Asbestos services we offer
- Our Process: at Airsafe, we help businesses at every stage of the asbestos removal process.
- Asbestos & Hazardous Material Surveys: all the necessary documentation to meet legislative requirements before renovation or demolition.
- Asbestos Testing: Airsafe’s NATA-accredited laboratory gets you a definitive answer about asbestos.
- Asbestos Air Monitoring: if you’re having asbestos removed, make sure you have air quality monitoring in place.
- Asbestos Removal: we can arrange asbestos removal for you using our relationships with reputable licensed removal contractors.
- Asbestos Clearance Inspections: clearance inspections for friable asbestos removal works must be done by a Licensed Asbestos Assessor.
- Asbestos Registers & Management Plans: in charge of a workplace? You may be legally required to have an asbestos register and management plan.
- Asbestos Awareness Training: gives workers and supervisors the knowledge they need to identify and work safely with asbestos.
- Asbestos Emergencies & Disaster Recovery: discovered asbestos during demolition, renovation or after a natural disaster?
Asbestos in Sydney
Asbestos is extremely common in Sydney homes and commercial buildings. Asbestos was used extensively in the twentieth century as a building material because of its insulating properties, sound absorption, strength, fire resistance and affordability. The extent of twentieth-century housing development in Sydney – culminating in the long postwar boom – means that any Sydney building built before 1982 has a strong chance of containing asbestos.
Although asbestos is found throughout Sydney homes and buildings, it’s especially concentrated in the so-called “fibro belt”, a group of Western Sydney suburbs built in the 1950s and 1960s containing whole streets of houses built from fibro. For example, in the former Holroyd council area in the heart of Sydney’s west, most houses built prior to 1990 have asbestos products used in their construction.
“Fibro” is an abbreviation for “fibrous cement sheet”. It’s a building product that uses a fibrous material – most commonly asbestos – to reinforce thin cement sheets.
Fibro sheeting gained popularity during the post World War II period, due to its cheap and durable nature. And though the material has been used all around the world, historically Australia manufactured most of the world’s fibro, and also had the highest rates of fibro use. Today we know that entire suburbs in the post-war building boom were largely constructed of fibro, creating “fibro belts” in all Australian cities.
But it’s not only in the fibro belt that asbestos is present. Fibro was also commonly used to build sheds and garages throughout Sydney, and there were a host of other uses of asbestos, from vinyl floor tiles to insulating board to cement pipe.
Wherever you live in Sydney, there’s a good chance that your house contains asbestos. Find out more about common locations of asbestos both inside and outside the home (common locations).
Loose fill asbestos insulation in Sydney homes
A number of homes in NSW contain loose fill asbestos insulation, installed in the 1960s and 70s by ACT company Mr Fluffy.
While most of the homes in NSW where loose fill asbestos has been discovered are in southern NSW, there have been a small number of positive results in Sydney and surrounding areas, particularly the northern suburbs.
If you’re concerned about possible loose fill asbestos insulation in your Sydney home, you can put your mind at rest by contacting Airsafe. We’ll arrange a visit from one of our Licensed Asbestos Assessors. They will inspect your ceiling, take samples for testing in our accredited laboratory if necessary, and discuss your options with you if the presence of loose fill asbestos is confirmed.
The NSW Government previously had a free testing program in place for homes at risk of loose fill asbestos. This program is now finished, but asbestos inspections and testing are still available from Airsafe.
Dangers of asbestos for Sydney’s DIY crowd
In recent years there has been concern about an increase in the number of malignant mesothelioma cases in Sydney and Australia as a result of home renovations and DIY projects, many of which involve the handling of construction materials that contain asbestos.
This domestic exposure, much of which has gone on without the homeowners realising, has been described as part of the “third wave” of asbestos related diseases, where the first wave consisted of asbestos miners, millers and transport workers, and the second wave were those workers who used asbestos products, predominantly in the manufacturing and construction industries. But today there is a growing body of evidence that more and more people – including women – are being diagnosed through non-occupational exposure, including during home renovations.
Essentially, if asbestos is disturbed during renovations or in the demolition of homes containing asbestos, fibres can be released into the air and can then be inhaled. When asbestos fibres are inhaled, the individual’s risk of developing malignant mesothelioma or lung cancer increases significantly.
If you live in Sydney and you are planning on carrying out an extension or a renovation, big or small, you may be required to apply for building approval. As part of your Development Application (DA) documentation, your local council may require an asbestos inspection before granting you a Construction Certificate.
Unfortunately, most people can’t tell whether building materials contain asbestos by simply looking at them. Only scientific testing can confirm it.
Asbestos testing for Sydney houses
The good news is that non-friable asbestos is generally not dangerous unless the material is broken, deteriorated or disturbed. Just because your home contains asbestos, that doesn’t mean you need to panic.
There are two situations in which you need to take action about asbestos:
- You are planning to renovate or demolish your house, and your local council requires an asbestos survey.
- You have found something in your home that you think might be loose or crumbly asbestos.
Think you may have found asbestos? Airsafe provides asbestos testing for Sydney houses in our NATA-accredited laboratory. Just follow the instructions to collect a sample (sample testing) and we’ll give you a quick, definitive answer.
Airsafe provides reliable, thorough surveys that are accepted by all Sydney councils. Don’t be tempted by cut-price specials on asbestos surveys: some Sydney clients have told us that these surveys have been rejected by their local councils. Asbestos is one area where you really don’t want to cut corners! Just fill in our form for a quick quote.
Handling and disposing of asbestos in Sydney
You should not attempt to work with, handle, remove or dispose of asbestos yourself unless you are aware of the safety precautions for these activities. In most cases, it is advisable to seek professional assistance.
In some councils and territories in NSW there are restrictions on how much asbestos cement sheeting homeowners can remove themselves without a licence. For this reason, it is important to check the rules and regulations with your local council for full details of what is legal and what is not.
In all cases, the recommended precautions for minimising the release of asbestos fibres into the air should be carefully followed to reduce the risk to yourself, your family and your neighbours.
In some cases, especially when it comes to larger restorations, some jobs are best left to the experts. If you are planning a renovation that involves disturbing large amounts of asbestos cement materials, removing friable asbestos products, or demolition of all or part of your property, you should not conduct this work yourself.
It is wisest to engage a licensed asbestos removalist who knows how to manage this scale of work safely, without risk to you or your neighbours. Airsafe can recommend a reputable licensed removal contractor, supervise the work, and issue the clearance certificate at the end – see our Asbestos Removal page (removal).
Rapid Response
Get a Fast Quote | Call 1300 888 338
When time matters, experience counts.
Since 1988, Airsafe has provided fast, expert support for identifying hazardous materials, investigating contaminated sites, and testing indoor air quality. We deliver clear results and practical advice so you can act with confidence.
Your health and safety are always our highest priority.
What our clients say
4.9 stars from over 640 Google reviews, from homeowners, renovators and builders across Sydney and beyond.
“I had a contractor working at my home removing bathroom sheeting, which he said didn’t contain asbestos. This went against my gut feeling and I took a sample and delivered it to Airsafe for testing at ~11am today. The report came back at ~4pm (same day) positive for asbestos. The report was clearly written, but under the circumstances, I asked to discuss it with lab staff, which happened in minutes and clarified everything. Plans are now in place for an environmental clean up tomorrow at the contractor’s expense. Great result and service (and I’m still waiting for a competitor to return my call). Thanks Airsafe.”
Malcolm Stephen, October 2024, 5 stars
“I first contacted Airsafe as I was needing a full asbestos report for a property built in the early 80’s. From the onset, the team were informative and quick to respond to my queries and the report came back within a couple of days of the on-site testing being completed. Luckily there were no signs of Abestos but a week later, after removing some plasterboard from the property, we uncovered a different type of cement board that was a little suspicious. I contacted Airsafe to see if we could have some additional samples taken. I was so impressed at how seriously they took our concerns and they were able to provide some additional samples free of charge to ensure we had peace of mind.”
Lauren Tess, February 2022, 5 stars
“We had a fantastic experience with AirSafe! They handled the asbestos compliance notice at our property with the highest level of professionalism. The team was efficient, thorough, and kept us informed throughout the entire process. They even went above and beyond by contacting the council directly to clarify certain matters, which gave us extra peace of mind. Highly recommend them!”
Rachel Mourad, April 2025, 5 stars
Frequently asked questions
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If your Sydney house was built prior to 1990, there is a good chance that it will contain some form of asbestos material or product, unless the potentially threatening materials have already been removed. Any Sydney building built before 1982 has a strong chance of containing asbestos. The only way to be sure about any individual material is to have it professionally tested.
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Unfortunately, no. It is impossible to identify the presence of asbestos by sight or from a verbal description. Only scientific testing of a sample by an accredited NATA asbestos testing laboratory can confirm the presence of asbestos.
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Don’t disturb the material. If it’s loose or crumbly, keep people away from the area. Then have a sample tested: follow the instructions on our Asbestos Sample Testing page to collect and submit a sample safely, or call us on 1300 888 338 and we’ll talk you through it. Left undisturbed, non-friable asbestos generally does not pose a health risk, so there’s no need to panic – but there is a need to get a definitive answer.
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If you’re planning an extension, renovation or demolition, your local council may require an asbestos inspection as part of your Development Application documentation before granting a Construction Certificate. Airsafe’s surveys are accepted by all Sydney councils.
Contact us for asbestos testing and inspections today
Whatever your asbestos issue, big or small, Airsafe is here to help. Call us on 1300 888 338.
Last updated: July 2026
