asbestos removal by homeowner

We just got a $49,000 bid for removing asbestos. Cursory searching on the Internet suggests that it may be legal for us to do the work ourselves. Although maybe not: the house has been empty for five years or more, was lived in as a single family before that, but is listed by the tax people as 2-family. No COO. Any advice?

Guest User | 4 years and 2 months ago

23

Please log in, in order to post replies!

23 replies

Newest Oldest

Guest User | 4 years and 2 months ago

string(1) "3"
string(6) "195579"

If you are undertaking a significant project in the building you need to be able to provide documentation of proper removal of asbestos in order to get a construction permit. $49k sounds like a significant amount of asbestos and the right thing to do is to get a couple other bids to see if the price is fair. you are paying for licensing, safety protocols, and disposal in addition to the physical work of removing the actual asbestos. you may also need to have 3rd party air monitoring during the removal, though i don’t know the rules about when that need kicks in.

Guest User | 4 years and 2 months ago

string(1) "3"
string(6) "195579"

If you are undertaking a significant project in the building you need to be able to provide documentation of proper removal of asbestos in order to get a construction permit. $49k sounds like a significant amount of asbestos and the right thing to do is to get a couple other bids to see if the price is fair. you are paying for licensing, safety protocols, and disposal in addition to the physical work of removing the actual asbestos. you may also need to have 3rd party air monitoring during the removal, though i don’t know the rules about when that need kicks in.

andriywww1990 | 4 years and 2 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#5075 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5074 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(6) "203055"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(13) "andriywww1990"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$Blt0brWx/nXZUp/q2Jf/KmTQg2kVdJ1"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(22) "andriywww1990gmail-com"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(23) "andriywww1990@gmail.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2021-04-03 17:51:15"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(15) "Andrii Kusevych"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(203055)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(1) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(3) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

ok, this came up a few weeks back and i suggested that the law says that under 25 linear feet on a pipe is not an “asbestos job” and when government agencies say it is not a “job” they are usually implying that we do not need licensed people to do it. maybe that is my incorrect interpretation of the law. i am with you on this, though.

so i said that and on comes someone (might have been someone named “ironballs” or someone else. “ironballs” sounds like the kind of guy who would push the limit on every law out there and push back against every government agency) and this person says something to this effect “sure you can remove it but how will you get rid of it. do you want to put it in the waste stream with your trash and get a knock on the door….”.

so with that i spent an evening looking for ways to dispose of the stuff. i thought perhaps there was a site we can take it to dispose of it and pay them by the pound or perhaps someone will come and take it away for a fee and give you a reciept and ship it to a disposal facility. i checked the NYC Sanitat ion site and thought they would do the right thing and accept small amounts of this from homeowners (to encourage people who repair a pipe not to dump this stuff on the road someplace) and they do not take it. i could find no place that will take it from us homeowners. the nearest disposal facility i found was someplace up state and i am not sure we can bring a bag to their gate. perhaps if i get a minute today, i will call and ask if we can pack the stuff in a USPS Flat rate box and ship it to them:-)

i have pushed this around because we have a mayor who cares about this and that and wants us to think he wants to do to the right thing – but he has not put something in place where the city can accept this stuff from homeowners. this just encourages people to dump this stuff someplace. some guy who has a water leak, is laid off from his job due to covid and 3 mos behind on the mortgage is not going to pay to have someone remove it. he is going to rip it out and toss it in the trash.

i do wish to point out that, that 49,000 sounds a lot bigger than the 25 linear. and the 25 linear feet rule is something else kind of off; 25 linear feet on 1/2 inch pipe is a lot different than 25 linear feet on 8″ pipe.

some people who came in on that post named some reasonable contractors. also, after reading what i did about disposing of this stuff, i think some of the cost may be tied up in transporting it to wherever –