Asbestos Garage Roof Replacement: Options, Rules & Costs
Removing asbestos cement sheets from a single garage typically costs £400 to £900, and removal plus a new steel sheet roof usually runs from £1,400 to £2,800. Under HSE guidance, taking off intact asbestos cement sheets is normally non-licensed work, but it must be done safely and the waste disposed of as hazardous waste. Only a lab test on a sample confirms whether your roof contains asbestos.
If you are planning an asbestos garage roof replacement, the first questions are always the same. Is it actually asbestos, is it dangerous, and what will it cost to get rid of it? Here is what the official guidance says, what your options are, and what homeowners across Newcastle and the North East typically pay.
01/How to tell if your garage roof might be asbestos
Asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999, and the HSE says buildings put up before 2000 may still contain it. Garages and outbuildings from that era very often have roofs made of asbestos cement: a hard, grey material that can be more than a third asbestos.
- Large grey corrugated or profiled sheets, often with a weathered, slightly furry surface or moss growing on it.
- A garage built before 2000, including prefabricated concrete panel garages.
- Matching grey cement gutters, downpipes or ridge pieces, which are often asbestos cement too.
- Sheets fixed with hook bolts through the ridges of the corrugations onto timber or steel purlins.
None of these signs proves anything. Modern fibre cement sheets look almost identical. The only way to know is to have a sample analysed by a lab, either through an asbestos surveyor or a postal testing service. Do not break a piece off yourself without following the sampling instructions you are given.
02/When is an asbestos cement roof a risk?
The HSE says asbestos is safe when it is properly contained and becomes dangerous when it is disturbed or damaged. Asbestos cement is a bonded material, so sheets in good condition that are left alone release very little. The risk rises when the sheets are:
- Cracked, broken or crumbling, for example after a storm or something falling on them.
- Drilled, cut or sanded, particularly with power tools.
- Pressure washed. HSE guidance says high-pressure jetting is only appropriate in exceptional circumstances and needs a specialist contractor.
- Dropped or smashed during removal, which is how most avoidable exposure happens.
The HSE warns that asbestos cement roofs are always fragile and cannot bear weight. Clear gutters and moss from a ladder or platform, never from the roof itself.
What the HSE guidance says
The HSE treats work on asbestos cement as lower risk. Removing intact sheets, gutters and small structures like a garage roof is normally non-licensed work, covered by its Asbestos Essentials task sheet a14. Non-licensed does not mean anything goes. The guidance sets out how the job should be done:
- Wet the sheets and fixings first, remove fixings by hand and avoid breaking the sheets.
- Lower sheets to the ground and stack them. Never drop them or use a rubble chute.
- Wear disposable overalls with a hood and suitable respiratory protection.
- Double-wrap large pieces in heavy-duty polythene, seal with tape and label them as asbestos.
If the sheets are badly damaged and breaking up, the work can become notifiable, and if the garage also has other asbestos materials such as insulating board, a licensed contractor is likely to be needed.
Disposal has its own rules. Asbestos waste is hazardous waste. HSE guidance says it must go to a licensed disposal site, and you need a waste carrier's licence to transport it yourself. Newcastle City Council's household waste and recycling centres do not accept asbestos or items containing it, so check with your own council if you live in North Tyneside, Gateshead or Northumberland. In practice, a specialist contractor will take the waste away and give you the paperwork.
04/Your four options
Leave and monitor
If the sheets are sound and you are not working on the garage, leaving them alone is a legitimate choice. Check them every year for cracks and damage.
Encapsulate
A specialist coating seals the surface and can extend the life of sound sheets. It does not fix a roof that is already leaking or broken.
Overclad
New non-asbestos sheets fixed over the old roof onto the existing purlins. HSE guidance supports this where it avoids drilling through the asbestos.
Remove and replace
The old sheets come off and a new roof goes on. The permanent fix, and the best option if you want to use or sell the garage without the question hanging over it.
For a replacement roof, most homeowners choose between a flat roof and new sheets. A flat roof in EPDM rubber or torch-on felt on a new timber deck gives a clean, watertight finish. If the garage was built for a sheet roof on purlins, it may need new joists to take a deck, which adds to the cost. Box profile steel sheets, often plastic coated, fit the existing structure more easily and go on quickly.
The photos on this page are from our garage roof re-felt in Fawdon, a standard felt replacement with no asbestos involved. It shows the kind of finish you can expect once the old roof is gone. See our flat roofing and felting page for the systems we fit.
05/Asbestos garage roof replacement costs
Typical asbestos garage roof removal cost depends mostly on the size of the roof and how easy it is to reach. Testing, removal and the new roof are usually priced separately.
| Job | What's involved | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Sample lab test | One sample analysed to confirm asbestos | £30 – £60 |
| Asbestos survey | Surveyor visit, sampling and report | £200 – £350 |
| Encapsulation | Specialist sealant coating on sound sheets | Around £30 per m² |
| Removal, single garage | Specialist removal and disposal of the sheets | £400 – £900 |
| Removal, double garage | Specialist removal and disposal of the sheets | £750 – £1,600 |
| New felt roof | Felt on a new deck, single garage | £700 – £1,500 |
| New EPDM roof | Rubber membrane on a new deck, single garage | £1,000 – £2,400 |
| Removal plus steel sheets | Asbestos off, box profile steel on, single garage | £1,400 – £2,800 |
These are typical UK ranges from 2026 price guides. Access, the size and condition of the roof, new timbers and whether the garage is attached to the house all change the price. A tight garden or a garage behind a Tyneside terrace with lane-only access can add time and cost.
If you are weighing up a flat roof on the house as well, our guide to flat roof replacement costs covers larger roofs and extensions.
06/Common questions
Can I remove an asbestos garage roof myself?
Council guidance says homeowners can remove asbestos cement sheets with the right training, protective equipment and method, following the HSE Asbestos Essentials sheets. You still have to dispose of it as hazardous waste through a licensed site. Given the fragile roof, the wrapping and the disposal rules, most people use a specialist asbestos contractor.
Can you put a new roof over an asbestos garage roof?
Yes, in many cases. Overcladding fixes new non-asbestos sheets over the old roof onto the existing purlins, avoiding drilling through the asbestos. It leaves the asbestos in place, so a buyer's survey may still flag it, and it will have to be removed if the garage is ever demolished.
Where can I dispose of asbestos in Newcastle?
Newcastle City Council's household waste and recycling centres do not accept asbestos. It needs to go to a licensed disposal site, carried by someone with a waste carrier's licence. The simplest route is a specialist contractor who removes and disposes of it for you.
Planning a new garage roof?
We replace garage roofs across Gosforth, Newcastle and North Tyneside. If you think your roof is asbestos cement, get a sample tested first. We will advise on your options, and where removal is needed it should be carried out by a specialist asbestos contractor before we fit your new roof at a fixed written price. See our flat roofing and roof repairs pages for related work.