What is an asbestos clearance certificate?
An asbestos clearance certificate is the final document of an asbestos removal or encapsulation project. It’s a written declaration, issued by an approved inspection authority, that the work area has been inspected, that the air has been sampled and meets the clearance standard, and that all the asbestos waste has been removed. Until it’s issued, the area isn’t formally handed back.
If you own a factory, manage a sectional title complex or have just had an asbestos roof removed from your home, this is the document that shows the job was done properly. It sits alongside the plan of work and the disposal certificate in your building records.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. The official text of the Asbestos Abatement Regulations, 2020 is published by the Department of Employment and Labour.
Who issues it?
An approved inspection authority, which is independent of the contractor that did the work. That independence is the point: the people who removed the asbestos don’t get to sign off their own job.
Before Type 2 asbestos work starts, the client appoints the approved inspection authority in writing (regulation 11). The inspection authority is involved from the start. It works with the registered asbestos contractor on the plan of work, submits it before the work begins, monitors the air during the job, and carries out the clearance at the end.
When do you need one?
You need a clearance certificate after Type 2 asbestos work, which covers:
- removal of asbestos cement products, such as roof sheets, gutters and fascias, and asbestos insulating board ceilings
- repair or encapsulation of asbestos cement without surface preparation
Regulation 11(3) puts the responsibility on the client: after the work is complete, the asbestos client must obtain the clearance certificate from the approved inspection authority. In practice, your contractor and the inspection authority arrange it, but it’s worth knowing that it’s your document to ask for.
Small jobs classed as Type 1, such as painting asbestos cement without any surface preparation, don’t carry the same clearance requirement. If you’re not sure how a job is classed, the regulations say an approved inspection authority or the Chief Inspector decides.
What does the inspector check?
Regulation 22 sets out what the approved inspection authority must do before issuing the clearance:
- A thorough visual inspection of the work area, looking for any remaining asbestos debris or dust.
- Air sampling to confirm that the airborne fibre level meets the clearance indicator set by the regulations.
- A check that all asbestos waste has been removed and handled according to the disposal rules in regulation 21.
- A written declaration for clearance certification, which is the certificate you keep.
If the area doesn’t pass, it isn’t cleared. The remaining issue has to be dealt with and the area checked again before the certificate can be issued.
The other documents you should receive
A clearance certificate is one of several documents from an asbestos project. Keep them together:
- The plan of work, which you co-sign before the job starts. It names everyone involved and sets out how the work will be done.
- The disposal certificate from the designated asbestos disposal site, confirming that your waste was received there.
- The clearance certificate from the approved inspection authority.
Regulation 23 requires employers to keep clearance certificates, disposal certificates and other asbestos records for at least 50 years. For workplaces, the asbestos inventory should also be updated once material has been removed or encapsulated. Our guide Do I have to remove my asbestos roof? explains the inventory and the other owner duties.
Why it matters when you sell, insure or renovate
A clearance certificate is the easiest way to show that asbestos was removed properly. Buyers, their inspectors and future contractors may ask for it, and body corporates should keep it on file for the trustees who come after them. If you’re buying a property where asbestos was removed, ask for the clearance and disposal certificates as part of the paperwork.
How it works on our projects
On our asbestos projects, the removal or encapsulation 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. An approved inspection authority is appointed for every job, and the plan of work, disposal certificate and clearance certificate carry Indi’s name. Roof Direct inspects and coordinates the whole project, quotes and installs your new roof or ceiling, and makes sure you receive every document before we close the job. Indi quotes the asbestos work itself.
See how a project runs on our asbestos services page, or read about asbestos roof removal and asbestos ceiling removal.
If you have an asbestos roof or ceiling and want to understand your options, request a free inspection. We’ll explain the process and the paperwork in plain terms before anything starts.