Why this page exists
Because the Illawarra was built with fibro, and pretending otherwise is how people get hurt and how quotes get blown apart three weeks in.
Asbestos cement sheeting was used extensively in Australian housing from the 1940s through to the 1980s, and the post-war expansion of Wollongong happened squarely inside that window. Wall sheeting, eaves, bathroom and laundry linings, roofing, and fencing across Warrawong, Cringila, Berkeley, Unanderra, Port Kembla and the older escarpment suburbs — a great deal of it is still in place.
So our default position on any pre-1990 house in this region is that asbestos is present until a survey shows it is not.
What we do, and what we do not do
We do not remove asbestos. It is separately licensed work under NSW law, and it is carried out by licensed asbestos removalists. We do not hold that licence, we do not claim to, and we do not quote asbestos removal inside a demolition price.
This is worth being precise about, because the two get confused constantly. The demolition contractor on your job holds NSW demolition licence AD214819. That is a demolition licence. It is not an asbestos removal licence, it does not authorise asbestos removal, and no amount of demolition experience substitutes for the separate authorisation that asbestos work requires.
What we do is treat it as the first question rather than the last one. That means flagging the likelihood before quoting, recommending a hazardous materials survey where the age or the materials warrant it, referring the removal to a licensed removalist, and sequencing the demolition so removal is completed and cleared before general demolition begins.
That is the honest structure of the job. It is also, not coincidentally, the structure that produces a price that holds.
How the process runs
1. Survey. A competent assessor inspects and samples the property and produces a report identifying what is present, where, and in what condition. You cannot do this by eye — asbestos cement is easily confused with later fibre-cement products that contain none.
2. Removal plan. A licensed removalist prices the work based on the survey. The class of licence required depends on whether the material is friable or non-friable and on the quantities involved. NSW sets thresholds above which licensed removal is required; ask the removalist to confirm their licence covers your material.
3. Removal and clearance. The material is removed under controlled conditions, and depending on the work a clearance certificate or air monitoring may be required before the area is handed back.
4. Demolition. Only then does general demolition proceed.
5. Disposal. Asbestos waste goes to facilities licensed to receive it, with documented tracking. It is not general demolition waste and it is not disposed of at the same rate.
The warning worth taking seriously
If someone offers to knock the house down and "deal with the fibro", or suggests the asbestos can go out with the mixed load, or quotes a pre-1990 fibro house without mentioning asbestos at all — that is not a competitive price. It is an unlicensed operator exposing you to a regulatory problem and everyone downwind to a health one.
This is the one area of demolition where the cheapest quote is most likely to be the most expensive decision.
Where the waste goes, and the paper trail
Asbestos waste does not go into a demolition bin. It is double-wrapped, labelled and transported to a facility licensed to receive it, and the movement is documented.
That paperwork is worth keeping. It records what was removed from your property, by whom, under which licence, and where it went. If you sell, if you build, or if a question is ever raised about the site, that documentation is the answer. Ask for copies of the removal documentation and any clearance certificate at completion rather than assuming they will be sent.
The same applies to the survey report that started the process. Together the two documents describe what was on your property and what happened to it — which is exactly what a future owner, builder or certifier will want to see.
What this means for your budget and program
Asbestos adds cost and it adds time — commonly weeks, once survey, removal and clearance are sequenced. Both belong in the plan from the start.
The cost page sets out the 2026 bands with the asbestos variable shown separately, because averaging it into a headline number is exactly the practice that makes demolition quotes untrustworthy.
Related: strip outs, which raise the same questions on internal linings, and garage and shed removal, where fibro sheds are extremely common across Dapto, Shellharbour and the northern suburbs.
Call 02 4214 4202 or send the property details through — tell us roughly when it was built.
Frequently asked questions
Do you remove asbestos?
No. Asbestos removal is separately licensed work in NSW and it is carried out by licensed asbestos removalists. We refer that work to a licensed removalist and we do not fold it into a demolition scope. If anyone offers to knock down a fibro house without addressing the asbestos properly, that is a reason to walk away, not a saving.
How do I know if my house contains asbestos?
By having it surveyed, not by looking at it. Asbestos cement sheeting is difficult to identify visually and is easily confused with later fibre-cement products that contain none. A hazardous materials survey by a competent assessor takes samples and gives you a documented answer, which is what the removalist, the contractor and the council all need.
Which houses are most likely to contain it?
Anything built or renovated before the 1990s, and in the Illawarra that covers a very large share of the housing stock. Post-war suburbs including Warrawong, Cringila, Berkeley, Unanderra and Port Kembla, and the older escarpment suburbs from Corrimal north, used asbestos cement extensively in wall sheeting, eaves, fencing and roofing.
What licence does an asbestos removalist need?
NSW has separate licence classes covering friable and non-friable asbestos removal, and there are thresholds above which licensed removal is required. Which class applies depends on the material and the quantity at your property. Ask the removalist which licence they hold and confirm it covers your material — a legitimate operator will answer immediately.
Does asbestos make demolition much more expensive?
It adds a real and sometimes substantial cost, because removal is specialised work, the waste goes to specific facilities at higher disposal rates, and the removal has to be completed and cleared before general demolition proceeds. It also adds time. Neither is optional, and a quote that does not show it is not cheaper — it is incomplete.