Most Perth homes built before 1990 contain bonded asbestos in eaves, fence sheets, and bathroom walls. Homeowners can legally handle up to 10m² of bonded asbestos on their own property without a licence, but must use a dedicated asbestos skip bin for disposal. Red Hill is the only licenced asbestos disposal facility in Perth, with gate fees roughly 3x general waste.
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· Save this article into your AI assistant- Any pre-1990 Perth home likely has bonded asbestos in eaves or fence sheets
- Homeowners can legally handle up to 10m² of bonded asbestos on their own property
- Friable asbestos always needs a WorkSafe-licenced removalist
- Red Hill is the only licenced disposal facility in Perth
- Asbestos skip bins cost 2-3x a general bin because of the gate fee and handling
- Mixing asbestos into a general skip is a $5,000+ fine
If you own a Perth home built before 1990, you need to assume there's asbestos somewhere in it. Most likely in the eaves, the fence sheets, or behind the bathroom tiles.
This isn't a scare piece. Bonded asbestos is safe to live with and — within limits — safe to remove yourself. The problem is that most homeowners don't know the limits, and most mid-reno discoveries lead to panic and shortcuts.
This guide covers what to do the moment you suspect asbestos, how to handle it legally, and why an asbestos skip bin is the only legal disposal path in Perth.
Where asbestos hides in Perth homes
Asbestos was added to Australian building materials from the 1940s through to the late 1980s. Perth's housing boom straddled that window, which is why most of the inner suburbs have it somewhere.
- Fibre cement eaves and soffits — the most common spot
- External fence sheets, especially the corrugated 'Super Six' profile
- Bathroom and laundry walls behind the tiles
- Vinyl floor tile underlays and adhesives
- Switchboard backing boards
- Around hot water units and flues
- Inside weatherboard walls as a fire break
›Why Perth in particular
Perth's building boom in the 1960s-1980s coincided with peak asbestos use in Australian construction. Many of the Scarborough, Joondalup and Mandurah estates built during that era used asbestos cement sheeting extensively.
Don't guess — test
A $40 home asbestos test kit from Bunnings is cheap insurance. A $150 licenced sample test from a removalist is cheaper still than the fines and clean-up if you break up bonded asbestos on your driveway.
Bonded vs friable — the critical difference
This is the distinction that decides whether you can touch the asbestos or whether you need a licenced removalist. Get it wrong and you're exposed to real health risk.
Bonded asbestos — homeowner-safe
- Cement-like, hard, doesn't crumble easily
- Eaves, fence sheets, bathroom backing
- Homeowners can handle up to 10m²
- Goes in a dedicated asbestos skip bin
- Safe if not broken, sanded, or cut
Friable asbestos — specialist only
- Soft, crumbles to dust easily
- Pipe lagging, loose-fill insulation
- Always needs a Class A licenced removalist
- Never goes in a skip bin
- Air testing required after removal
“Bonded asbestos is dangerous when you disturb it. Friable asbestos is dangerous when it exists.”
What you can legally do yourself
In WA, a homeowner can remove up to 10m² of bonded asbestos on their own property without a licence. That's roughly one small fence section or the eaves on one side of a standard house.
10m² is the hard legal limit
Anything more than 10m² requires a WorkSafe-licenced removalist, even if you're doing it yourself on your own property. Tradies on a job can't do more than 10m² without a Class B asbestos removal licence.
›What 10m² looks like in practice
| Item | Typical size | Legal for DIY? |
|---|---|---|
| One fence section (3 panels) | 6-8m² | Yes — under limit |
| Eaves on one side of a house | 10-12m² | At the limit — call a removalist |
| Full asbestos fence | 30-60m² | No — licensed removalist required |
| Bathroom wall (one wall) | 6-9m² | Yes if bonded, check first |
| Whole house eaves | 40-60m² | No — removalist required |
One fence section (3 panels)
Eaves on one side of a house
Full asbestos fence
Bathroom wall (one wall)
Whole house eaves
Safe handling rules for DIY asbestos
If you're under the 10m² limit and the asbestos is bonded, here are the rules you absolutely cannot skip.
- 1Wear a P2 dust mask, disposable coveralls, and gloves
- 2Wet the asbestos thoroughly with a garden sprayer before touching it
- 3Never break, snap, sand, or cut bonded asbestos
- 4Remove intact sheets only — use a pry bar, not a hammer
- 5Double-bag each sheet in heavy-duty asbestos bags
- 6Label each bag with the warning sticker
- 7Place gently in a lined asbestos skip bin — do not throw
- 8Wash all PPE before removing, or throw it in the bin
- 9Shower thoroughly afterwards
Never put asbestos in a general bin
Mixing asbestos into a general skip is a WorkSafe WA offence. Fines start at $5,000 for a first offence and the general waste load is contaminated — the whole bin may be rejected at the tip and charged as hazardous.
How an asbestos skip bin actually works
An asbestos skip bin is structurally the same as a regular skip bin but with a thick double-liner, asbestos-warning labels, and a direct-drop path to the Red Hill hazardous waste facility.
- 1
Book by phone
Asbestos bookings aren't taken online. We walk you through the rules on the call.
- 2
Bin arrives with liner and bags
Plastic liner pre-fitted, heavy-duty asbestos bags included.
- 3
Double-bag and seal each sheet
Wet, wrap, seal. Wrap again, seal again. Label.
- 4
Gently place bags in the bin
Fill the bin like you're packing glassware, not dumping rubble.
- 5
We collect with a top cover
Driver adds a tarp cover and heads to Red Hill.
- 6
Disposal certificate issued
You get a PDF certificate within 48 hours. Keep it for your records.
What it costs (and why)
Asbestos bin hire is significantly more than general waste — usually 2-3x. The price gap is almost entirely the Red Hill gate fee, which is set by the WA Waste Authority at roughly $280 per tonne compared to $85 per tonne for general waste.
Small jobs — use an asbestos bag kit instead
If you've only got one fence section or a few eave sheets, you don't need a full skip bin. Our asbestos bag kit comes with two heavy-duty bags, labels, a liner, and a collection run — cheaper for tiny jobs and often same-day.
