Solar on Asbestos Roofs in Cape Town

Solar Panels on Asbestos Roofs in Cape Town

Solar panels should not be mounted on an asbestos cement roof, because drilling into the sheets releases asbestos fibres. The roof needs to be replaced first. Roof Direct manages the whole job: our registered sister company, Indi Maintenance Services, removes the asbestos, and we install a new roof ready for your solar installer.

Why panels can’t go on an asbestos roof

Mounting solar panels usually means drilling and fixing brackets through the roof sheets. On asbestos cement, every one of those holes disturbs the material and releases fibres, and walking on brittle old sheets to set out the system adds to the risk of breaking them.

The law is clear about the tools. Regulation 24 of the Asbestos Abatement Regulations, 2020 says no person may use electrical power tools, such as angle grinders, or any other fast-moving equipment to cut, grind or drill asbestos-containing material. It also prohibits cleaning or preparing asbestos cement surfaces.

The right order: new roof first, then solar

Inspection. We look at the roof, the structure and the gutters, and talk through your solar plans.
Clear quotes. Indi quotes the asbestos removal and Roof Direct quotes the new roof, both itemised, with a planned timeline.
Asbestos removal by our sister company. The removal is carried out by our sister company, Indi Maintenance Services, a Registered Asbestos Contractor (Type 2), certificate 2025RAC/CI-180, valid until 26 August 2028, under a plan of work, with notification at least seven days ahead, disposal at a designated site, and a clearance certificate from the approved inspection authority (regulations 10, 15, 21 and 22). The plan of work and asbestos documents carry Indi’s name.
Your new roof. Roof Direct installs the new roof, with the structure and material chosen with your panels in mind.
Your installer fits the panels. Once the roof is finished and signed off, your solar installer mounts the system on a sound, new roof.

Roof Direct coordinates the roofing side, so you have one point of contact for the removal and the new roof. We don’t install solar panels, and we don’t recommend specific solar companies. Read more about asbestos roof replacement and asbestos roof removal.

Why solar installers decline asbestos roofs

Most responsible solar installers in Cape Town won’t mount panels on asbestos cement. There are practical reasons too:

The roof may not last as long as the panels. Many asbestos roofs are decades old, weathered and brittle, and lifting the panels later to replace a failing roof means paying to remove and refit the whole system.
Fixings into old sheets are a weak point. Cracked or brittle sheets don’t hold fixings well, and every hole is a new leak path in the winter rain.
Asbestos work is regulated work. Any work on the sheets needs the right registration, a plan of work and the paperwork, which a solar installer isn’t set up to provide.

Planning the new roof with the installer in mind

The roofing material. IBR, corrugated, Klip-Lok and standing seam metal roofs, and concrete or clay tiles, all take panels, but each uses different mounting hardware. We use sheeting from Youngman Roofing and Safintra. Tell us your mounting system and we’ll choose a profile to suit it.
The structure. Panels and rails add load. Once the asbestos sheets are off, the purlins and trusses are fully visible, and any that have failed are replaced; where new trusses are needed, we use Pryde trusses. Your installer or engineer may want to confirm the structure for the panel load.
Coastal exposure. On the Atlantic Seaboard, in Blouberg and up the West Coast, salt air speeds up corrosion, so we specify sheeting and fixings suited to coastal exposure.
Timing. We share our programme with your installer so the panels can go on soon after the roof is signed off.

For more on materials, see roof replacement.

What this means for you as the owner

The regulations give the client duties for asbestos work, including providing an inventory of the asbestos in place, appointing an approved inspection authority in writing, co-signing the plan of work and obtaining the clearance certificate afterwards (regulation 11). We guide you through each step. This is general information, not legal advice; for the official text, see the Department of Employment and Labour.

Commercial and industrial rooftop solar

Many factories and warehouses in the Northern Suburbs and the Cape Flats industrial areas have large asbestos cement roofs, which is exactly where businesses want solar. Replacing them is planned in sections around your operations, with a health and safety file for larger projects and working-at-heights compliant teams, using rope access where scaffolding isn’t practical. Your safety officer gets the plan of work, disposal certificate and clearance certificate for the building’s records. See commercial and industrial roofing.

Body corporates planning shared solar get itemised quotes the trustees can table and clear notice to residents before work starts.

Home solar on an asbestos roof

If you’re planning panels on an asbestos house, garage or carport roof, the same rules apply as for a factory. A garage or carport roof can be replaced on its own if that’s where the panels will go. See roofing for homeowners.

Get a free quote for a solar-ready roof

Request your quote, call us, or send photos on WhatsApp; for all our asbestos services, see asbestos removal in Cape Town.

Frequently asked questions

Will a solar installer put panels on an asbestos roof?

Most responsible solar installers won't, and you should be wary of one who offers to. Mounting panels means drilling and fixing into the roof sheets, and on asbestos cement that disturbs the material and releases fibres. Regulation 24 prohibits power tools on asbestos, and work on the sheets is regulated asbestos work. The usual answer is to replace the roof first.

Can solar panels be mounted on an encapsulated or painted asbestos roof?

No. Encapsulating or painting an asbestos roof seals the surface, but the sheets underneath are still asbestos cement. Fixing panel brackets would still mean drilling through them, which disturbs the material and releases fibres, and regulation 24 prohibits power tools on asbestos. If solar is in your plans, don't spend money coating the roof first: replacing it is the better route.

Which roof is best for solar panels in Cape Town?

There's no single best roof; it depends on the building, the structure, your installer's mounting system and how close you are to the sea. Metal sheeting, standing seam and tiles all take panels, with different brackets. Near the coast, sheeting and fixings must suit salt air. We agree the material with you, and your installer, before we order anything.

Do you install solar panels?

No. We prepare the roof, and your solar installer supplies and installs the panels. Roof Direct manages the asbestos removal, carried out by our registered sister company, and installs a new roof planned with your solar system in mind. We're happy to talk to your installer about the roofing material, structure and timing, so the panels can go on as soon as the roof is finished.

Should I replace an asbestos carport or garage roof before going solar?

Yes, if the panels are going on that roof. Carport and garage roofs are popular for panels, but the same rule applies as for a house or factory: panels can't be fixed to asbestos cement. A small roof like this can be removed and replaced on its own, with the same legal process and paperwork, and a new IBR or corrugated roof makes a good base for panels.