Asbestos Survey Before Demolition or Renovation in Little Rock, AR
Before a building in Little Rock is demolished, or a pre-1985 building is renovated, the materials that will be disturbed have to be checked for asbestos. For a demolition it is required: the permit office wants the survey report and the state wants notice before the building comes down. For a renovation it is what keeps the job on schedule, because no contractor will open a wall or pull a floor until they know what is in it. An inspector holding the state asbestos certification samples every suspect material, the lab tests them, and you get a written report that lists what is where and what has to come out first. Call (501) 817-7825.
What the survey covers
Every material that could contain asbestos in the area of work, or in the whole building for a demolition: floor tile and mastic, sheet vinyl, ceiling tile and ceiling texture, joint compound and plaster, pipe and boiler insulation, duct tape and duct insulation, fireproofing on steel, roofing, flashing, window glazing and caulk, siding, and the insulation in walls and attics. Each one is sampled the number of times the rules require for its size, wetted and cut so nothing goes into the air, and sent to a lab with the required accreditation.
The report lists each material, whether it contains asbestos, how much of it there is, its condition, and what has to happen to it before the work: removed, or in a renovation left alone if it is outside the work area. It is the document the permit office, the demolition contractor, the general contractor and the state notice are all built on.
Demolition: what Little Rock and Arkansas require
A demolition permit in Little Rock needs an asbestos survey by an inspector holding the state certification. Arkansas then requires notice before the demolition starts, with a waiting period, whether or not asbestos was found, and anything found has to be removed by a crew with the state licence before the building comes down. Skip the survey and the permit is refused; find asbestos after the excavator has started and the whole debris pile becomes asbestos waste, which costs many times what the survey would have.
The survey is the start of the chain. If it finds asbestos, the removal is a separate quote, see commercial asbestos removal for buildings and residential abatement for a house, and the demolition follows the air clearance.
Renovation: why to survey before the contractor starts
A kitchen gut, a bathroom, a basement finish, an office fit-out. In a building from before the mid-1980s the flooring, the ceiling, the joint compound and the pipe insulation are all in the way of the work. Testing them before the bid means the contractor prices the job on facts, the asbestos comes out first in a sealed area, and the trades never touch it. Finding it halfway through means work stops, the area has to be cleaned as a contamination, and the schedule is gone. See found asbestos during a renovation.
For a house, the survey is often a smaller job than the word suggests: the materials in the rooms being renovated, sampled and reported. See asbestos testing and inspection.
What an asbestos survey costs in Little Rock
A survey of a house before demolition or a whole-house renovation usually runs $500 to $2,500, depending on the size of the house and how many different materials have to be sampled. A commercial building runs $1,500 to $8,000 or more depending on size and the number of materials. Rush lab results for a permit deadline add $100 to $200 a sample. Every price on the site is on the asbestos removal cost page.
Prices on this page are estimates from previous work. We cannot quote an exact price. The actual cost can be lower or higher depending on the job. The person who knows is the professional who will do the work. You get a written quote after we see the house.
How to get started
Call (501) 817-7825 and tell us the building, its age, whether it is a demolition or a renovation, and when the permit or the contractor needs the report. We book the survey and the report follows the lab results. If you would rather write, use the contact page.
Related services
- Asbestos Testing & Inspection in Little Rock, AR
- Commercial Asbestos Removal & Abatement in Little Rock, AR
- Residential Asbestos Abatement in Little Rock, AR
- Found Asbestos During a Renovation? What to Do Next in Little Rock
- Arkansas Asbestos Rules for Homeowners: What Little Rock Owners Have to Do
- Asbestos Removal Cost in Little Rock, AR
Asbestos survey questions
How much does an asbestos survey cost in Little Rock?
$500 to $2,500 for a house, $1,500 to $8,000 or more for a commercial building, depending on size and how many materials have to be sampled. Rush results add $100 to $200 a sample.
Is an asbestos survey required to demolish a house in Little Rock?
Yes. The demolition permit requires a survey by an inspector holding the state certification, and the state requires notice before the demolition whether or not asbestos is found.
How long does the survey take?
Sampling a house takes an hour or two on site. Lab results take two to three days standard, with rush turnaround available. The written report follows the results.
What if the survey finds asbestos?
The report says what and where. The removal is a separate written quote, it happens before the demolition or the renovation, and the air clearance at the end is what the permit office and the contractor need to proceed.
Do I need a survey for a small renovation?
If the work disturbs materials from before the mid-1980s, test them. For a small job that is a few samples rather than a full survey, and it is the difference between a normal remodel and a contamination cleanup.
Do you survey buildings in North Little Rock and Conway?
Yes. Little Rock, North Little Rock, Sherwood, Jacksonville, Cabot, Bryant, Benton, Conway and the surrounding counties. Call (501) 817-7825.
Permit waiting on a survey?
Call (501) 817-7825 with the building's age and the deadline. Inspector holding state certification, lab with required accreditation, written report.