Can you paint an asbestos roof?
Yes, but not the way you would paint an ordinary roof. Asbestos cement sheets were used on South African buildings for decades until asbestos was banned in 2008, and many of those roofs are still in place. Painting one can protect the surface and improve the look of the building, but the Asbestos Abatement Regulations, 2020 set strict limits on how it’s done.
The most important rule is simple: an asbestos cement roof may not be cleaned or prepared before it is painted. Everything else about the job follows from that.
What the regulations prohibit
Regulation 24 lists the things no person may do with asbestos. For roof painting, the ones that matter are:
- No cleaning or surface preparation. That rules out pressure-washing, scrubbing, wire-brushing, scraping, sanding and fungicidal washes before painting.
- No power tools. Angle grinders and other fast-moving tools may not be used to cut, grind or drill asbestos-containing material.
- No compressed air to blow dust off the roof or off people.
These rules exist because breaking up the surface of asbestos cement releases fibres, and the run-off from washing spreads them around the site. A quote that includes washing or preparing an asbestos roof before painting it is a warning sign, not a bargain.
Painting or encapsulation: which applies?
The regulations draw a line between two kinds of work:
- Painting asbestos cement in a way that needs no surface preparation and releases no fibres is Type 1 work. It doesn’t need a registered contractor, but the Department of Employment and Labour must be notified in writing at least seven days before work starts (regulation 10).
- Repair or encapsulation of asbestos cement without surface preparation is Type 2 work, which must be done by a Type 2 registered asbestos contractor.
Whether a particular roof coating counts as painting or encapsulation isn’t always obvious. Where it’s unclear, regulation 14 says an approved inspection authority or the Chief Inspector makes the decision. To keep things straightforward, the coating on asbestos roofs we quote for is applied by asbestos-trained workers, with the work carried out under the registration of our sister company, Indi Maintenance Services, a Registered Asbestos Contractor (Type 2), certificate 2025RAC/CI-180, valid until 26 August 2028. That way the work meets the rules whichever way it’s classed. Roof Direct inspects and coordinates the project, and Indi quotes the asbestos work.
How an asbestos roof painting job works
- Free inspection. We check the condition of the sheets, fixings, ridges and gutters, and tell you honestly whether the roof is suitable for a coating.
- Itemised quote. You get a clear breakdown of the work, with the alternatives if painting isn’t the right answer.
- Assessment and notification. An asbestos risk assessment and a written safe work procedure are prepared (regulation 11), and the Department of Employment and Labour is notified in writing at least seven days before work starts.
- A regulated area. The work area is demarcated with signage, and nobody enters it without the right respiratory protection and protective clothing (regulation 18).
- The coating. The coating is applied without cleaning, scraping or otherwise disturbing the surface of the sheets.
- Clean-up and sign-off. Anything contaminated during the job is handled and disposed of as asbestos waste, and we hand over the paperwork for your records.
When painting isn’t the right answer
A coating is only worth applying to a roof that is still sound. If the sheets are cracked, broken, brittle or badly weathered, painting them only delays the inevitable. In that case, the better option is asbestos roof removal followed by a new roof, which we manage as one project through asbestos roof replacement.
If you’re planning to install solar panels, don’t paint the roof first: panels can’t be mounted on asbestos cement, because drilling the sheets releases fibres. See solar on asbestos roofs.
Where the roof is in reasonable condition and you want to keep it for now, asbestos encapsulation explains how sealing an asbestos roof works in more detail.
Your obligations as a building owner
The 2020 regulations also place duties on owners. Asbestos in a building has to be identified, assessed and recorded in an inventory, with a plan for how it will be managed over time. Painting an asbestos roof doesn’t replace those duties. Only an accredited laboratory test can confirm that a roof contains asbestos, so if you’re not sure what your roof is made of, don’t drill, cut or wash it until you know. For the official text, see the Department of Employment and Labour. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Commercial, body corporate and home roofs
- Commercial and industrial: we plan the work around your operations and provide the documentation your safety officer will ask for. See commercial and industrial roofing and safety and compliance.
- Body corporates: an itemised quote for the trustees, clear notice to residents before the regulated area is set up, and documents for the building’s records. See body corporate roofing.
- Homeowners: the same rules apply to a house as to a factory, and we follow them in full.
Other roof painting services
For roofs that don’t contain asbestos, we paint tiled roofs and metal roofs with coatings matched to the roof. See all roof painting services.
Get a free quote
Inspections and quotes are free, and usually done within 48 hours. Request your quote, call us, or send photos on WhatsApp, and we’ll tell you whether your asbestos roof can be painted or whether another option makes more sense.