Asbestos garage roof FAQ

Garage roofs built before 2000 with corrugated cement-style sheets are normally treated as asbestos, and photos are often enough to see what you have. Only a laboratory sample can confirm it for certain, which is useful if there is real doubt. Do not drill, break or scrub the sheets.

Yes. This is a common job. The old sheets are removed and disposed of as hazardous waste and a new roof is fitted, often within a day or two for a single garage.

UK firms commonly quote around £600 to £1,000 for removal only on a single garage and £2,000 to £3,500 for removal and a new steel roof. These are guide ranges, not a quote, and the real price is only firm after the roof is tested and the job inspected.

Careful removal of asbestos cement sheets without breaking them is normally non-licensed work. If sheets break up a lot it can become notifiable non-licensed work, and damaged or crumbling material can need a licensed contractor.

Householders are not directly covered by the regulations, but it is strongly advised against. Breaking or drilling sheets releases fibres, and the waste needs a permitted disposal site. Most owners hire it out.

It is wrapped and labelled, carried by a registered waste carrier and taken to a permitted disposal site, with paperwork recording where it went.

Then it is an ordinary re-roofing job and an ordinary roofer can do it, usually for less. That is why testing comes first.