictions, there are specific duties for asbestos.

• Identify before demolition or refurbishment. Before demolition or refurbishment of a building that may contain asbestos, the person conducting the work must identify asbestos that is likely to be disturbed, as far as is reasonably practicable. That usually means an inspection and sampling by a competent person.
• Use a licensed removalist where required. Removal of more than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos requires a Class B or Class A licence. Removal of any friable asbestos requires a Class A licence.
• Prohibited methods. Certain tools and methods, such as high-pressure water, compressed air and many power tools used on asbestos, are prohibited or heavily restricted because they release fibres.
• Clearance after removal. After licensed removal, the area must be cleared before it is reoccupied, and for friable removal this includes air monitoring by an independent licensed asbestos assessor.
• Notification. Licensed removalists must notify the regulator before starting licensed removal work, within the timeframes the regulations set.

Non-friable asbestos of 10 square metres or less can be removed without a licence, but only by competent workers using the controls required by the regulations and Safe Work Australia’s code of practice on removing asbestos. That includes wetting, avoiding breakage, using appropriate respiratory protection and disposable coveralls, and proper waste handling. Many builders choose to use a licensed removalist even for small amounts, because the consequences of getting it wrong are so serious.

Friable and non-friable: the difference

Non-friable asbestos, sometimes called bonded asbestos, has fibres locked into a material such as cement. Fibro sheeting is the classic example. It is relatively stable when intact, but breaking, cutting or weathering releases fibres.

Friable asbestos can be crumbled, pulverised or reduced to powder by hand pressure when dry. It releases fibres easily and is far more dangerous. Loose-fill insulation, some lagging and severely deteriorated or damaged bonded products fall into this category.

A non-friable product that has been badly damaged, for example by fire, hail or a demolition machine, can become friable, which changes who can remove it.

Planning a renovation around asbestos

The time to deal with asbestos is before the job starts. If the client has an asbestos inspection report, read it. If not, arrange an inspection of the areas the work will disturb before you price the job. Asbestos removal can be a significant cost and can change the programme, and discovering it mid-job leads to delays, variations and difficult conversations.

Sequence the work so that asbestos is removed before other trades start in the area. Coordinate with the removalist on isolation, access, waste removal and clearance, and do not let other trades back into the area until the clearance has been given.

Protecting the household

Renovations often happen with the client living in the house. That raises the stakes. Asbestos fibres released during work can spread through the home on clothing, tools, air movement and dust, and contaminate furniture, carpets and ventilation systems.

Isolate the work area, keep the household out while asbestos is being removed, seal off air paths including ducted systems, and make sure clearance is given before the family returns to the area. Explain the process to the client before work starts, so they understand why parts of the house will be off limits.

SWMS and the paperwork

Work that is likely to involve disturbing asbestos is high-risk construction work, and it requires a safe work method statement. Licensed removal also requires an asbestos removal control plan prepared by the removalist. Keep copies of the inspection report, the removalist’s licence, the control plan, the clearance certificate and the waste disposal records in the job file.

Waste disposal

Asbestos waste must be wrapped, labelled, transported and disposed of at facilities licensed to accept it, following the environmental regulator’s rules in your state. Illegal dumping carries heavy penalties. Make sure your removalist’s price includes lawful disposal, and keep the disposal dockets.

Costs, variations and the contract

On renovations, asbestos is a classic latent condition. If the contract makes the owner responsible for latent conditions, discovering asbestos behind a wall will usually lead to a variation. If the builder has taken on that risk, it comes out of the builder’s margin. Either way, the contract should deal with it clearly, and the builder should notify the owner promptly when asbestos is found, as the contract requires.

The cleaner approach is to identify asbestos before pricing. An inspection costs far less than an argument about who pays for unexpected removal halfway through the job.

A worked example: the 1960s bathroom

A builder is asked to renovate the main bathroom of a 1960s brick home. The client wants the old tiles removed, a new layout and a walk-in shower. Before pricing, the builder arranges an asbestos inspection of the bathroom and the adjoining laundry.

The report finds bonded asbestos sheeting behind the wall tiles and in the ceiling, and asbestos in the backing of an old vinyl layer under the laundry floor. The total area is more than 10 square metres. The builder prices removal by a licensed Class B removalist as a separate item, explains the process and the programme to the client, and sequences the removal before demolition by any other trade.

On the day, the removalist isolates the bathroom and laundry, seals the doorways and ceiling vents, wets and removes the sheeting whole where possible, wraps the waste and removes it for lawful disposal. A clearance inspection follows before the builder’s demolition crew and plumber start. The client and their children stay out of that end of the house until clearance is given.

The alternative, discovering the sheeting when the tiler starts cutting, would have meant stopping the job, contaminating the room, and possibly the rest of the house, and an uncomfortable conversation about cost and responsibility.

What to tell clients

Clients renovating older homes should hear about asbestos early and calmly. Explain that it is common in homes of that age, that it is safe when undisturbed, that the renovation will disturb some materials, and that you will identify and deal with it properly before work starts. Explain who will remove it, how the area will be isolated, and what clearance means. Most clients are grateful for a builder who takes it seriously.

Workers’ health

Workers who may be exposed to asbestos in their work need training and appropriate protective equipment, and in some circumstances health monitoring. Builders and trades who have spent years renovating older homes may already have had exposure. Treat every job as a chance to reduce further exposure, and make sure younger workers and apprentices understand the risk; the diseases take decades to appear.

The bottom line

On any renovation of an older home, asbestos should be found before the work starts, not by the saw. Assume it may be present, have it identified, use licensed removalists where the rules require and often where they do not, protect the household, and keep the records. Asbestos is one hazard where the right answer is always to slow down.

Questions builders ask

• Hazardous substances
• Renovations
• SWMS
• WHS

Published 17 August 2026. General information for builders, not legal, financial or engineering advice for a specific job. Check current requirements with the relevant regulator or standard before relying on them.