Do I need an asbestos inspection before renovating or demolishing?

Who has to check for asbestos

When you engage a builder or demolition contractor, your house becomes their workplace for the job. SafeWork NSW's code of practice on managing asbestos explains that the business must then identify asbestos likely to be disturbed by the demolition or refurbishment. It must remove that asbestos before the work begins wherever reasonably practicable. Because homes are not required to keep an asbestos register, the code says a survey by a competent person should come before the work.

The code places no duties on the homeowner under the safety regulation. Owners still benefit from knowing early, because asbestos found once the walls are open changes the program and the price. NSW Planning's asbestos fact sheet says many buildings constructed or renovated before 1990 may contain asbestos. It adds that a licensed asbestos assessor can inspect your property to help plan its removal.

What an inspection involves

The code describes a demolition or refurbishment survey that can include extensive sampling and testing. Parts of the building that are normally out of reach are likely to be disturbed, so they are checked too. It can also pick up other hazardous materials, such as lead. SafeWork NSW's asbestos guidance says the only way to be certain a material contains asbestos is a laboratory test. It recommends that testing be done by a NATA accredited facility on samples collected by a licensed professional, with any suspected material treated as asbestos until results confirm otherwise.

SafeWork's examples inside a home include wall sheeting behind tiles, ceilings, vinyl floor tiles and their adhesives and loose fill roof insulation. Outside, they include eaves, gutters, flashings, roofing and fencing. If the surveyor cannot be sure whether a material contains asbestos, the code says the contractor must assume it does and tell the owner or occupier.

Renovating compared with demolishing

The duty is the same for both while the scope differs. A renovation survey has to cover the parts of the house the work will disturb, so it should be planned around the actual drawings. If the scope grows later, the new areas need checking too. A demolition survey covers the whole structure because everything comes down. The asbestos likely to be disturbed must then be removed before demolition begins.

A licensed removalist is needed to remove more than 10 square metres of bonded asbestos or any amount of friable asbestos. SafeWork requires a clearance inspection after licensed removal and before the area is reoccupied. Our guide to council approval to demolish a house covers the notification steps. The cost to demolish a house in Sydney sets out what removal adds to a demolition budget.

How the results change the plan

Ask for the results in writing, with the laboratory findings and the location and condition of each material. The code notes that a survey reduces the chance of finding asbestos unexpectedly and can also save money where samples assumed to be asbestos test clear. The findings then shape the sequence, because removal has to be scheduled before the work around it. They shape the price too, since licensed removal and clearance are costs of their own. If removal would take out linings you meant to keep, the design may change as well.

How we handle asbestos at SHORE

We suggest arranging asbestos testing and an engineer's view of the existing frame before the price of a renovation is fixed. That puts the cost and the sequence into the budget from the start instead of leaving them to be found during demolition. On a rebuild, demolition and protection works are planned around the street and the neighbours before the first truck arrives. To see how we plan the work on a house worth keeping, explore our luxury home renovations in Sydney. If the house is coming down, our knockdown rebuild in Sydney page explains how we sequence the rebuild.