Asbestos garage roof removal in Plymouth

Is my garage roof asbestos?

Asbestos cement was widely used for roof sheets, wall cladding, gutters and downpipes. HSE describes it as ordinary cement mixed with asbestos. You can't confirm it by eye. A sample analysed by an accredited lab will tell you.

Corrugated sheets on a garage built before 2000 are worth checking before you do anything to them. HSE says buildings built after 2000 are unlikely to contain asbestos.

Does it need a licensed contractor?

HSE says most work on asbestos cement can be done without a licence, provided the workers have had the right information, instruction and training. So a garage roof is often non-licensed work. It still has to be done safely and the waste disposed of legally.

We pass enquiries to an HSE-licensed contractor, who can do both licensed and non-licensed work. If they find something else in the garage that is licensable, such as insulating board, they can deal with that too.

Source: HSE asbestos FAQs.

Roof only, or the whole garage?

When you enquire, say which you want:

• Roof sheets only: the asbestos sheets are removed and you, or a roofer, fit a new roof.
• Roof replaced: removal plus a new roof. Ask whether the contractor does both.
• Whole garage taken down: if the walls or panels are also asbestos cement, or you want the space cleared.

Useful details for a quick quote

• Roughly how big the garage is (single, double, or measurements if you have them)
• Whether it's detached or joined to the house
• Access: can a van get close, or is it at the back of the garden?
• Whether you have photos taken from the outside

Disposing of the sheets

A contractor will take the waste away. If you're a Plymouth resident with a small amount of bonded asbestos, the council accepts it at Chelson Meadow by booking only, with limits on weight and a charge per sheet. See the Plymouth disposal rules.