- Asbestos removal
- Asbestos sheet price
Asbestos roof sheet price in South Africa
Short answer: there isn't one.
You cannot buy asbestos roof sheets in South Africa, at any price, from Cashbuild, Build It or anyone else. They have been banned since 28 March 2008 (the 2008 ban explained). If a merchant has quoted you for “asbestos sheeting”, they are selling you fibre cement in the same profile — which is the right product, under the wrong name. A fibre cement Big Six sheet was listed online at about R640 to R940 a sheet on 16 October 2026, depending on length (merchant prices below). If the old roof has to come off first, that is asbestos roof removal, priced per m².
Looking because a sheet cracked? Send a photo on WhatsApp. If the roof is asbestos, replacing a single sheet is not a DIY job.
Why can't you buy asbestos roof sheets any more?
Two dates ended the supply, six years apart.
| What happened | When |
|---|---|
| Asbestos mining stopped in South AfricaThe country had been one of the world's major producers. Local supply of the raw fibre ended. | 2002 |
| Manufacture, import, export and use prohibitedRegulations for the Prohibition of the Use, Manufacturing, Import and Export of Asbestos and Asbestos Containing Materials, Government Notice R341 in Government Gazette 30904, under the Environment Conservation Act 73 of 1989. A short grace period let merchants clear existing stock, and then sale became an offence. | 28 March 2008 |
| Asbestos already in place brought under new rulesThe Asbestos Abatement Regulations, 2020 deal with the roofs that are still up there: an inventory, a management plan and a phase-out over time. | 10 November 2020 |
The 2008 regulations banned new asbestos products. They did not order every existing roof off overnight — see what the 2020 regulations actually require of you as an owner.
So what is on the shelf at Cashbuild?
Fibre cement. It is made from cement, silica, water and cellulose fibre, and contains no asbestos. Everite's Nutec range is the best known South African brand, and it has been asbestos-free since the changeover.
The confusing part is that the profile names did not change. Big Six is still Big Six. A Canadian profile is still a Canadian profile. The sheet on a 1975 roof and the sheet in the yard today can carry the same name, the same corrugation and the same grey colour, and only one of them contains asbestos.
That is why the search exists. It is also why you cannot tell them apart by looking.
How do I know which one is on my roof?
Age is the first filter. Asbestos cement sheeting went onto South African roofs from the 1940s through to the 1990s. If the roof went on before about 2000, asbestos is likely. If it went on after 2008, it cannot be asbestos.
Between those dates it is a guess, and the only way to settle it is a laboratory test on a sample. Do not break a piece off to look at the edge — that is the one action that actually releases fibres.
The visual checks worth doing first will get you most of the way without touching the roof.
What is the asbestos roof price at Build It?
There is no price, because Build It does not sell asbestos.
No Build It store, or any other merchant in South Africa, may sell asbestos roof sheets. What Build It stocks in the same Big Six and corrugated profiles is fibre cement, which fits the same purlin spacing and looks the same from the street. Build It prices are set per store and we did not find a national online list, so use the Buco and Cashbuild figures in the next table, about R640 to R940 a sheet, as the guide and check your local branch.
If you are pricing a whole asbestos roof rather than one sheet, the sheet is the small part. Our rate to replace an asbestos roof in steel is R650 to R950 per m², removal and disposal included: see asbestos roof replacement cost.
How much is a Big Six fibre cement roof sheet?
About R640 to R940 a sheet, as listed online on 16 October 2026.
| Sheet, as listed | Price per sheet |
|---|---|
| Big Six, 2.4 m × 920 mm × 6 mmBuco, “from” price | R641.11 |
| Big Six, 3.0 m × 920 mm × 6 mmBuco, “from” price | R795.36 |
| Big Six, 3.6 m × 920 mm × 6 mmBuco, “from” price | R935.89 |
| Big Six roof sheet, 3.6 mCashbuild, price shown for one store | R912.95 |
These are the merchants' own listed prices, not ours, and they vary by store and change over time; check your local branch before you buy. Sources: Buco fibre cement sheets, Cashbuild Big Six roof sheet 3.6 m.
Is there a 6 m Big Six sheet?
Not in these listings. A Big Six fibre cement sheet is 920 mm wide and about 6 mm thick, and covers 873 mm of width once it is lapped onto the next sheet. A merchant's technical sheet for the profile (which calls it Super 6) lists lengths of 2.4 m, 3.0 m and 3.6 m. The “6 mm” on the label is the thickness, not the length.
Is the sheet the whole cost?
No. A new sheet only goes on once the broken asbestos sheet has come off, and taking asbestos cement off a roof is asbestos work under the 2020 regulations (see below). For a whole roof, the asbestos roof replacement cost guide has Gauteng rates per m², removal included.
Can I buy second-hand asbestos sheets to patch it?
This is the other half of the search, and the answer is firmer.
No. Asbestos roof sheets still turn up for sale in classified ads, but the 2008 regulations prohibit the use and transfer of asbestos-containing materials, so selling or buying used asbestos sheeting is not legal. Anyone offering them is also handing you a problem: the sheet still has to come off the roof one day, and by then you have paid twice.
The workable route is the opposite one. A fibre cement sheet in the same profile will fit the same purlin spacing and sit flush against the old sheets. What it needs is for the broken asbestos sheet to come off first, and removing asbestos cement is type 2 asbestos work — which only a registered asbestos contractor may do.
The exception is small: type 1 work covers under 10 m² of asbestos cement, not repeated on the same site within six months, and needs no registration, though the Department must still get seven days’ written notice. One or two sheets can fall inside that. A whole roof never does.
What does replacing it cost instead?
Gauteng rates, per square metre of roof.
| Item | Rate |
|---|---|
| Removal and legal disposal of the asbestosRegistered contractor, notice to the Department, air monitoring, hazardous waste site. This is the part that cannot be skipped. | R150–R250/m² |
| New roof over the topFibre cement, IBR or corrugated steel, or tile. The spread is mostly the material you choose. | R500–R1,000/m² |
| Worked example: a 150 m² houseRemoval alone, before the new roof goes on. | R22,500–R37,500 |
These are our own rates for Gauteng, not a published tariff. The full cost breakdown shows worked examples for a house and a warehouse, and what moves a quote up or down.
Questions people ask about buying asbestos sheets
Can you still buy asbestos roof sheets in South Africa?
No. The Regulations for the Prohibition of the Use, Manufacturing, Import and Export of Asbestos and Asbestos Containing Materials came into force on 28 March 2008, published under Government Notice R341 in Government Gazette 30904. Asbestos mining in South Africa had already stopped in 2002. No retailer may sell asbestos roof sheeting.
Then what is Cashbuild or Build It selling?
Fibre cement. It is made from cement, silica, water and cellulose fibre, with no asbestos in it. Everite's Nutec range is the best known South African brand. The profile names survived the changeover, so a Big Six sheet on a shelf today is fibre cement, not asbestos.
Why do people still search for the asbestos price?
Because the sheets look identical and the profile names did not change. Someone with a cracked sheet on a 1970s roof searches for what they think is on it. The replacement sheet they will actually be sold is fibre cement.
How much is a Big Six fibre cement roof sheet?
About R640 to R940 a sheet, as listed online on 16 October 2026: Buco from R641.11 (2.4 m), R795.36 (3.0 m) and R935.89 (3.6 m), and Cashbuild R912.95 (3.6 m, one store). Prices vary by store. Buco lists these as fibre cement sheets; asbestos sheets may not be sold.
Can I buy second-hand asbestos sheets to patch my roof?
No. The 2008 regulations prohibit the use and transfer of asbestos-containing materials, so selling or buying used asbestos sheeting is not legal. Anyone offering them is also handing you a future removal bill, because the roof still has to come off eventually.
Is it cheaper to patch my asbestos roof than replace it?
Patching is not really available. You cannot buy matching asbestos sheets, and cutting or drilling the existing ones releases fibres. A fibre cement sheet in the same profile can be fitted, but removing the old sheet to make room is type 2 asbestos work and needs a registered contractor.
What does replacing an asbestos roof cost in Gauteng?
Removal runs about R150 to R250 per square metre and a new roof about R500 to R1,000 per square metre, depending on the material you choose. On a 150 m² house that puts removal alone at roughly R22,500 to R37,500.
There is no asbestos roof sheet price in South Africa, because asbestos sheets have been banned from sale since 28 March 2008 under Government Notice R341. What Cashbuild, Build It and other merchants sell in the same Big Six profile is fibre cement without asbestos. Old sheets may not be sold, donated or reused. If yours is failing, the legal route is asbestos roof removal by a registered contractor, then a new fibre-cement or steel roof.
Find out what you're actually dealing with
Send the address and a photo of the roof. You get an answer on whether it looks like asbestos and what removal would cost, before anyone comes out.