Roof removal + replacement

Remove your asbestos roof and reroof in one project.

Around 1 in 3 Australian homes built before 1990 still has a bonded-asbestos cement roof — usually corrugated Super Six or Highline profile. Combining removal with a new Colorbond roof avoids two separate mobilisations, a temporary tarp roof, and a second scaffold hire.

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Signs your roof contains asbestos

Home built or re-roofed between 1940 and 1987
Corrugated cement sheeting (6 corrugations across a sheet — 'Super Six')
Grey, weathered, brittle surface with visible fibre bloom
Cement 'Highline' profile with wider ribs than modern Colorbond
Original fixings are lead-headed nails or hex-head screws with lead washers

Never break, drill, water-blast or walk on a suspected asbestos-cement roof to test it. A single 25 mm sample taken by a licensed assessor confirms the material.

How a combined removal + reroof runs

Most single-storey homes are complete in 3–5 working days, weather dependent. The contract should list every step below, with the licensed removalist named on the front page.

Step 1
Roof inspection & sample
A licensed assessor or removalist takes a small NATA-lab sample to confirm the sheet type (typically chrysotile-cement 'Super Six' corrugated or 'Highline' profile), measures the roof area and photographs the substrate.
Step 2
Scope, quote & notification
You receive a written scope covering removal, disposal at a licensed EPA waste facility, waste tracking dockets, and the replacement roof. In every state, removal of more than 10 m² of bonded asbestos must be notified to the regulator at least 5 days before work starts.
Step 3
Site setup & control plan
The removalist establishes exclusion zones, signage, PPE, a decontamination area, and prepares a SWMS (Safe Work Method Statement) and Asbestos Removal Control Plan. Neighbours are typically notified 48 hours in advance.
Step 4
Removal (whole-sheet where possible)
Sheets are unscrewed and removed whole — never broken, cut, water-blasted or power-tool cleaned. Fixings, dust and off-cuts are bagged in labelled 200 µm plastic. Ridge cappings and flashings come off with the sheets.
Step 5
Battens, sarking, insulation & new roof
Timber battens are usually replaced. Foil sarking and reflective insulation are installed to current NCC standards, followed by new Colorbond (typically 0.42 BMT), Zincalume or tile.
Step 6
Clearance & waste tracking
For Class A jobs (or any job the contract specifies) an independent assessor issues a clearance certificate. You receive EPA waste-tracking dockets showing the tonnes delivered to a licensed landfill — keep them for the life of the property.

What it typically costs

Combined removal + Colorbond replacement on a standard 3-bedroom home (roughly 150–180 m² of roof area) usually falls between AUD $18,000 and $34,000 inc. GST. The spread is driven by pitch, single vs double storey, scaffold requirements, disposal distance to the nearest licensed EPA landfill, and whether battens and sarking are also replaced.

• Removal only (bonded): $45–$85 per m²
• New Colorbond (0.42 BMT) supply & install: $70–$110 per m²
• Scaffold, single storey: $2,500–$4,500
• Licensed landfill tipping fees: $180–$420 per tonne

Prices are indicative national ranges as of 2026 and are not a quote. Costs vary by state, remoteness and season.

Red flags in a quote

No licence number, or a licence from a different state.
Plans to high-pressure clean, cut or drill the existing roof.
Waste going to a general skip or unnamed tip.
No SWMS, no control plan, no regulator notification.
Cash-only, no written contract, no ABN.
Quote significantly below the ranges opposite — usually means unlicensed disposal.