An asbestos roof is corrugated or flat asbestos-cement sheeting: roughly 10 to 15% asbestos fibre locked into cement. It was the standard roof for South African houses, factories, schools and outbuildings from the 1940s until Everite moved to non-asbestos Nutec sheeting after 1985, and the sale of asbestos products was banned outright on 28 March 2008.
Three things changed the picture: the Asbestos Abatement Regulations, 2020 (in force 10 November 2020) require building owners with staff to inventory their asbestos and plan its removal; since 9 November 2022 the Department of Employment and Labour does not allow solar panels or over-roofing on asbestos roofs; and removal of more than 10 m² must be done by a registered asbestos contractor. Replacement costs R150 to R250 per m² to strip, plus R500 to R1,000 per m² for the new roof.
What is an asbestos roof?
Asbestos-cement is cement reinforced with asbestos fibre instead of the cellulose used today. The fibre made the sheets strong, cheap and fireproof, which is why an estimated majority of pre-1985 industrial roofs on the East Rand and a large share of older suburban houses still carry it. The common products were corrugated "Big Six" sheets, standard 6 mm corrugated sheets, flat ceiling boards, slates, gutters and downpipes.
The sheets weigh about 15 kg per m², go grey and brittle with age, and grow moss on the south side. While the cement binds the fibre, an undisturbed roof releases very little. The risk is in what people do to it: drilling for a solar bracket, high-pressure cleaning, an angle grinder, or breaking sheets during a cheap removal. The identification page shows how to tell yours apart from modern fibre-cement without touching it.
Why does an asbestos roof matter in 2026?
- 10 November 2020. The Asbestos Abatement Regulations, 2020 replaced the 2001 regulations. Removing more than 10 m² became Type 2 asbestos work, reserved for registered contractors, with 7 days' notice to the Department.
- 10 May 2022. Regulation 3 came into force: every employer with asbestos in a building must identify it, keep an inventory and a management plan with a phase-out date. That covers factories, shops, schools, offices and sectional-title schemes with staff.
- 9 November 2022. The Department instructed its inspectors not to allow solar panels or over-roofing sheets on existing asbestos roofs. Every asbestos-roofed property that wants solar now replaces the roof first. What the instruction says.
- Sale and insurance. Buyers' inspectors flag asbestos roofs, some insurers load or decline them, and a clearance certificate from the removal is now part of a clean property file.
What are your options?
| Option | Cost, 150 m² house |
|---|---|
| Leave it and manage itAllowed while the sheets are intact. No drilling, cleaning or cutting. Keep it in the inventory if the building has staff. Still no solar. | R0 now |
| Paint or encapsulateType 1 work if there is no surface preparation. A maintenance step, not a fix: the roof stays asbestos for every rule above. | Quoted per job |
| Remove and replaceRegistered contractor strips and disposes at R150–R250 per m²; new steel or tile roof at R500–R1,000 per m². Ends every restriction, including the solar one. | R100,000 – R145,000 |
The cost page works both a 150 m² house and a 500 m² warehouse through line by line, and the process page shows what a compliant removal looks like day by day.
How this site works
- Show us the roof. Type the address above for a satellite view, or send a photo on WhatsApp with the suburb and a rough size.
- A registered contractor checks it. One Department of Employment and Labour registered asbestos contractor covering Gauteng looks at the roof and confirms whether it is asbestos, how much there is, and what access needs.
- You get a fixed, compliant quote. Registration number, 7-day notification, plan of work, licensed disposal and the clearance certificate are all on it. You decide.
asbestosroof.co.za is independent. We do not do the removal, we do not sell roofing, and we take no fee from you. We built the site because the search results for asbestos roofs in Gauteng were a hazardous-waste brochure, a government PDF and two Cape Town firms.
Where in Gauteng?
The East Rand industrial belt (Germiston, Boksburg, Benoni, Springs, Alberton, Kempton Park) has the oldest factory stock and the closest licensed landfill. Johannesburg's 1950s to 1970s suburbs, Soweto, Pretoria, Centurion, the West Rand and the Vaal are all covered by the same contractor. Areas and how disposal works.
Questions people ask about asbestos roofs
Is an asbestos roof dangerous to live under?
An intact, undisturbed asbestos-cement roof releases very little fibre, because the cement binds it. The danger starts when the sheets are drilled, cut, ground, pressure-cleaned, broken during removal or left to weather to the point of crumbling. That is why South Africa regulates the work on the roof rather than banning the roofs already in place.
Is it illegal to have an asbestos roof in South Africa?
No. The 2008 regulations banned making, importing and selling asbestos products; they did not order existing roofs removed. The Asbestos Abatement Regulations, 2020 do require any employer with asbestos in a building to keep an inventory and a management plan with a phase-out date (regulation 3, in force since 10 May 2022), and since 9 November 2022 the Department of Employment and Labour does not allow solar installations on asbestos roofs.
How do I know if my roof is asbestos?
If the fibre-cement roof went on before 2008, treat it as asbestos until tested. Before 1985 it almost certainly is. Modern non-asbestos sheets are usually stamped Nutec or NT; older sheets carry Everite or Big Six marks or nothing at all. Never break, scrape or burn a piece to test it: send a photo instead, or have a competent person take a sample for a laboratory.
How much does it cost to replace an asbestos roof?
In Gauteng in September 2026, stripping and disposing costs R150 to R250 per m², and a new roof costs R500 to R1,000 per m² installed. A 150 m² house is R22,500 to R37,500 to strip and about R100,000 to R145,000 with a new steel-sheeted roof. A 500 m² warehouse runs R325,000 to R575,000 all in.
Can I just put a new roof over the asbestos one?
Not any more. The Department of Employment and Labour instruction of 9 November 2022 covers over-roofing sheets as well as solar panels: fixing anything through an asbestos roof releases fibres and exposes the installers, so inspectors are told not to allow it. Over-roofing also leaves the asbestos in the inventory and on the property file.
Find out what your roof is, and what it would cost to replace
Send the suburb, a rough size and a photo on WhatsApp. A registered contractor tells you whether it is asbestos, and what a compliant removal and new roof would cost. No obligation.
Get a compliant quote on WhatsAppOr show us your roof from above and we send the picture with your request.