Toowoomba Region, Queensland
Asbestos testing and licensed removal in Toowoomba
A local enquiry and referral service for asbestos testing and licensed removal in Toowoomba and surrounds.
Free for you · Passed to one licensed business at most · We'll tell you if we can't match your job
What we can help with
Asbestos testing and inspections
You can't identify asbestos by eye. How sampling and NATA-accredited testing work, what an inspection should cover, and published testing costs.
Bonded (non-friable) asbestos removal
Fibro walls, eaves, roofs and fences: Class B licensing, the 10 m² rule, clearance certificates, disposal and published cost guides for Toowoomba.
Friable asbestos removal
Friable asbestos (crumbly or powdery) can only be removed by a Class A licensed removalist, with an independent licensed assessor for air monitoring and clearance.
Storm-damaged asbestos
Hail or wind broke fibro sheeting or an asbestos roof? Queensland's safe-cleanup advice, what not to do, disposal rules, and when to call a licensed removalist.
Toowoomba Asbestos is a local enquiry and referral service operated by Winly Group Pty Ltd. We don't test, handle or remove asbestos. Tell us what you've found and we'll aim to connect you with one business licensed by WorkSafe Queensland for the type of work your job needs. If we can, we pass your enquiry to them; they contact you, assess the material and quote. You deal with them directly.
It's free for you. If we connect you with a removalist, they pay us a referral fee. If we can't match your job with a business holding the right licence class, we'll tell you and won't pass your details on.
If material is already broken: don't sweep, vacuum or water-blast it. Keep people away, and see storm-damaged asbestos.
Could my house have asbestos?
The QBCC says that if your house was built before 1990, there's a good chance it contains some asbestos. Some homes built in the 1990s and early 2000s still used asbestos products until the total ban in 2003 (QBCC – Asbestos safety (opens in a new tab)). Common places include fibro (asbestos cement) wall and eave sheeting, roofs, fences, and backing boards in kitchens and bathrooms (WorkSafe Queensland (opens in a new tab)). You can't confirm asbestos by looking. A sample has to be tested. See Asbestos testing.
Who's allowed to remove it
| Situation | Who can do it | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 10 m² or less of non-friable (bonded) asbestos | No licence needed, but safe work methods are still required | WorkSafe Qld (opens in a new tab) |
| More than 10 m² of non-friable asbestos, as a business | Class B or Class A licensed removalist | WorkSafe Qld (opens in a new tab) |
| More than 10 m² of non-friable asbestos, as a homeowner | Only with a certificate from a Queensland Health-approved course | asbestos.qld.gov.au (opens in a new tab) |
| Any friable asbestos | Class A licensed removalist only | WorkSafe Qld (opens in a new tab) |
As a guide, 10 m² is about four sheets of asbestos cement wall sheeting, or usually one wall of an average bathroom (Asbestos: a guide for minor renovation (opens in a new tab)).
WorkSafe publishes registers of Class A and Class B licence holders and licensed asbestos assessors. Check any business against them before you book.
Never do these
Queensland law prohibits using power tools such as grinders, saws and sanders (unless dust is controlled), high-pressure water cleaners, compressed air and household vacuums on asbestos-containing materials. It is illegal to water-blast asbestos cement roofs, fences and walls, and homeowners can be fined up to $10,000 (asbestos.qld.gov.au – Prohibited activities (opens in a new tab)).
Disposal in the Toowoomba Region
Toowoomba Regional Council accepts domestic asbestos, up to 175 kg per load, at the Greater Toowoomba Waste Management Facility (O'Mara Road, Wellcamp). It must be double-bagged in plastic at least 200 microns thick, or double-wrapped in 200-micron plastic, taped and clearly labelled. Fees apply, and council does not accept asbestos from commercial customers (Toowoomba Regional Council (opens in a new tab)). A licensed removalist handles disposal of their own waste through approved facilities. Ask how and where in your quote.
What it might cost
We don't set prices. Typical figures from hipages' national cost guide: about $3,500 – $5,500 for a roof, $4,000 – $6,000 for external cladding, $1,500 – $2,500 for eaves, and $90 – $160 per metre for fencing (hipages cost guide (opens in a new tab)). These are national averages, not Toowoomba quotes. Cost factors: material type (bonded or friable), area, height and access, whether a clearance inspection or air monitoring is needed, disposal, and making good afterwards.
Before you hire anyone
- What class of asbestos removal licence do you hold, and what's the number? (Check it on WorkSafe's register.)
- Is the material bonded or friable, and how do you know? Has it been tested?
- Who does the clearance inspection, and do I get a written clearance certificate?
- Where will the waste go, and is disposal in the price?
- Does the quote include air monitoring, if needed, and making good (for example, new sheeting)?
Local notes by area
We take enquiries from across the Toowoomba Region. These pages cover local rules and conditions.
Toowoomba (heritage and character areas)
Renovating or removing cladding from an older Toowoomba home? Check council's Heritage and Neighbourhood Character register first, and know how domestic asbestos disposal works at Wellcamp.
Tell us about your job
Send one enquiry. If we can connect you with a suitably licensed local business, they'll contact you directly. If we can't, we'll tell you.
Send an enquiry