Asbestos Removal in Sydney — questions and answers
Short answers on asbestos in Sydney: who may remove it, how to find out if it is asbestos, who has to be told, where the waste goes and what four councils say. This site sets no prices.
Call (02) 9072 0403Cost
How much does asbestos removal cost in Sydney?
We set no price, and no government source we read publishes one. The costs page sets out what moves the cost and the one council disposal fee this site shows, with the date each was read. The costs page's Asbestos removal costs and rules check lists the asbestos, disposal and council rules that apply to your job, each with its source.
Is asbestos removal free in Sydney?
Not today. The NSW Government plans a two-year trial of free pick-up and disposal for smaller amounts of household asbestos, with implementation expected to start in 2027, and the EPA is not yet taking expressions of interest. Until then, disposal costs vary between licensed facilities.
Asbestos in a Sydney home
What decides who may remove it, and where it goes
Five questions, in the order a homeowner meets them, each answered in the regulator's or a council's own words.
Is it friable, and how much?
10 m²
of bonded asbestos is the line above which a licensed removalist is needed; any amount of friable asbestos needs one
Fibro sheeting and cement roofs are bonded. Pipe lagging and crumbly ceiling insulation can be friable. A laboratory test settles which.
Source: SafeWork NSW, Class B asbestos removal licence · read
The removalist tells SafeWork
5 calendar days
the least notice a licensed removalist gives SafeWork NSW before removing friable asbestos or bonded asbestos above the licence line
The neighbours and the occupier are told too, and warning signs go up.
Source: SafeWork NSW, Working as a licensed asbestos removalist · read
A clearance before anyone moves back
Clearance first
an independent assessor must issue the certificate for friable work before the site is reoccupied
Keep the certificate with the disposal receipt.
Source: SafeWork NSW, Asbestos · read
In the City of Sydney, tell the neighbours in writing
In writing
how the developer must notify every neighbour on an adjoining or opposite property before any asbestos is removed
The notice gives the date and time of removal, the licensed removalist's name and a site contact.
Source: City of Sydney, Remove and dispose of asbestos · read
What one tip charges
A$546 a tonne
Blue Mountains City Council's charge for bonded sheet asbestos up to 250 kg at Blaxland, with a A$55 minimum, levy and GST as applicable
Blaxland takes it by appointment only, booked a day ahead. Other councils and facilities charge their own.
Source: Blue Mountains City Council, Resource Recovery · read
Each figure names its source and the date it was read. None is a quote for your job or a promise about any application.
Process
Can I remove asbestos myself?
Only bonded (non-friable) asbestos, and only less than 10 m² of it, in your own home. Any amount of friable asbestos must go to a licensed removalist. Even for small jobs, the NSW Government strongly recommends a licensed removalist, because there is no safe level of exposure.
How do I find out if it is asbestos?
Have a sample tested at a NATA-accredited laboratory; looking at it cannot tell you. A licensed assessor can take samples and report on the whole house. The NSW Government says a building from before 1990 probably has some.
Timing
How quickly can someone get to me?
We cannot promise a time. It depends on the provider's bookings, and licensed work needs notice to SafeWork NSW at least five calendar days before it starts.
Who has to be told before asbestos is removed?
For licensed work, the removalist notifies SafeWork NSW at least five calendar days ahead and gives notice to the person who commissioned it, the occupier, the owner and the immediate neighbours. The City of Sydney adds its own layer: written notice to every neighbour on an adjoining or opposite property before removal starts.
Permits and approvals
Do I need council approval before removing asbestos?
It depends where you are. Some removal work needs planning consent, and councils check the asbestos risk in renovation and demolition applications. Northern Beaches Council wants a check with its Planning and Assessment department before renovating, demolishing or doing home maintenance where asbestos is present, and in the City of Sydney an exempt or complying development needs a licensed contractor's contract handed to the certifying authority.
Source: Northern Beaches Council, Asbestos; City of Sydney, Remove and dispose of asbestos; Asbestos in NSW, Planning; read 27 September 2026.
Service area
Which suburbs do you cover?
Greater Sydney, outside the Central Coast council area. Four suburbs have a page, Haberfield, Ashbury, Manly and Surry Hills, each written around a fact that suburb's council states. Others, such as Redfern, Balmain, Campsie and Dee Why, are covered on the same terms.
Do you remove the asbestos yourselves?
No. This site is run by a marketing company, which passes each enquiry to an independent licensed local provider. The provider inspects the job and quotes it, and does any work itself; we hold no licence and have no crews or plant.
Thanks — we have your enquiry. Someone will be in touch shortly. Prefer to talk now? Call (02) 9072 0403.
Last reviewed · Updated · First published