If you are renovating, demolishing, buying or maintaining an older property, an asbestos inspection can help identify potential asbestos-containing materials before they are disturbed.
Arrange an Asbestos Inspection today — Call SSC Contracting 0447 496 700
Asbestos Inspection, Testing & Investigation for Homes and Properties
SSC Contracting provides asbestos inspection and investigation services across Adelaide’s southern suburbs and the Fleurieu Peninsula. We help homeowners, property owners, landlords, builders and trades better understand what may be present and what should happen next.
Where further confirmation is required, asbestos testing can be used to determine whether a suspected material contains asbestos.
Whether you have discovered a suspicious building material or want to investigate a property before starting work, getting the right information early can help you make safer and better-informed decisions.
When Should You Arrange an Asbestos Inspection?
You do not necessarily need to wait until you find something suspicious.
An asbestos inspection can be particularly valuable before work begins on an older property. Identifying potential asbestos-containing materials early can help you plan the project correctly and avoid unexpected discoveries once demolition or renovation has started.
Consider an asbestos inspection if you are:
- Renovating an older home
- Demolishing a shed, garage or other structure
- Removing internal walls, ceilings or flooring
- Renovating a bathroom, kitchen or laundry
- Purchasing an older property
- Preparing a property for sale
- Planning demolition or building work
- Concerned about damaged or deteriorating building materials
- Managing a rental, commercial or investment property
- Unsure whether a particular material may contain asbestos
If you are uncertain, speak with SSC Contracting before disturbing the material.
What Does an Asbestos Inspection Involve?
An asbestos inspection involves examining a property or specific area to identify building materials that may contain asbestos.
The extent of the inspection will depend on the property, its age and the reason for the investigation.
- Understanding the Property
We start by discussing the property, its approximate age, any known renovations and the work you are planning.
This helps establish where potential asbestos-containing materials may be relevant. - Property Inspection
We inspect the relevant areas and building materials for potential asbestos-containing products.
Particular attention can be given to areas that will be affected by planned renovation, maintenance or demolition work. - Identification of Suspected Materials
Materials that could potentially contain asbestos are identified for further consideration.
Visual identification alone cannot always confirm whether a material contains asbestos. - Asbestos Testing Where Required
Where confirmation is necessary, samples of suspected materials may need to be tested by an appropriate laboratory. - Recommendations
Following the asbestos investigation, you can better understand what has been identified and the appropriate next steps before proceeding with your project.
Any renovation work that involves breaking, cutting, sanding, drilling or otherwise disturbing building materials in a property built before 1990 carries a potential asbestos risk. This includes bathroom and kitchen renovations, removing wall linings, installing new flooring, adding downlights, changing windows or doors, and any work that penetrates or disturbs existing building fabric. SafeWork SA guidelines require that asbestos risks be considered and managed before renovation work begins.
Demolition of any structure built before 1990 — including sheds, carports, pergolas, fencing, garages and houses — should include an asbestos assessment before works commence. Demolition disturbs materials throughout the entire structure, creating significant potential for asbestos fibre release if ACM are present. SSC Contracting regularly provides pre-demolition asbestos assessment across the Fleurieu Peninsula and outer southern suburbs ahead of small demolition projects.
Understanding the asbestos status of a property before you purchase can protect you from significant unexpected costs after settlement — particularly if you intend to renovate, extend or redevelop. Pre-purchase asbestos assessments are particularly valuable for buyers looking at older Fleurieu Peninsula properties, rural lifestyle blocks, and suburban homes in areas such as McLaren Vale, Willunga and the older residential suburbs of the City of Onkaparinga.
Storm damage — including fallen trees, collapsed fencing, damaged roofing and structural damage — can disturb or fracture asbestos-containing materials, potentially releasing fibres. If an older property sustains significant damage involving building materials that may contain asbestos, an assessment before clean-up and repair works begin can protect workers, occupants and neighbours from inadvertent exposure.
If you have noticed a material in your property or outbuildings that you are uncertain about — particularly in older fibro sheds, wall linings, roofing or fencing — practical asbestos advice can help you determine the appropriate next steps without the cost and disruption of unnecessary removal or blanket testing. SSC Contracting can provide guidance on whether further investigation or testing is warranted.
Landlords and property managers have specific obligations regarding asbestos in rental properties under South Australian legislation. If you manage one or more pre-1990 properties across Adelaide’s outer south or the Fleurieu Peninsula, understanding your obligations regarding asbestos identification, documentation and management is important — particularly if any maintenance, renovation or repair work is planned. SSC Contracting can help you understand and document your obligations.
Contact SSC Contracting to describe your property, your project and your concerns. In many cases we can provide initial guidance and advice during the first phone discussion — helping you understand whether a formal assessment is necessary and what the likely next steps are for your specific situation.
Where a site assessment is required, we will carry out a visual review of the property or structure to identify materials that are likely or possibly asbestos-containing. We consider the age of the building, the construction method, the location and condition of materials, and the nature of the planned works — to give you a practical picture of the risk profile for your specific project.
Based on the assessment, SSC Contracting provides clear, practical recommendations — including which materials should be tested before works proceed, which materials can be safely managed in place, what licensed removal may be required, and how your project can proceed safely and in compliance with SafeWork SA requirements. We explain your obligations in plain language.
If laboratory testing of samples is required to confirm the presence of asbestos, or if removal of asbestos-containing materials is necessary before your project can proceed, SSC Contracting refers clients to licensed asbestos testing laboratories and licensed asbestos removalists. We can help you understand what category of work is required and what the process involves.
With the asbestos risk assessed and managed, your renovation, demolition, purchase or property project can proceed with confidence — knowing you have met your obligations under South Australian legislation, protected the health of workers and occupants, and avoided the legal, financial and reputational risks that come with mismanaged asbestos.
The Fleurieu Peninsula has a particularly significant concentration of older building stock that warrants careful asbestos awareness. Many of the region’s coastal towns — including Victor Harbor, Port Elliot, Goolwa and Middleton — grew substantially during the 1950s through to the 1980s, when fibro cement products were at the height of their use in South Australian construction.
Holiday shacks and weekender properties built during this era — which now serve as permanent residences, rental properties or short-stay accommodation across the Fleurieu coast — are among the most common sources of asbestos consulting enquiries SSC Contracting receives. Many of these properties have changed hands multiple times and may have had maintenance or modifications carried out without proper asbestos consideration.
Rural sheds and outbuildings across the Fleurieu Peninsula and outer southern suburbs are another high-risk category. Fibro cement sheeting was the most cost-effective shed construction material available for decades, and a large proportion of rural sheds built before 1990 across areas including Yankalilla, Mount Compass, Strathalbyn and Carrickalinga contain asbestos-containing roofing, wall sheeting or internal linings.
Managing asbestos in a property you have recently purchased on the Fleurieu Peninsula
If you have recently purchased an older property on the Fleurieu Peninsula, whether a coastal home, a rural lifestyle block or a suburban house in McLaren Vale, Willunga or Aldinga and are now planning renovation or demolition work, a practical asbestos assessment before you begin can protect you, your family, your contractors and your investment. SSC Contracting works with new property owners across the region to identify risks, explain obligations and plan works appropriately.
SSC Contracting provides asbestos inspection, asbestos testing assistance and asbestos investigation services throughout Adelaide’s outer southern suburbs and the Fleurieu Peninsula.
Our service area includes Seaford, Moana, Maslin Beach, Port Willunga, Aldinga, Aldinga Beach, Sellicks Beach, McLaren Vale, McLaren Flat, Willunga, Willunga South, Mount Compass, Myponga, Yankalilla, Normanville, Carrickalinga, Victor Harbor, Encounter Bay, Port Elliot, Middleton, Goolwa, Hindmarsh Island, Strathalbyn and surrounding rural districts.
If your property is outside these areas, contact us to see whether we can assist.
Asbestos Inspection — frequently asked questions
An asbestos inspection involves assessing a property or particular area for materials that may contain asbestos. Suspected materials can then be investigated further and, where necessary, tested to determine whether asbestos is present.
An asbestos inspection identifies materials that may potentially contain asbestos. Asbestos testing involves analysing a sample of a suspected material to determine whether asbestos is actually present.
An asbestos investigation examines a particular property, structure, material or area where asbestos may be present. It can involve visual inspection, consideration of the property’s age and construction, and testing where confirmation is required.
If you are renovating an older property, identifying potentially asbestos-containing materials before work begins can help you plan the renovation safely and reduce the likelihood of unexpected asbestos discoveries during construction.
For properties built before 1990, SafeWork SA guidelines strongly recommend — and in many work situations legally require — that asbestos risks be identified and managed before renovation or maintenance work begins. This applies to work that involves disturbing, breaking, cutting or drilling into building materials. For homeowners carrying out DIY work and for builders working on client properties, understanding asbestos risk before commencing work is both a safety and legal obligation. SSC Contracting can assist with pre-renovation asbestos assessment.
A photograph may provide useful preliminary information, but appearance alone generally cannot provide definitive confirmation that a material does or does not contain asbestos. Testing may be required
Potential asbestos-containing products can be found in bathrooms, kitchens, laundries, eaves, wall and ceiling linings, flooring, roofing, fences, sheds, garages and other areas of older properties.
No. If you suspect that a material may contain asbestos, avoid cutting, drilling, sanding, breaking or unnecessarily disturbing it until you have appropriate information about the material.
Yes. SSC Contracting services communities throughout Adelaide’s outer south and the Fleurieu Peninsula, including Aldinga, Willunga, Sellicks Beach, Mount Compass, Yankalilla, Normanville, Victor Harbor, Port Elliot, Middleton, Goolwa and surrounding areas.