Asbestos inspections and testing
Before you open up a wall, pull up a floor or apply for a permit, find out what’s in the materials. Licensed inspectors sample them, an accredited lab tests them, and you get clear results and the paperwork your project needs.
- Licensed in New York & New Jersey
- NYC DEP-certified investigators
- EPA-certified lead professionals
- Fully insured, COIs on request
- Free in-person estimates
Asbestos was used in hundreds of building products until the late 1970s and early 1980s: floor tiles and the black mastic under them, pipe and boiler insulation, plaster and joint compound, roofing, siding, ceiling tiles and caulk. You can’t tell by looking. The only way to know is to have a licensed inspector take samples and send them to an accredited lab.
We inspect single rooms, whole apartments and houses, and entire buildings, for homeowners, co-op and condo owners, landlords, architects, contractors and developers across New York and New Jersey.
What’s included
- A licensed asbestos inspector on site (a DEP-certified asbestos investigator for jobs in the five boroughs)
- Samples from every material your work will disturb: flooring, mastic, plaster, joint compound, pipe wrap, roofing, siding
- Analysis at an accredited lab (PLM, plus TEM for floor tiles and mastics when needed)
- A clear written report you can share with your architect, contractor, board, buyer or township
- ACP-5 filed with NYC DEP when the work qualifies, so DOB can issue your permit
- If asbestos is found, we’re there to guide you through what it means and the next steps
When people call us
- Kitchen and bathroom renovations
- Gut renovations and combining apartments
- Full or partial demolition
- New plumbing, heating or HVAC work
- Roof replacements and facade work
- Buying or selling a home or building
- Co-op and condo board alteration requirements
- A suspicious material: 9x9 tiles, black mastic, old pipe wrap, popcorn ceilings
The paperwork we handle
Requirements depend on where the building is, and we take care of them so you don’t have to learn them:
- New York City: a DEP-certified asbestos investigator inspects and files an ACP-5, which the Department of Buildings needs before issuing most permits that disturb building materials in pre-1987 buildings. If removal is needed, it’s filed with DEP (ACP-7), and DEP issues an ACP-21 when it’s done.
- Elsewhere in New York State: NYS Industrial Code Rule 56 requires an asbestos survey before renovating or demolishing most buildings built before 1974, and your local building department may ask for it with your permit.
- New Jersey: inspections before demolition and before renovations that disturb regulated materials, with reports your construction office, buyer or GC can use.
What it costs
Inspection cost depends on the size of the area, how many different materials need sampling, and how fast you need lab results. A small apartment kitchen is very different from a whole building. Tell us what you’re working on and we’ll quote it clearly before anyone comes out.
Free in-person estimates
Many jobs can be quoted from photos and a report. When a job needs to be seen, we come out and estimate it for free, anywhere in New York or New Jersey.
Every size of job
We handle the smallest jobs and the biggest, with the same care.
How it works
Tell us about the project
What you’re renovating or demolishing, the address and the year built. Plans help for larger jobs.
Inspection and sampling
A licensed inspector visits, maps the materials and takes samples with minimal disturbance.
Lab results
An accredited lab analyzes the samples. Rush analysis is available when you’re on a deadline.
Report and next steps
You get the report and the ACP-5 where it applies. If anything comes back positive, we’ll guide you on what comes next.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if I need an asbestos inspection?
If the building was built before the 1980s and your work will disturb floors, walls, ceilings, pipes, roofing or siding, you should test first. In NYC, most permits for this kind of work in pre-1987 buildings require it.
What is an ACP-5?
It’s the NYC DEP Asbestos Assessment Report. A DEP-certified investigator signs it after inspecting your work area, and DOB uses it to issue your permit. Read our ACP-5 guide.
How long does an inspection take?
The site visit is usually an hour or two for an apartment or house. Lab results typically take a few business days, and rush analysis is available.
Will the inspection damage my home?
Samples are small, usually about the size of a coin. The inspector takes them carefully and patches or seals the spot.
Do I need to be home?
Someone needs to provide access. Many clients leave a key with the super or doorman.
Can you test just one material?
Yes. If it’s one floor or one pipe, we can sample just that.
What happens if asbestos is found?
We’ll be there to guide you: what the results mean for your project, what the rules require, and what your options are.
Do you inspect commercial buildings and multifamily properties?
Yes: stores, offices, schools, multifamily buildings and whole portfolios, as well as homes and apartments.
Do you cover New Jersey?
Yes, across the whole state, as well as New York City, Long Island, Westchester, the Hudson Valley and upstate New York.
We serve New York and New Jersey
New York
Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, Long Island, Westchester, the Hudson Valley and upstate.
(347) 394-4411
New Jersey
Every county, from North Jersey (Bergen, Hudson, Essex) to Central Jersey (Monmouth, Ocean) and South Jersey.
(908) 271-8485
Tell us what you’re dealing with.
One call or a quick online request gets you a clear quote, or a free in-person estimate when the job needs one. We serve New York and New Jersey alike.