Fibro and asbestos roofs: what Hunter Valley homeowners need to know

Published 9 October 2026

If your home has a grey corrugated fibro roof that went on before the mid-1980s, treat it as asbestos until a licensed professional has checked it. Leave it undisturbed. Keep the pressure washer away. Stay off it.

That is the short answer, and it holds every month of the year, not only during National Asbestos Awareness Week in late November.

The odds are worth taking seriously. An estimated 1 in 3 NSW houses built or renovated between 1945 and 1990 contain asbestos, and asbestos was not totally banned in Australia until 31 December 2003. Singleton Roofing's advice is simple: find out what you have before anyone climbs up, cleans, paints, drills or cuts.

Is my fibro roof asbestos?

How we worked this out: the years are drawn to scale. The 1945 to 1990 band and the 1 in 3 estimate are from asbestos.nsw.gov.au; Super Six before 1985 and the asbestos-free look-alikes since are from asbestos.nsw.gov.au; accessories before 1987 from asbestos.nsw.gov.au; the total ban from asbestos.nsw.gov.au. The last marker is drawn hollow because it is our own estimate, not an event. A date narrows the odds; only an assessor can say what your roof is.

You can't tell by looking. A roof that looks like fibro is not necessarily asbestos: corrugated sheets made without asbestos since 1985 look similar, so identification needs an assessor.

What you can do is narrow the odds. Start with the age of the house and of any reroof or renovation. Asbestos Super Six was made before 1985. If your roof went on after that, it may be one of the asbestos-free look-alikes. If it went on before, assume the worst until it is tested.

Age matters for another reason. Our estimate: any asbestos Super Six still on a roof is at least 41 years old (made before 1985, counted to 2026). And over time the sheets can deteriorate and release small amounts of fibres.

Illustration, not a photograph: a generic older house with a grey corrugated roof, seen from the ground. It does not show any real house, and a roof like this is a reason to have it checked, not a diagnosis.

Super Six roof: what it looks like

Illustration, not a photograph, and not to scale: corrugated sheeting with a smooth face (left) and a dimpled face (right). The description of Super Six is from asbestos.nsw.gov.au. Sheets made without asbestos look similar, so a match is a reason to have it checked, not a diagnosis.

Super Six sheets are usually white to grey, may be painted, and are hard and brittle. They may have a golf-ball dimple texture on one side.

Corrugated roofing such as Super Six is non-friable, or bonded, asbestos. In plain terms, the fibres are held in cement rather than loose. That is why an intact sheet is a different risk from a broken one.

If your roof matches the description, that is a reason to have it checked. It is not a diagnosis.

Gutters, ridge capping and downpipes can be asbestos too

Diagram, not to scale. The accessories list and the 1987 date are from asbestos.nsw.gov.au. The eaves are on the list of places to check, not the accessories list, so they are labelled but not hatched.

The sheets are only part of the roofline. Roof accessories made before 1987, including ridge capping, flashing, barge moulding, downpipes and guttering, can also be asbestos cement.

So a proper check runs the whole roofline, from the ridge down to the downpipes and eaves. If you worked through our spring storm and fire season roof and gutter check, an older house deserves one extra question before anyone scoops out the gutters: what are they made of?

Asbestos roof: leave it, seal it or replace it?

Diagram drawn from the NSW advice (asbestos.nsw.gov.au) and SafeWork NSW (safework.nsw.gov.au). Sealing is the fallback, not the first choice, and not a weekend job.

Condition decides the urgency. Asbestos in the home is lower risk if it is sealed and undamaged. Once it is damaged or disturbed, fibres can be released, and even drilling to hang a picture can expose asbestos.

That makes cracked, broken or badly weathered sheets the trigger to act, not the calendar.

When it comes to acting, SafeWork NSW is direct: if your roof contains asbestos, "the best solution is to replace it". If that isn't an option, a fungicide and sealant can be applied to clean the surface before repainting, and any roof work should be done by a competent licensed professional.

Read that order carefully. Sealing and painting is the fallback, not the first choice. It is also not a weekend job.

Found broken sheets? Do this first

If you find damaged asbestos

Remove people from the area.
Put on PPE.
Dampen the area. Do not water blast.
Cover it with a tarp or plastic, sealed so no dust can escape.
Keep people out until an assessor can advise, and get a licensed asbestos assessor to confirm it is asbestos.

The steps are the NSW advice for damaged asbestos in the home: asbestos.nsw.gov.au. Ticks are for your own use on this page and are not saved or sent anywhere.

If you think you have found damaged asbestos, the NSW advice is these steps:

Remove people from the area.
Put on PPE.
Dampen the area. Do not water blast.
Cover it with a tarp or plastic, sealed so no dust can escape.
Keep people out until an assessor can advise, and get a licensed asbestos assessor to confirm it is asbestos.

What never to do on an old fibro roof

Before anyone cleans or paints an old fibro roof

No high-pressure water on asbestos roofs, gutters, downpipes, eaves, or ridge and barge capping.
No compressed air on them either.
A garden hose with a trigger attachment: SafeWork rates it as high risk too.
No grinding, cutting or drilling: disturbed asbestos can release fibres.
Don't step onto the sheets to reach a gutter or retrieve a ball.
Start with an identification check, not a ladder.

From SafeWork NSW (safework.nsw.gov.au) and the NSW advice (asbestos.nsw.gov.au). Ticks are for your own use on this page and are not saved or sent anywhere.

The fastest way to turn a lower-risk roof into a contaminated property is to clean it. Never use high-pressure water or compressed air on asbestos roofs, gutters, downpipes, eaves, or ridge and barge capping, and SafeWork rates a garden hose with a trigger attachment as high risk too.

This is law, not a tip. Pressure-cleaning an asbestos roof is prohibited unless it is for firefighting or fire protection, under clause 446 of the WHS Regulation. SafeWork lists remediation costs and contamination of neighbouring properties among the risks. In one case, a contractor pressure-cleaned an asbestos roof in April 2017, caused widespread contamination, and neighbours had to vacate.

Grinding, cutting and drilling belong on the same list, because disturbed asbestos can release fibres.

Then there is the fall. Asbestos roofs can be brittle and easy to fall through, so walking and work platforms, scaffolds and fall arrest restraints are needed. Don't step onto the sheets to reach a gutter or retrieve a ball.

The practical rule: any roof clean or paint job on an older fibro roof starts with an identification check, not a ladder.

Illustration, not a photograph and not a safe work method: walking and work platforms, scaffolds and fall arrest restraints are what SafeWork NSW says are needed on a brittle roof (safework.nsw.gov.au). This is work for licensed professionals, not a homeowner.

Can I remove it myself? The 10 m² line

Drawn to scale, one square of the grid is 1 m by 1 m. The limit and the 5 m x 2 m comparison are from asbestos.nsw.gov.au. The 40 m² roof face is our own worked example, not a measurement of any real roof.

The 10 m² exception is not a blanket permission: a homeowner may remove less than 10 m² of non-friable asbestos themselves, but they must follow the strict safety rules.

Past that line, the decision is made for you. Any amount of friable asbestos, or more than 10 m² of non-friable, needs a licensed removalist, and the limit for a homeowner is less than 10 m² of non-friable asbestos. Even under it, the NSW government strongly recommends a licensed removalist.

For scale, 10 m² is about a 5 m x 2 m wall, or the wall sheeting of one small bathroom. Our estimate, using our own example: a single roof face 10 m long and 4 m deep is 40 m², four times the line. Removing an asbestos roof that size is licensed work.

A licensed job carries its own paperwork. A licensed removalist working on more than 10 m² must notify SafeWork, display warning signs, follow the Code of Practice and decontaminate. For a roof, electrical risks must be controlled, and SafeWork says the supply should be disconnected by an accredited service provider. Some removal work may need a clearance certificate, and your local council is the place to ask about approvals.

Before anyone starts, check their licence on Verify.licence.

Getting rid of asbestos waste the legal way

Asbestos waste from a NSW home
Question	The rule
Who is responsible	The homeowner, even if you pay someone to take the waste. Ask for the disposal receipt.
Where it can go	Only a landfill licensed to accept asbestos waste.
Before you go	Some landfills need 24 hours' notice, so phone first.
Where it can never go	Kerbside bins or an uncovered skip.
Tracking	Over 10 m² or 100 kg, the waste must be tracked through WasteLocate.
Penalties	Fines apply to individuals and companies, and they are higher if the matter is heard in court.

From the NSW EPA (epa.nsw.gov.au); the WasteLocate threshold is from asbestos.nsw.gov.au.

Waste is where homeowners get caught out, because the responsibility stays with you. The homeowner is responsible for lawful disposal even if they pay someone to take the waste, so ask for the disposal receipt.

Asbestos waste can go only to a landfill licensed to accept it, and some need 24 hours' notice, so phone first. It is illegal to put it in kerbside bins or an uncovered skip. Over 10 m² or 100 kg, the waste must be tracked through WasteLocate.

The penalties are not small: fines apply to individuals and companies, and they are higher if the matter is heard in court.

Why National Asbestos Awareness Week matters

NSW counts and the national figure as reported by SafeWork NSW for National Asbestos Awareness Week (safework.nsw.gov.au). Bars share one scale; the national figure is a different measure and has no bar.

The week falls in late November each year. The 2025 week ran Monday 24 to Sunday 30 November.

The reason it exists is in the numbers. In NSW in 2024-25 there were about 126 asbestosis cases, 269 mesothelioma cases and 213 deaths. Nationally, over 4,000 Australians die each year from asbestos-related disease.

Find out what you have before anyone climbs up, cleans, paints, drills or cuts.

Singleton Roofing.

SafeWork's campaign line is the one to remember: "If you're not sure whether asbestos might be present at a site, don't do anything until you've had it checked by a licensed asbestos professional."

Before you call anyone: a checklist

Before you call anyone

Write down when the house was built and when the roof or any renovation went on.
Look at the roofline from the ground. Don't touch, climb or lean a ladder on it.
Include the whole roofline: ridge capping, flashing, barge moulding, downpipes and guttering, plus the eaves.
Hold off on cleaning, drilling, cutting or painting.
If anything is broken, follow the NSW steps for damaged asbestos.
Have it checked by a licensed asbestos professional, and check the licence on Verify.licence.
If removal follows, ask for the disposal receipt.

Source: Singleton Roofing, from the NSW sources linked in the list below. Ticks are for your own use on this page and are not saved or sent anywhere.

Five minutes with this list makes the first conversation with any professional faster and clearer.

Write down when the house was built and when the roof or any renovation went on.
Look at the roofline from the ground. Don't touch, climb or lean a ladder on it.
Include the whole roofline: ridge capping, flashing, barge moulding, downpipes and guttering, plus the eaves.
Hold off on cleaning, drilling, cutting or painting.
If anything is broken, follow the NSW steps for damaged asbestos.
Have it checked by a licensed asbestos professional, and check the licence on Verify.licence.
If removal follows, ask for the disposal receipt.

The key dates and limits in one place

Sources: Super Six, roof accessories, the ban and the homeowner limit, all on asbestos.nsw.gov.au.

Four facts carry most of this guide. Asbestos Super Six was made before 1985, asbestos cement roof accessories before 1987, and the total ban came on 31 December 2003. The homeowner limit is less than 10 m² of non-friable asbestos, under strict rules.

Your next step

Get the roof identified first. It is the one step that changes everything after it, from whether a clean is even legal to what replacement involves.

Once you know what you're dealing with, contact Singleton Roofing through our contact page. Tell us roughly when the house was built and what you know about the roof, and we can talk through what comes next. You can also read more on our fibro roofs page.