Class A, Class B or DIY
In New Zealand, removing any amount of friable asbestos needs a Class A licence (reg 54). Removing more than 10 m² of non-friable asbestos, counted cumulatively across the whole removal project at the site, needs a Class B or Class A licence (reg 56). Below that, no licence is required — but a PCBU commissioning the work must still use a competent person trained under reg 17 (reg 27).
Last checked 15 September 2026
| The work | What is required | Regulation |
|---|---|---|
| Any amount of friable asbestos, or asbestos-contaminated dust or debris | Class A licence (except for the ACD cases in reg 55) | reg 54 |
| More than 10 m² of non-friable asbestos or ACM, cumulative over the project | Class B licence, or Class A | reg 56 |
| 10 m² or less of non-friable, cumulative, or minor contamination | No licence required. A PCBU commissioning it must use a competent person trained under reg 17 | reg 27(2)–(3) |
| Any licensed removal work | Written notice to WorkSafe at least 5 days before starting | reg 34 |
| After licensed removal | Clearance inspection by an independent licensed assessor (Class A) or independent competent person (otherwise), then a clearance certificate before reoccupation | regs 41, 42 |
| During Class A removal | Air monitoring by a licensed asbestos assessor | regs 43, 57 |
Which licence class applies to my job?
Three questions, in order. Is the material friable? Any amount of friable asbestos is Class A work (reg 54). Is it more than 10 m² of non-friable, counted cumulatively across the whole removal project at the site? That is Class B or Class A (reg 56). Below that, no licence is required.
- A
Is it friable?
Friable asbestos — material that can be crumbled or reduced to powder by hand when dry — is Class A work at any quantity (reg 54), together with asbestos-contaminated dust and debris. Class A removal also brings air monitoring by a licensed assessor (regs 43, 57) and a clearance by an independent licensed assessor (reg 41).
- B
Is it more than 10 m² of non-friable?
Count the whole removal project at the site, not each sheet or each day. Over 10 m² and it is Class B work, needing a Class B or Class A licence (reg 56). Notification and clearance apply here too.
- ?
10 m² or less, non-friable
No licence is required. If you are a PCBU commissioning the work, the person doing it must be a competent person trained under reg 17 (reg 27). If you are a homeowner doing your own home, see the DIY section below.
You need the laboratory result and the surveyor's note on extent and condition before you can answer those three questions honestly. A test is $249 including GST.
Every rule, with its regulation and source
Samples go to an accredited laboratory
If a PCBU arranges for a sample to be analysed, the analysis must be done by a laboratory accredited for that work — in New Zealand that means an IANZ-accredited laboratory (or NATA in Australia).
Asbestos Regulations 2016, reg 11 · WorkSafe, Managing asbestos in your building or workplace
Asbestos management plan
Where asbestos is identified, or is likely to be present, at a workplace, the PCBU must identify it and keep a written asbestos management plan, kept up to date and reviewed at least every five years.
Asbestos Regulations 2016, regs 10, 12 and 14 · WorkSafe, Managing asbestos in your building or workplace
Structures built before 1 January 2000
The demolition and refurbishment duties apply to structures built before 1 January 2000. WorkSafe puts it plainly for homeowners: a home built before then may contain asbestos materials.
Asbestos Regulations 2016, reg 19 · WorkSafe, Asbestos in the home
Identify asbestos before demolition or refurbishment
Before a workplace structure is demolished or refurbished, a competent person must determine whether asbestos is present; a PCBU demolishing or refurbishing a home must identify the asbestos likely to be disturbed and, so far as is reasonably practicable, have it removed first. This is the duty an asbestos survey meets.
Who may be commissioned to remove it
A PCBU who commissions asbestos removal must engage a remover licensed for that work, unless the work is 10 m² or less of non-friable asbestos (counted cumulatively) or minor contamination — and even then the person doing it must be a competent person trained under reg 17.
Asbestos Regulations 2016, reg 27 · WorkSafe, Asbestos licensing overview
Five days' notice to WorkSafe
A licensed remover must notify WorkSafe in writing at least 5 days before licensed removal work starts. This applies to Class A and Class B work alike.
An independent person clears the area
After licensed removal, a clearance inspection must be carried out by someone independent of the remover: a licensed asbestos assessor for Class A work, and an independent competent person otherwise. For a home, the licensed remover commissioned to do the work must make sure it happens.
Asbestos Regulations 2016, regs 41 and 57 · WorkSafe, Asbestos licensing overview
Clearance certificate before you move back in
The area must not be reoccupied until a clearance certificate has been issued for it.
Air monitoring during Class A work
Air monitoring must be carried out during Class A removal, by a licensed asbestos assessor.
Class A licence: friable asbestos
A Class A licence is required for removing any amount of friable asbestos, and for asbestos-contaminated dust or debris except as allowed by reg 55.
Asbestos Regulations 2016, regs 54 and 55 · WorkSafe, Asbestos licensing overview
Class B licence: more than 10 m² of non-friable
A Class B licence (or a Class A licence) is required for removing more than 10 m² of non-friable asbestos or asbestos-containing material, counted cumulatively across the whole removal project at the site.
Asbestos Regulations 2016, reg 56 · WorkSafe, Asbestos licensing overview
Can a homeowner remove asbestos from their own home?
The Act and the regulations place their duties on PCBUs — businesses, landlords, builders, anyone you hire. WorkSafe says its guidelines for PCBUs are not intended for homeowner-occupiers and residential tenants doing work on their own home. WorkSafe still says doing it yourself is extremely dangerous and advises against it.
Both of those things are true at once, and most sites only tell you one of them. The regulations bind PCBUs; WorkSafe advises against DIY anyway; and the moment you pay someone, the thresholds above apply to them. The full answer is in this guide.
Asbestos waste must go to a disposal site authorised to accept it. Never burn it and never put it in a council rubbish bin. Your council can tell you which local site takes it.
What do other sites get wrong about the rules?
That Class B work is not notifiable, that Class B needs no clearance certificate, and that Class A applies to removal over 10 m² of non-friable material. All three are wrong. Reg 34 requires 5 days' notice for licensed removal, regs 41–42 require a clearance inspection and certificate, and the over-10 m² non-friable threshold is Class B under reg 56, not Class A.
We are not a licence holder. NZ Asbestos Removal is not a WorkSafe asbestos licence holder. Removal we arrange is carried out by licensed partners named, with their licence class and number, on each quote.
Sources
- Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 (regs 11, 17, 19, 20, 22, 26, 27, 34, 41, 42, 43, 54, 55, 56, 57)
- WorkSafe, Asbestos licensing overview
- WorkSafe, Asbestos in the home
- WorkSafe, Managing asbestos in your building or workplace
- WorkSafe, asbestos licence holder register
- WorkSafe, we are updating our asbestos-related guidance
Every rule and price on this page was checked against its source on 15 September 2026.
Questions about the rules
What is the difference between Class A and Class B asbestos removal?
A Class A licence covers any amount of friable asbestos, and asbestos-contaminated dust or debris except as allowed by reg 55. A Class B licence covers more than 10 m² of non-friable asbestos or ACM, counted cumulatively across the whole removal project at the site. A Class A licence holder can do Class B work; the reverse is not true.
How is the 10 m² measured?
Cumulatively, across the whole removal project at that site (reg 56). You cannot split one job into several small ones to stay under the threshold.
Does Class B work have to be notified to WorkSafe?
Yes. A licensed remover must notify WorkSafe in writing at least 5 days before licensed removal work starts (reg 34). That applies to Class A and Class B alike. Anyone telling you Class B is not notifiable is wrong.
Does Class B work need a clearance certificate?
Yes. Regulation 41 requires a clearance inspection after licensed removal work — by an independent licensed asbestos assessor for Class A, and by an independent competent person otherwise — and reg 42 says the area must not be reoccupied until a certificate is issued.
Can a homeowner remove asbestos from their own home?
The regulations place their duties on PCBUs, and WorkSafe says its PCBU guidance is not intended for homeowner-occupiers and residential tenants working on their own home. WorkSafe still says doing it yourself is extremely dangerous. Hire anyone and the licensing thresholds apply to them.
Who can do removal of 10 m² or less?
No licence is required for 10 m² or less of non-friable asbestos, counted cumulatively, or for minor contamination. But a PCBU commissioning that work must engage a competent person trained under reg 17 (reg 27).