You think there might be asbestos. Start by working out whether it is worth testing.

Testing is the cheapest step in the whole subject and the one people skip. It is also the only step that replaces an argument with a fact.

There is no visual test for asbestos. There is, however, a short list of physical features that separate a sheet worth testing from one that almost certainly is not — and knowing them saves most people a laboratory fee.

One word decides who may touch the material, how much may be removed, and whether you can stay in the house. It is worth understanding properly.

This is the one situation in Australian asbestos where the first step is not to look, but to check a list — and where looking is the thing that can hurt you.

Indoors changes the arithmetic. The same sheet that is a manageable problem outside is a contaminated room when someone takes a grinder to it in a space with the windows shut.

Eaves are the asbestos most Australians live with without knowing, and the part most likely to be disturbed by a painter working from a ladder on a Saturday.

Knowing the shape of the job is what lets you tell a competent quote from a cheap one — and roof removal is where cheap quotes do the most damage.

A weathered asbestos cement roof looks like it needs a good clean. High-pressure cleaning it is the single worst thing you can do to a house.

An old floor is three products stacked on each other, and asbestos can sit in any of them independently. The sander finds all three at once.

Back-yard asbestos gets handled casually because it is outdoors and familiar. It is also the most weathered material on the property, and it sits at knee height where children play.

Asbestos in a house you are buying is a fact to price and plan around, not automatically a reason to walk away. The mistake is finding out afterwards.

The analysis is the easy half. The risky half is the bit where somebody breaks a piece off your wall, and that is the half worth paying for.

Two letters decide who may legally do the work. Knowing which one your job needs is how you tell a real quote from a cheap one.

There is an exception that lets an owner-occupier deal with a small amount of bonded sheeting. It is narrower than people think, and the number attached to it is not national.

The job is not finished when the truck leaves. It is finished when somebody independent puts in writing that the area is fit to use again.

Disposal is the half of the job people plan last and the half with the clearest rules. It also has the highest penalties, and the fewest excuses.