Should I get an asbestos inspection before renovating?

Renovating an older home is the moment the asbestos question stops being theoretical. Materials that may contain asbestos are generally treated differently when they are in good condition and left alone than when they are drilled, cut, sanded, broken or removed. A renovation does all of those things, often to the exact materials where asbestos was commonly used.

An asbestos inspection before the work starts identifies the materials that may contain asbestos, records where they are and their visible condition, and arranges sampling and laboratory testing where confirmation is needed. This guide explains when that is worth doing, what it involves, and how it fits with your builder, your permits and your other pre-renovation checks. For the background on which homes may contain asbestos at all, start with our guide to whether your home could contain asbestos.

Why does renovating change the asbestos question?

Many homes built before about 1990 may contain materials with asbestos. In a home that is simply lived in, those materials are often in places nobody touches: behind the bath, under the eaves, in the backing of an old vinyl floor, in a textured ceiling or in the lining of a garage. Left undisturbed and in good condition, they are generally treated as a different situation from damaged or disturbed materials.

Renovation changes that. Taking out a bathroom means removing wet-area sheeting and old floor coverings. Opening a wall for a new window means cutting the lining and the external cladding. Replacing eaves, re-roofing, demolishing a shed or pulling up old flooring all disturb materials that were doing no harm while they sat there. Cutting or sanding a material that contains asbestos can release fibres, which is why the work needs to be planned around it rather than discovered mid-job.

The inspection moves that discovery to before the work, when there is still time to plan.

Which homes and which jobs make an inspection worthwhile?

The age of the home is the first signal. If the original house, or any addition to it, dates from before about 1990, treat the materials as possibly containing asbestos until testing says otherwise. Homes from the post-war decades, and renovations done in those years, are where these materials most often turn up, but earlier homes that were altered in those decades belong on the list too.

The second signal is the work itself. Jobs that commonly disturb suspect materials include:

• Bathroom, laundry and kitchen renovations, where wall sheeting, splashbacks and floor coverings are removed.
• Demolishing or altering a shed, garage, sleepout, carport or fence.
• Replacing eaves, soffits, gable linings or external cladding.
• Re-roofing or working on an older roof or its flues.
• Removing old vinyl or lino floors and their backing.
• Cutting into walls or ceilings for new windows, doors, services or an extension.
• Removing a textured ceiling finish or an old heater.

A fresh coat of paint on an undamaged wall is a different matter from cutting that wall open. If your job does not disturb older materials, say so when you enquire and we will tell you plainly whether an inspection adds anything.

What does an asbestos inspection involve before a renovation?

Tell us roughly when the home was built, what you are planning and which areas the work will affect. We confirm the scope and provide a quote. On the day we look through the accessible areas in scope, including the roof space and subfloor where there is safe and reasonable access, and record the materials that may contain asbestos, with photos and notes on their location, extent and visible condition.

Where confirmation is needed, we arrange for samples to be taken and tested by a laboratory. Only testing of a sample confirms whether a material contains asbestos; nobody can confirm it by looking. You receive a written record of the materials identified, the laboratory results for any samples tested, a clear list of areas that could not be inspected, and practical next steps explained in plain language. Our guide to what an asbestos inspection involves goes through the day in more detail.

Because the inspection is set up around your renovation, we focus on the areas the work will touch. That is also why it is worth having plans or a sketch ready, even a rough one.

What happens when a material may contain asbestos?

The record tells you and your builder where the suspect or confirmed materials are, so the job can be planned around them. Depending on the material, the plan may be to leave it undisturbed and work around it, to have it removed before the trades start, or to change the design so it is not touched at all.

Removal and disposal have their own rules in Victoria. Depending on the type and amount of material, removal may need a licensed asbestos removalist, and there are requirements for how the material is handled and where it goes. We do not remove or dispose of asbestos. Check the current requirements with the relevant authority, and speak with a licensed removalist about the work itself. If you need a clearance inspection after removal, tell us when you enquire and we will let you know whether we can help or who can issue it.

How does this fit with permits, builders and other inspections?

A renovation often needs a building permit, sometimes a planning permit, and sometimes both or neither; our guide to which permits you need for building work in Victoria explains the split, and our permit help service helps you understand what the relevant authority asks for. The asbestos record is a practical document for that process: it helps the builder price and plan the demolition stage, and it can support the paperwork a demolition or removal job requires.

It is also worth pairing with a general look at the home before the work. An independent building and pest inspection sets a baseline for moisture, timber pests and the condition of the areas being opened up; our guide to a building and pest inspection before renovating covers that side. Both are independent inspections you commission for your own information. They are separate from the statutory inspections the relevant building surveyor carries out or arranges under a building permit, and they do not replace them.

What should you do before we arrive, and what should you not do?

To help the inspection:

• Share any earlier asbestos reports, test results or building records you have.
• Tell us which areas the renovation will affect, and arrange access to them, including the roof space, subfloor and outbuildings.
• Let us know if any material is already damaged or broken, so the visit can be planned around it.

And a short list of things not to do:

• Do not drill, cut, sand, scrape, water-blast or break any material you think may contain asbestos.
• Do not take samples yourself.
• Do not start demolition in the affected areas before the results are back.

What the inspection does not do

It is not a statutory inspection and it is not a clearance inspection after removal work. It cannot confirm that a property is free of asbestos, because materials can be hidden inside walls, under floor coverings or in areas that cannot be reached safely, and the record covers only the areas and materials inspected. It does not remove anything, and it is about the building, not anyone's health or exposure. If you have concerns about your health, speak with a doctor.

Tell us about the home and the work you are planning. Send an enquiry or call 0406 194 163 and we will confirm the scope and provide a quote before anything is arranged.

Sources and authorities

These public sources set out the requirements this guide refers to. They are the places to confirm what applies to your home and your renovation; we help you understand and prepare for them.

• Asbestos in Victoria: why testing a sample at an accredited laboratory is the only way to confirm asbestos.
• WorkSafe Victoria: asbestos information, removal licences and notification requirements.
• Building and Plumbing Commission: when building work needs a building permit, a planning permit or both, and how the mandatory inspections are set on the permit.