Asbestos surveys are commonly required as part of due diligence during commercial real estate transactions or financing, prior to demolition or renovation of buildings, or after suspected damage to buildings during flooding and after significant natural disasters.

Although the use of asbestos for insulation was banned and phased out beginning in 1989, not all products were banned, and many continue to be manufactured and distributed to this day.  It’s very important to obtain an asbestos survey on all facilities when suspect ACM is identified, especially if they are in a damaged or friable condition.

An asbestos survey is highly recommended after significant flooding, water damage or a natural disaster event that disrupts or compromises a building’s structure in a significant way. This is often the first step before any structural damage assessments or rebuilding can occur.

What is Asbestos Sampling / Asbestos Testing?

Often the owner of a property needs to know the asbestos content of just one or two building materials (such as popcorn ceiling or vinyl floor tiles) for remodeling or repair purposes. In these cases, the owner does not require an asbestos survey for the entire structure. The asbestos sampling / asbestos testing is limited to the specific building materials that will be disturbed during remodeling or repair.

Types of Asbestos Surveys

Asbestos Screening

An Asbestos Screening is the best solution if damaged material is being repaired which may pose a potential health risk to building occupants. An Asbestos Screening assesses suspect ACM by obtaining samples for analysis. It targets areas with damage and potentially friable suspect ACM. This process is generally used on HUD projects and is sometimes referred to as a transactional survey.

Limited Asbestos Survey

A Limited Asbestos Survey is a more comprehensive sampling of building materials and suspected ACM. It is a targeting sampling, based on customer need, for a homogenous building material that could include the roof, certain walls, siding, and/or any singular area where ACM is suspected or probable.

Path of Construction/Pre-Renovation Asbestos Survey

Path of Construction / Pre-Renovation Asbestos Survey is a comprehensive survey of building material but is limited to the path of construction and/or the actual building materials. This test could be used when renovating a single storefront in a strip mall, for example. The Asbestos Survey in this instance would ensure that the renovation taking place would not impact the environment or release ACM to areas that are disturbed during construction or renovation activities.

Pre-Demolition Asbestos Survey

A Pre-Demolition Asbestos Survey is by far the most comprehensive ACM assessment. This survey inspects all facets of an entire building, including interior and exterior building materials, utilizing destructive sampling protocols. A demolition survey necessitates the destruction of small sections of the building to discover ACM behind the walls, floors, or other hard to get to areas. In other cases, additional ACM is discovered during the actual demolition as it nearly impossible to observe all hidden areas within a building.

Lead-based paint inspections determine the presence of lead-based paint. Lead-based paint risk assessment is an on-site investigation to determine the presence, type, severity, and location of lead-based paint hazards (including lead hazards in paint, dust, and soil) and provides suggested ways to control them.

Lead-based paint inspection and testing is commonly required as part of due diligence during multifamily and commercial real estate transactions, as well as prior to demolition or renovation of buildings.

Buildings constructed prior to 1978 are at risk of containing lead-based paint. It is prudent to obtain an LBP inspection at these facilities when peeling or damaged paint is identified, or when these facilities are occupied by children as they are the most sensitive to lead poisoning by ingestion. Many lenders require this as part of their due diligence, including for Housing and Urban Development financing and SBA financing in some cases.

Renovation and demolition activities may also disturb lead-based paint or generate lead-based paint dust, so lead-based paint sampling prior to these activities is important.

Types of Lead-Based Paint Inspections and Testing

Lead-based paint testing is generally tailored to the building characteristics and the client’s needs, but below are some common types of inspections and testing.

Lead-Based Paint Inspection

Paint chip testing gives definitive results acceptable to OSHA and allows for confirmation of anomalous XRF readings.

Swab testing is available to test for potential lead dust. This is typically required on HUD inspections of buildings constructed prior to 1960.

Lead Risk Assessment

Usually entails a comprehensive evaluation of potential lead hazards, including lead-based paint, lead dust, lead in water, and/or lead in soil.

Lead Clearance Inspection

Clearance on all projects involving abatement (as defined by EPA) must be done by a certified risk assessor or a certified lead-based paint inspector. Clearance refers generally to combined visual and quantitative environmental evaluation procedures used to determine that no lead-based paint hazards remain in the area being cleared after lead hazard controls or paint-disturbing renovation or maintenance have been done.