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Asbestos roof replacement cost in Gauteng
2026 prices for removal plus a new steel or tile roof
Asbestos roof replacement costs R650 to R950 per m² all in with a new steel roof in Gauteng, or R950 to R1,250 per m² with tiles. A 150 m² house is about R97,500 to R142,500 in steel.
- Registered contractorsDepartment of Employment and Labour, Type 2 and 3
- Certificate on every jobAir monitoring and clearance certificate
- Licensed disposalClass A Holfontein landfill, disposal certificate
- Checked quoteEvery quote checked line by line before it reaches you
- Prices you can seeR150–R250/m², Gauteng contractor pricing, Sept 2026
Replacing an asbestos roof in Gauteng costs R650 to R950 per m² all in with new steel sheeting, or R950 to R1,250 per m² with concrete or clay tiles. That is two separate jobs on one quote: stripping and disposing of the asbestos at R150 to R250 per m², and a new roof at R500 to R1,000 per m² installed.
The removal half must be done by a Department of Employment and Labour registered asbestos contractor under the Asbestos Abatement Regulations, 2020. The new roof can be fitted by the same company or by a roofer once the clearance certificate is issued.
| What you are paying for | What to budget |
|---|---|
| Strip and dispose of the asbestosWetting, hand removal, wrapping, transport, Class A landfill fee, disposal certificate | R150 – R250 per m² |
| New roof, corrugated or IBR steelSheeting, fixings, flashings, labour | R500 – R700 per m² |
| New roof, concrete or clay tileTiles, battens, underlay, labour; the structure must carry the extra weight | R800 – R1,000 per m² |
| All in, steel | R650 – R950 per m² |
| All in, tile | R950 – R1,250 per m² |
| Air monitoring and clearance certificateBy an Approved Inspection Authority, regulation 22 | A separate line |
These are our own Gauteng market figures as at September 2026, gathered from quotes and merchant pricing, and they match the bands on the asbestos roof removal cost page. They are not a contractor's published tariff.
How much does it cost to replace an asbestos roof in South Africa?
Add the two per-m² rates together and multiply by the roof area, not the floor area. The roof is bigger than the house because of the pitch and the overhangs; the roof size calculator measures it from your address.
| Roof area | Strip only | Strip and new steel roof |
|---|---|---|
| 60 m² (garage or outbuilding) | R9,000 – R15,000 | R39,000 – R57,000 |
| 100 m² (small house) | R15,000 – R25,000 | R65,000 – R95,000 |
| 150 m² (three-bedroom house) | R22,500 – R37,500 | R97,500 – R142,500 |
| 200 m² (large house) | R30,000 – R50,000 | R130,000 – R190,000 |
| 500 m² (warehouse) | R75,000 – R125,000 | R325,000 – R575,000* |
*Industrial IBR or Chromadek runs to R900 per m² where height access is needed, which is why the warehouse ceiling is higher than 500 × R950. Asbestos gutters, fascias and timber repairs are priced on top when they are found.
Worked example: replacing a 150 m² house roof, steel against tile
A single-storey 1970s house with corrugated asbestos-cement sheeting, easy access. The removal line is the same either way; the choice of new roof moves the total by about R45,000.
| Item | Steel roof | Tile roof |
|---|---|---|
| Strip and dispose, 150 m² × R150–R250 | R22,500 – R37,500 | R22,500 – R37,500 |
| New roof, 150 m² × R500–R700 steel or R800–R1,000 tile | R75,000 – R105,000 | R120,000 – R150,000 |
| All in | R97,500 – R142,500 | R142,500 – R187,500 |
About 2.3 tonnes of asbestos-cement leaves the site, at roughly 15 kg per m². Tiles weigh several times more than steel sheeting, so a tile quote should say whether the trusses have been checked for the load.
Worked example: replacing a 500 m² warehouse roof
East Rand industrial roofs are higher and often carry asbestos side-cladding, gutters and ridge capping as well as the sheets. Steel is the default replacement.
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Strip and dispose, 500 m² × R150–R250 | R75,000 | R125,000 |
| New IBR or Chromadek roof, 500 m² × R500–R900 | R250,000 | R450,000 |
| All in | R325,000 | R575,000 |
About 7.5 tonnes of hazardous waste goes to the Holfontein Class A landfill near Springs. Side-cladding and roof lights are counted on site.
Steel or tiles: which roof goes on after the asbestos?
Steel sheeting (corrugated, IBR or Chromadek) is the usual choice: it is the cheapest line at R500 to R700 per m², it is light enough for any structure that carried asbestos-cement, and it goes on in 2 to 4 days on a house.
Concrete or clay tiles cost R800 to R1,000 per m² and are heavier, so the roof structure may need strengthening before they go on. They change the look of the house, which matters in some estates.
Fibre-cement sheeting without asbestos is sold by merchants such as Cashbuild and Build It in the same Big Six profile, so the house keeps its old look. New asbestos sheets cannot be bought at all; why asbestos roof sheets are no longer sold explains the 2008 ban.
What must an asbestos roof replacement quote include?
Ask for two separate numbers, strip-and-dispose and the new roof, so quotes can be compared line for line. Then check the removal half for the parts that make it legal:
- The contractor's Department of Employment and Labour registration, Type 2 or Type 3. Check it on the register of asbestos contractors in Gauteng.
- The 7-day notification to the Department before work starts.
- Licensed transport and a disposal certificate from a Class A landfill.
- Air monitoring and a clearance certificate from an Approved Inspection Authority.
- Asbestos gutters, downpipes, ridges and fascias as their own line, so nothing is left behind.
The removal work itself, from notice to certificate, is set out in the asbestos roof removal process.
Why replace rather than paint or cover the roof?
Painting without surface preparation is allowed as Type 1 work and costs less now, but the roof stays asbestos and still has to come off one day. Covering it is not an option: since 9 November 2022 the Department of Employment and Labour has barred over-roofing sheets and solar panels on asbestos roofs, because fixing anything to the sheets means drilling asbestos-cement.
If the roof is leaking, cracked or you want solar, replacement is the only route that ends with a certificate. The options short of replacement are compared on paint, seal or replace.
Questions people ask about asbestos roof replacement
How much does it cost to replace an asbestos roof in South Africa?
In Gauteng, replacing an asbestos roof costs about R650 to R950 per m² all in with a new steel-sheeted roof, or R950 to R1,250 per m² with concrete or clay tiles (September 2026). That is the strip-and-dispose rate of R150 to R250 per m² plus a new roof at R500 to R1,000 per m² installed. A 150 m² house is about R97,500 to R142,500 in steel.
What does a new roof cost after asbestos removal?
A new roof is a separate line from the removal: R500 to R700 per m² for corrugated or IBR steel sheeting and R800 to R1,000 per m² for concrete or clay tile, installed, in Gauteng in September 2026. On a 150 m² house that is R75,000 to R105,000 in steel or R120,000 to R150,000 in tile, before the R22,500 to R37,500 removal.
Can you put a new roof over an asbestos roof?
No. Since 9 November 2022 the Department of Employment and Labour has instructed its inspectors, Approved Inspection Authorities and registered asbestos contractors not to allow over-roofing sheets or solar panels on existing asbestos roofs. Fixing new sheets means drilling the asbestos-cement, which is prohibited. The old roof comes off first.
Can I replace only part of an asbestos roof?
Yes. A quote can cover one section, such as a garage or one side of a house, and the removal is priced on that area. Any section over 10 m² is still Type 2 asbestos work, so it needs a registered contractor, the 7-day notification, licensed disposal and a clearance certificate.
How long does asbestos roof replacement take?
For a 150 m² house: 7 days of notice to the Department before work starts, 1 to 2 days to strip the asbestos, and 2 to 4 days to fit the new roof, then the clearance certificate. About three weeks from accepting the quote to the certificate.
Asbestos roof replacement in Gauteng costs R650 to R950 per m² all in with steel sheeting, or R950 to R1,250 per m² with tiles (September 2026). A 150 m² house is R97,500 to R142,500 in steel or R142,500 to R187,500 in tile; a 500 m² warehouse is R325,000 to R575,000. The removal half must be done by a registered asbestos contractor, with notice, licensed disposal and a clearance certificate.
Get a compliant quote for your roof
Send the suburb, the rough roof size and a photo or two on WhatsApp. You get an on-the-spot estimate and a registered contractor's fixed quote after a site check.
Basis for the figures on this page
- Removal band R150–R250 per m²: registered-contractor pricing for single-storey asbestos-cement roofs in Gauteng, reviewed September 2026. A published Gauteng builder's guide (November 2025) puts asbestos removal at R200–R400 per m² where access is harder: Builders in Gauteng.
- Replacement band R500–R1,000 per m² installed, average about R800: The Handyman Johannesburg (January 2026) and Procompare 2026 roofer price list.
- Asbestos Abatement Regulations, 2020, GN R1196, Government Gazette 43893, 10 November 2020; regulations 3 and 20 in force from 10 May 2022: Department of Employment and Labour.
- Instruction of 9 November 2022 on solar panels and over-roofing on asbestos roofs, Department of Employment and Labour: letter as published by SAPVIA.
- Asbestos-cement sheet mass of roughly 15 kg per m² is the standard figure for 6 mm corrugated profiles; tonnages above are rounded.
Prices are ranges for budgeting. Every job is priced after photos and a site check by the contractor.