Found Asbestos Soffits on Your Home? Use This Free Homeowner Checklist
Have You Found Asbestos Soffits Under Your Roof Eaves?
Older homes across Auckland and Waikato often have soffit panels tucked underneath the roofline. These panels sit outside the house, underneath the eaves, and help create a tidy finish between the roof and the exterior walls.
Some older soffits contain asbestos cement.
At first glance, asbestos soffits can look harmless. They may appear flat, painted, and reasonably tidy. The trouble usually begins when somebody drills a hole for a security light, cuts into a panel while installing a downpipe, pokes a cable through the eaves, or pulls the soffits down during a renovation.
That is when an ordinary weekend job can turn into an expensive clean-up.
The good news is that you do not need to panic. You simply need to slow down, avoid disturbing the material, and make a sensible plan.
Free Asbestos Soffit Checklist for Homeowners
Step 1: Do Not Assume — Arrange Testing
☐ Treat older soffit panels as suspected asbestos until testing confirms otherwise.
You cannot reliably identify asbestos just by looking at it. Older asbestos cement soffits can look similar to modern fibre-cement boards.
☐ Think about the age of your home.
Take extra care if your house was built or renovated before 2000, especially if the soffits appear original.
☐ Arrange professional asbestos testing.
Ask a reputable asbestos contractor or surveyor to inspect the soffits and arrange laboratory testing.
☐ Do not break off a corner yourself.
Taking a sample sounds easy until you discover that the brittle panel has cracked above your head and scattered fragments through the garden.
Step 2: Leave the Soffits Alone Until You Have a Plan
☐ Do not drill holes into the soffits.
☐ Do not cut panels with a saw, grinder, or multi-tool.
☐ Do not sand the soffits before painting.
☐ Do not scrape them aggressively with a wire brush.
☐ Do not water blast the soffits.
☐ Do not break the panels into smaller pieces.
☐ Do not allow a builder, painter, electrician, or cable installer to disturb them without warning.
☐ Do not sweep up broken fragments with a dry broom.
☐ Do not use a household vacuum cleaner to collect asbestos dust.
Asbestos soffits are not a good place for trial and error. Keep the panels intact and keep the dust down.
Step 3: Check the Condition From a Safe Distance
Stand back and take photographs from ground level. Do not climb a ladder and start prodding the panels.
☐ Are there cracks around nails, fixings, or joins?
☐ Are any soffit panels sagging or loose?
☐ Are there broken pieces lying on the ground?
☐ Is the paint peeling badly?
☐ Are birds, rodents, or insects getting into damaged sections?
☐ Has a storm damaged the roofline?
☐ Are new lights, cameras, vents, or cables going to be installed?
☐ Will upcoming roofing, guttering, insulation, or renovation work affect the soffits?
☐ Are builders planning to remove exterior cladding near the soffits?
A panel that is sitting quietly under the eaves is one thing. A panel that is cracked, hanging loose, or about to be drilled through is a different kettle of fish.
Step 4: Decide Whether the Soffits Can Stay or Need to Be Removed
Not every asbestos soffit needs to be ripped out immediately.
If the panels are intact, sealed, and unlikely to be disturbed, a contractor may recommend leaving them in place and monitoring their condition.
Removal is usually worth considering when:
☐ the soffits are cracked, broken, or deteriorating
☐ panels are loose or sagging
☐ roofing or gutter replacement is planned
☐ exterior painting will involve scraping or sanding
☐ new lighting, wiring, cameras, or vents are being installed
☐ renovations will disturb the eaves
☐ the homeowner wants to replace the soffits with a modern material
☐ the property is being prepared for sale
☐ broken fragments are already present in the garden or roof cavity
Leaving asbestos in place can be reasonable when it is stable. Leaving it until a roofer, painter, or electrician discovers it halfway through a job is a far less charming plan.
Step 5: Work Out the Approximate Area
Most soffit removal quotes are based partly on the total area of asbestos-containing material.
☐ Measure the approximate length of the soffits around the house.
☐ Measure the width from the exterior wall to the fascia board.
☐ Multiply the length by the width to estimate the square metres.
Simple Example
A house has approximately 48 metres of soffits around the roofline.
The soffits are approximately 600 mm wide.
48 metres × 0.6 metres = 28.8 m²
This is only a rough estimate, but it gives the removal contractor a useful starting point.
☐ Take clear photographs of each side of the house.
☐ Note whether the house is one or two storeys high.
☐ Mention sloping ground, decks, conservatories, garages, or tight access.
☐ Tell the contractor whether scaffolding or edge protection may be needed.
☐ Identify overhead power lines or other obstacles.
A tidy single-storey bungalow with easy access is a different job from a two-storey house perched on a steep section.
Step 6: Use a Licensed Asbestos Removalist for Larger Jobs
A typical whole-house soffit removal job often exceeds 10 m².
In New Zealand, removal of more than 10 m² of non-friable asbestos-containing material over the course of a project must be completed by a licensed asbestos removalist.
☐ Ask whether the company holds the appropriate asbestos removal licence.
☐ Ask whether the quote includes safe packaging and disposal.
☐ Ask how the contractor will protect the garden, paths, decks, and neighbouring property.
☐ Confirm whether access equipment is included.
☐ Ask whether the quote includes collection of visible fragments.
☐ Ask what paperwork will be provided when the job is complete.
☐ Ask for evidence of public liability insurance.
☐ Ask what happens if the contractor finds additional asbestos materials.
A professional asbestos removalist should explain the process clearly. If the answer sounds like “we will just pull it down and chuck it in the trailer,” keep looking.
Step 7: Ask What Is Included in the Quote
A proper asbestos soffit removal quote should explain what you are paying for.
☐ Site inspection and measurements
☐ Work planning and required documentation
☐ Work area isolation and signage
☐ Safe access equipment, where required
☐ Protective clothing and respiratory protection
☐ Careful removal of soffit panels
☐ Packaging and labelling of asbestos waste
☐ Transport to an authorised disposal facility
☐ Clean-up of the work area
☐ Removal of visible fragments
☐ Completion photographs or close-out records
☐ Any additional clearance requirements
☐ GST
Do not compare asbestos removal quotes based on the bottom-line number alone. Check what is included and what has quietly been left out.
Step 8: Prepare Your Property Before Removal Day
☐ Keep children and pets away from the work area.
☐ Move outdoor furniture, toys, barbecue equipment, and pot plants away from the house.
☐ Remove washing from clotheslines.
☐ Keep vehicles clear of the work zone.
☐ Close nearby windows and doors.
☐ Tell your neighbours that asbestos removal work is planned.
☐ Let the contractor know about pets, locked gates, alarm systems, and access issues.
☐ Tell any builders, roofers, electricians, or painters about the asbestos.
Your contractor should explain the site-specific requirements before work begins.
Step 9: Do Not Put Asbestos Waste in an Ordinary Skip Bin
Asbestos soffits cannot be treated like normal building rubbish.
☐ Do not put broken panels into a household wheelie bin.
☐ Do not stack asbestos pieces behind the garage.
☐ Do not mix asbestos waste with timber, metal, or general demolition waste.
☐ Do not bury broken fragments in the garden.
☐ Do not take loose asbestos sheets to the tip in an uncovered trailer.
☐ Confirm that the removalist will package, label, transport, and dispose of the waste correctly.
The job is not finished when the panels come off the house. Safe disposal is part of the work.
Step 10: Keep the Paperwork
☐ Save the asbestos laboratory report.
☐ Save the contractor’s written quote.
☐ Keep the invoice and any completion records.
☐ Save before-and-after photographs.
☐ Record any additional asbestos materials discovered during the work.
☐ Give the information to future buyers or contractors where relevant.
A small folder of records can save a great deal of confusion when you renovate or sell the property later.
What Should You Do if an Asbestos Soffit Is Accidentally Broken?
If a soffit panel is damaged during maintenance or renovation work:
- Stop work immediately.
- Keep people and pets away from the area.
- Do not sweep the area with a dry broom.
- Do not use a household vacuum cleaner.
- Do not pick up fragments with bare hands.
- Avoid walking through the area and tracking dust indoors.
- Close nearby windows and doors.
- Contact an asbestos contractor for advice.
- Tell the contractor what happened and provide photographs if it is safe to do so.
The best response is a calm one. Stop the job, contain the area, and get proper advice before anybody starts tidying up.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Asbestos Soffit Removalist
☐ Do you have experience removing asbestos soffits and eaves?
☐ Is your asbestos licence suitable for this work?
☐ Does your quote include disposal fees?
☐ Will safe access equipment be required?
☐ How will you protect the garden and outdoor areas?
☐ How will you deal with broken fragments?
☐ Will I receive completion records?
☐ Are there additional costs if more asbestos is discovered?
☐ Can you coordinate with my roofer, builder, or painter?
☐ Does the quote include GST?
Straight answers are a good sign. Foggy answers and suspiciously cheap quotes usually deserve a second look.
Need Help With Asbestos Soffit Removal in Auckland or Waikato?
PropertyHelp Ltd provides practical asbestos services for homeowners, landlords, builders, roofers, and property managers.
We can help with:
- asbestos soffit inspections
- asbestos testing and sampling arrangements
- asbestos soffit removal
- asbestos eaves removal
- asbestos cladding removal
- asbestos fence removal
- asbestos roofing removal
- asbestos surveys
- safe asbestos disposal
- advice before roofing, renovation, or demolition work
For a quote, send through photographs of each side of the house, the property address, the approximate soffit width, and a brief description of the condition.
PropertyHelp Ltd Asbestos Removal Services — Auckland and Waikato Contact John Kerr Mobile: 021 222 5246
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