The short answer
Asbestos cement sheets are lifted whole and unbroken where possible, wrapped in heavy-duty sheeting and labelled, then taken in a covered vehicle to a site permitted to receive asbestos waste. They must never go in a household bin, a general skip or an ordinary recycling centre. Careful removal is non-licensed work under HSE guidance, but breaking the sheets up changes the rules and raises the risk.
Why the sheets are treated as hazardous
Corrugated cement sheeting went onto countless garage, shed and farm roofs because it was cheap, strong and weatherproof. The fibres in it are bound into the cement, and while a sheet is whole they stay put. Cutting, drilling, breaking or scrubbing the sheet can release them, and the fibres are the hazard because they can be breathed in.
That is why the material is handled as hazardous waste from the moment it leaves the roof. The concern is less about the sheet on the roof and more about what happens to it when it is moved. A sheet dropped from a ladder, thrown into a skip or crushed under another load turns into dust and debris, and the dust travels.
The HSE draws the line in its guidance. Taking sheets off with care, and without breaking them, falls in the non-licensed category. If a job is going to shatter the sheets and fill the air with dust, it is notifiable instead. Both need controls, and the exact wording is on the HSE non-licensed work page.
From roof to tip, step by step
The route has a clear shape, and each step exists to keep the fibres bound into the sheet.
- Plan and protect. The work area is set out, the ground below is covered, and people are kept away from the roof.
- Wet the surface. Damp sheets shed far less dust, so a light misting beforehand helps.
- Unfix, do not smash. Fixings are removed and each sheet is lifted off whole, supported at both ends.
- Lower, do not drop. Each sheet goes to the ground carried or hoisted, and is laid flat, never thrown.
- Wrap and label. Sheets are sealed in heavy-duty polythene and marked as asbestos.
- Transport. The load goes in a covered vehicle, with the carrier using the correct paperwork.
- Tip. The sheets are delivered to a site that is permitted to accept asbestos waste, and paperwork records the handover.
Dust and debris from the work area are cleaned with a suitable vacuum rather than a brush, and any contaminated clothing or protective equipment is bagged and disposed of in the same stream.
What must never happen
Some actions are tempting and should be avoided. Breaking sheets to fit them in a car or van, leaving them leaning on a fence for months, putting them in a general skip, mixing them with ordinary rubble or leaving them in a public place all create a hazard. Most household recycling centres do not accept asbestos at all.
Fly-tipped asbestos is a real problem, and householders can find themselves answerable if a person they hired dumps their waste. Always ask a contractor where the sheets are going and how, and ask to see the paperwork after the job. A contractor who offers to take the sheets away without describing the route should prompt more questions.
It is also unwise to take the job on yourself. Our page on DIY asbestos removal covers what an owner who does so is taking on, and why we do not recommend it as a weekend task.
Broken sheets and storm damage
Sheets that have already cracked or fallen need extra care. A broken sheet gives off more fibres than a whole one, and the fragments are harder to collect. The safe approach is to leave the area alone, keep people and pets away, damp the debris if it can be done without disturbing it and take advice before moving anything.
The page on a broken asbestos roof sheet deals with that situation. After a storm has lifted or cracked sheets, the roof is secured before anything else, and the removal is planned afterwards, which can make the job notifiable.
Small pieces on the ground still count as asbestos waste. They go into their own labelled bag, double-wrapped, rather than into a household bin.
Cost and who arranges it
Disposal is one cost among several in a removal job, alongside labour, access and wrapping. Typical UK figures reported by MyBuilder (2026) put asbestos removal at about £2,000 on average, or around £50 per square metre for general removal. Waste transport and tip fees are part of that, and the total rises on a large roof, a difficult site or a broken-up load.
If a contractor quotes for a new roof, look for stripping and disposal listed on their own lines, because that shows where the money goes. Compare that with the figures for a garage roof without the asbestos element to understand how much of the price is removal.
Ask who is carrying the waste and which site is receiving it. We arrange the whole route within the job, and nothing is left behind on your drive.
Disposal and what goes on the new roof
The new roof is easier to plan once the old sheets are gone. One common wish is to fit solar panels, which depend on a sound structure beneath them. Our page on solar panels on a garage roof explains why removal comes first.
Before taking any step, it helps to know whether your sheets are asbestos at all. If you are leaning towards coating the existing sheets, our page on painting or sealing an asbestos roof sets out the trade-off. For the broader picture of what we do on garage roofs, see our garage roof replacement service.
