Asbestos fence removal in Toowoomba

Asbestos fence removal in Toowoomba is one of the most common jobs for homeowners, because fibro fences were everywhere in the decades before the late 1980s. They are flat or slightly ribbed cement sheets, usually between timber or steel posts. This guide helps you work out whether yours is asbestos and what to do about it.

How to tell if a fence is asbestos

You cannot be certain by looking. Still, a fibro fence has some typical features:

• flat or lightly ribbed grey sheets, often about a metre or more high
• a dull, chalky surface that may be mossy or stained
• sheets fixed between posts, with a capping strip along the top
• a fence that has been in place since before the 1990s

If your fence matches, assume it contains asbestos until a lab says otherwise. A sample sent to a NATA-accredited lab gives you a definite answer. Our asbestos testing page explains how.

Is a fibro fence dangerous?

Asbestos cement is bonded, so the fibres are held inside the cement. A fence in good shape is a low risk while it is left alone. The problem is that fences get hit by trees, mowers, trimmers, kids' balls and the weather.

Things that make a fence risky:

• cracked, broken or crumbling sheets
• sheets that have been drilled, cut or screwed into
• damage from a fallen branch or storm
• moss and weathering being scrubbed off with a pressure cleaner

Pressure cleaning asbestos is prohibited, and a homeowner can be fined up to $10,000 plus clean-up costs. Do not use a water blaster on a fibro fence, however grubby it looks.

After a storm

Toowoomba gets strong winds and hail, and fences are often the first thing to come down. If a storm has broken a fence you think may be asbestos, keep people and pets away and avoid walking over the pieces. Keep fragments damp with a light spray and do not sweep or vacuum. Then call us. Our guide to asbestos roof removal covers what to do when a storm hits the roof as well.

What removal involves

Fence jobs follow the same steps as other removal work.

1. We confirm the material, usually with a sample.
2. We prepare the Asbestos Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS).
3. The area is marked off. If the fence runs along a boundary, we talk with you about neighbours.
4. Sheets are unscrewed or released from the posts and lowered whole, not snapped or smashed.
5. Waste is wrapped, sealed and labelled and transported to a facility licensed to accept it.
6. We do a site clean along the fence line, including the soil and gutters where fragments may have collected.
7. An independent assessor or competent person checks the area and you receive a clearance certificate.

The clearance check is done by someone who is separate from the removal crew.

Posts, capping and the ground

A fence is more than its sheets. Ask about:

• the capping strips and any joiners, which may be asbestos too
• timber or steel posts, which are removed separately
• loose chips lying in the garden bed or grass along the fence line
• gates or rear lane fences built from the same material
• what replaces the fence: a new fence is a separate job

If the fence runs between two properties, talk to your neighbour about who arranges and pays for the work.

Can I remove my own fence?

A homeowner can remove 10 square metres or less of bonded asbestos without a licence, if they follow the safety rules. To put that in context, a fence 20 metres long and 1.8 metres high is 36 square metres. Most fence runs are well over the 10 square metre limit. The whole job counts, and it cannot be split into smaller days.

Over 10 square metres, a licensed contractor or a certificate holder must do the work. Our contractors hold a Class B licence for bonded asbestos. Check the current rules at asbestos.qld.gov.au before you start. Our overview of asbestos removal in Toowoomba shows the full range of jobs we do, across the Toowoomba suburbs and nearby towns. For shed and garage panels, see asbestos shed and garage removal.