Class A vs Class B Asbestos Licences Explained
If you have started looking into asbestos removal, you have probably seen 'Class A' and 'Class B' thrown around without much explanation. The distinction is not marketing — it is a legal line that determines who is allowed to remove your asbestos and under what controls. Here it is in plain terms.
The two licence classes
Class B — non-friable (bonded) only
A Class B asbestos removal licence covers non-friable, or bonded, asbestos: material with its fibres locked into a solid product, such as the asbestos-cement sheeting used for eaves, wall sheet, fences and roofing across Geelong. This is the great majority of residential asbestos.
Class A — friable as well
A Class A licence covers everything a Class B does plus friable asbestos — material that can be crumbled to powder by hand, like some pipe lagging, old heater insulation, sprayed coatings or badly fire- or water-damaged sheeting. Friable asbestos releases fibres far more easily, so it is more tightly controlled.
The 10 square metre rule
Here is the threshold that matters most to homeowners: in Victoria, removing more than 10 m² of non-friable asbestos must be done by a licensed removalist. Below that, a homeowner is permitted to remove non-friable asbestos themselves — but only if they follow safe work practices and dispose of it lawfully at a licensed facility.
There is no equivalent DIY allowance for friable asbestos. Friable material is licensed work regardless of quantity.
What friable work additionally requires
Because friable asbestos is higher-risk, Class A jobs carry extra requirements that Class B jobs generally do not:
Air monitoring during the work, to check fibre levels
An independent licensed asbestos assessor to carry out a clearance inspection and issue a certificate before the area is reoccupied
The removalist cannot clear their own friable work — the clearance has to be independent. That independence is a feature, not red tape: it is what gives you genuine assurance the area is safe.
How this affects your job
The first real question on any asbestos job is: bonded or friable? That single answer determines the licence class, whether air monitoring and an independent clearance are needed, and a good part of the cost. It is also why testing is worthwhile — it settles the question before anyone commits to a method or a price.
Most Geelong home asbestos is bonded and falls under Class B. But weathered, cracked or damaged sheeting — common in coastal Bellarine stock and in tired old sheds — can behave as friable at its edges, which is exactly why a professional assessment beats an assumption.
The takeaway
Class B is bonded; Class A adds friable. More than 10 m² of bonded asbestos, or any friable asbestos, means a licensed removalist by law. Always confirm the current requirements with WorkSafe Victoria, and when in doubt, get the material assessed before anyone touches it.