Asbestos surveys, air monitoring and clearance: what each step is for
How an asbestos project usually runs from survey to clearance, who does each job, and how to keep the testing independent of the removal.
An asbestos project has several distinct phases, and different professionals normally handle each. Understanding the sequence helps you buy only the services you need and helps you spot a bid that skips a step. The steps below describe common practice; the exact requirements depend on your state and your building, so check with the state agency that licenses professionals. This guide is general information rather than technical or legal advice.
1. The survey: find out what is there
An asbestos survey or inspection identifies suspect materials, samples them and sends the samples to a laboratory. The EPA notes that you cannot tell whether a material contains asbestos by looking at it, and recommends that a professional take the samples. Inspectors are accredited under the state’s program: in Connecticut, for example, the credentials in the state file include an Asbestos Consultant-Inspector and an Inspector/Management Planner. The result is a written report listing materials, locations, quantities and condition.
Ask the inspector to survey the whole area you plan to disturb, not just the obvious materials. Hidden layers such as flooring adhesive, pipe insulation above ceilings or wall plaster are common surprises.
2. The scope or project design
For larger projects, a project designer (or the inspector) writes the abatement scope: what to remove, how to contain it, how waste will be handled and what the finished area must look like. Small residential projects may use a simpler written scope. Either way, the scope should be written by someone with no financial stake in the removal, so that contractors can bid on the same specification.
3. Notifications and permits
The EPA says the owner or operator of a building must notify the appropriate state agency before demolition and before renovations involving more than a threshold amount of asbestos material. It applies to most buildings except residential buildings with four or fewer units, and state and local rules may go further. Ask the contractor who will file any notification and get a copy.
4. Abatement: the removal itself
Licensed abatement contractors seal the work area, control air movement, wet or otherwise control the material, remove it, and bag and label the waste. The EPA notes that asbestos operations must not have visible emissions unless air is properly cleaned, and there are requirements for asbestos waste. Supervisors and workers need state credentials, which is why a good contractor will readily provide proof for the crew.
5. Air monitoring during the work
On many projects a separate consultant, sometimes called a project monitor, checks air quality and observes the contractor. In Connecticut’s state file, for example, project monitor and project designer are distinct consultant credentials. Independent monitoring is valuable because the person watching is not the person paid to finish quickly.
6. Clearance
When removal is finished, the area is visually inspected and, depending on the project and jurisdiction, air is sampled before people return. Clearance should be signed off by a qualified person who does not work for the abatement contractor. Ask in advance what standard will be used and what happens if the area fails: usually the contractor cleans again at its own expense, but write that into the contract.
7. Paperwork you should end up with
- The survey report and lab results.
- The scope or design and the signed contract.
- Copies of the contractor’s license and the workers’ credentials.
- Any notification filed with an agency.
- Waste documentation showing where it went.
- Air-monitoring and clearance results.
Keep them with your property records. If you later sell, insure or renovate again, they show what was found and how it was handled.
Who to call
Use our directory to find licensed consultants and abatement contractors in your area, keep the two roles separate, and read our hiring checklist and guide to when to test. If a bid seems to skip the survey, monitoring or clearance, ask why.